Get Good Press to Get Ahead

Voyager Career Solutions

Being visible in the workplace isn't just important for moving up the corporate ladder, it's critical. Yet many good employees find this incredibly difficult. It goes against our culture; we aren't supposed to toot our own horns. Numerous very capable workers have told us that they hate the idea of “shameless bragging,” about their accomplishments, or as one of our clients told me, “major kissing up to the boss.”

Anyone who wants to advance in the corporate world needs to learn that gaining visibility is not sucking up. It is a positive and critical form of communication. It's not so much what you know, it's who knows you and what you can do. Gaining visibility lets those in charge know who you are and what you can do.

“Managers aren't going to try to find out about you. You have to let them know what you can do,” says Tom Riordin, Voyager Career Solutions Executive Vice President - St. Louis. “Visibility is critical you have to get beyond the idea that your light under some bushel will shine on its own.”

How to make it happen

None of this just happens. Gaining visibility is like networking; it only works if you constantly work at it. Visibility can be acquired in both the workplace and other arenas. We have had a number of Voyager Career Solutions clients gain valuable exposure through community volunteer work. They met key corporate players with whom they normally would have little contact. Volunteer work can offer a critical entry into upper management.

Professional organizations are another great way to gain visibility. Try to tackle one key project on a regular basis. It will give you the visibility as a capable, can do player. Other parties in your field will be open to giving you important professional credit. You will gain a valuable reputation as someone who can make things happen.

In your workplace, make sure to get the credit for your accomplishments. Arrange to have plenty of one to one time with your boss. Don't be shy about letting management know about your accomplishments. They need to know in order to make the best use of their resources. Talk about your achievements in outside activities, report your actives and award to the company newsletter and volunteer for special projects.

Making your presence and accomplishments known not only helps your career, it also may help you keep your current job. “Being visible helps in your job security” says Fay Kraft, Raleigh NC Voyager Career Solutions Career Manager. “That's critical in today's era of almost constant corporate reorganizations.” Visibility also leads you to people who can refer you to job openings with the company and outside.

“Visibility isn't kissing up or bragging. It is just taking charge of your career,” adds Jack Stovall, Voyager Career Solutions Omaha Director of Client Services. “One of our Voyager Career Solutions clients joined the Society of Human Resources Professionals in college. Years later he won his chapter's award for community services. At the awards luncheon, two parties made him job offers.”

Conclusion

It's not necessarily who you know, it's who knows you and what you can do. It is important that your employers know your capabilities. It can help you keep your job and even to move up the corporate ladder. At Voyager Career Solutions, we believe that gaining visibility is taking control of your career.

About the author: Alan Ludmer is the president of Voyager Career Solutions. Voyager Career Solutions is a nationally recognized regional firm and a proud member of the International Association of Career Consulting Firms. For more information, call 314 991-5444 or visit the Voyager Career Solutions web site at www.voyagercareers.com

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