When you want to be more visible: 7 actions to try
Many people have approached me to ask how to further their careers in a remote or hybrid environment or when their manager is in another city or country. My main advice is to be more intentional with getting your manager's attention in these times. One-on-one meetings have never been more critical.
People are looking at their jobs and organizations and asking questions that have always been important but seem hyper-important now in our time of evolving work.
Do I feel supported by my manager, leadership, and peers?
Do I feel like I am more productive and engaged or the opposite?
Am I bored or overwhelmed? Can I strike a good balance?
Does my organization have the technology infrastructure to support me in my work?
Are there stretch opportunities for me to look at how we can do business differently?
Do I have the development support I need?
Is my manager accessible, or are they trapped in meetings all of the time?
Is there a career path for me?
Are there open opportunities inside my organization, or do I need to leave to find more?
Going the extra mile, standing out among your peers, or especially trying to pivot into something new can be difficult when you have lost touch with leaders or can no longer pop into someone's office to ask for advice. When most companies promote people based on accomplishments and relationships, how can you be "seen" in a remote or hybrid environment?
All of us are experiencing the results of people spending more time on self-reflection and figuring out where they want to take their careers. Most of us feel people have opportunities within our organizations, no matter how big or small. We should remember: Talented people ALWAYS have options. People start to look outside of your organization if they can't answer "yes" to many of the above questions.
From a leadership perspective, I would ask what you are doing to promote an engaged workforce today. Are you providing development opportunities and ways for people to move within your organization? Now, more than ever is a good time to look at your internal mobility strategy and put one into practice.
For people looking for a career path and figuring out how to be seen from their living room couch, I would argue that "what" you can do has not changed; just the "how" has. Connecting to people, having stellar LinkedIn profiles/internal profiles, and pursuing external professional education and virtual experiences to boost your knowledge and connections still help you with your career. Focus on these seven actions to get started:
1. Know yourself.
Knowing who you are and what you want or don't want is still the best place to start. I highly recommend any book on Ikigai — a Japanese philosophy to understand what you like, what you are good at, and how you can earn a living. The heart of this Venn diagram is the ultimate point of what you could do as a career. I have used this methodology myself to document my career desires.
2. Make connections.
I realize this is nothing new, but it is even more critical now to be highly proactive in this regard. The key to being seen is not to let people forget about you. Good work should always stand out, and it will, but help yourself by asking for virtual chats with people you respect and who you want to know about you and your work. So many people have told me how they got passed over for a promotion and didn't understand why. They were excelling in their job, but no one knew about it! Schedule 20-minute chats with formal and informal leaders.
3. Share your knowledge.
A great way to be seen is to somehow contribute to your profession or organization. Write for a journal, pitch a webinar or talk with a professional association, or join a board or committee with an association. In addition to writing or speaking within your profession, share your knowledge with your team, department, or community at work. If you have experience with a critical system, process, or client, share that wisdom with others in a group or all-hands meeting. Start a community at work if you love gardening, Yoga, cooking, or even something more professional like project management or change management. There are endless opportunities to be more visible that you can create yourself. Take the initiative.
4. Add to your expertise.
Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare offer classes at discounted prices (if not free) to supplement your expertise and help you build knowledge in a new space. You have to be a very self-motivated learner to stick with these programs. Some are amazing, and some are so-so, but even the amazing ones can be difficult to stick with if you don't have a schedule and the commitment to complete it. It's like going to college or university. No one is standing over you to ensure you do your work. All of that motivation has to come from within.
5. Update your profile.
This is a great time to update your LinkedIn profile, internal profile within your organization, or resume. Be ready when you find a new opportunity, whether that is inside or outside of your organization. Add that badge to your LinkedIn profile when you achieve certification, attend a course or publish an article. Do something to further your knowledge and exposure within your field and then share it with the world on social media inside and outside.
6. Share what you've learned.
One way to stay visible and communicate how self-motivated you are is to offer to share what you have learned or what you have written about with your team and other teams. Back to being proactive, offer to share ten tips for analyzing data or five ways to tell a better story. Share the top ten takeaways at your next team meeting if you recently earned a certification. If you have tried a new system or process, share your learnings. Whatever area of expertise you are forming, offer to share that with others. Get the word out that you are a motivated learner and are trying to develop yourself. This act will communicate volumes about who you are.
7. Raise your hand.
How many of us have been proactive and asked for what we wanted or raised our hand to take on a new project or role? Some people are too shy or humble to ask for what they want. This is a mistake. Opportunity comes to those who are proactive, connected, and visible. This may be an uncomfortable place to be, but this is human nature. It is time for us to be more proactive in our communications and expressions of our career desires. If you want to lead a project, say so. If you wish to be considered for the next level role, speak up. Now, you may receive feedback that you need to develop skills or knowledge to get to the next level, but this is the perfect door opening! Refer to #4 and #6. Learn and share to increase your visibility to be considered for the next level.
These times are challenging, but it is not an impossible time to gain visibility and position yourself for a new opportunity. Learn about yourself, develop yourself, and promote yourself. These three points have been valid forever but are even more critical now. Schedule the time to act on all seven tips above and make it happen!