Promoting Your Work
20 January 2014
Read by 1858 persons
Your mom thinks you're great, your sweetheart calls you his "8th wonder of the world!" and your friends call you a "working girl"... Yet, at the office, you feel your work is as unnoticed as the yellowing houseplant. Lift your eyes from your screen, stand tall, and learn to be recognized for your professional qualities. Catch-up lesson in 5 points!
Your mom thinks you're great, your sweetheart calls you his "8th wonder of the world!" and your friends call you a "working girl"... Yet, at the office, you feel your work is as unnoticed as the yellowing houseplant. Lift your eyes from your screen, stand tall, and learn to be recognized for your professional qualities. Catch-up lesson in 5 points!
1) Be Aware of Your Worth
How can you expect anyone else to realize your worth if you aren't convinced yourself?
Learn to congratulate yourself on each task accomplished and regularly review with yourself the files you've completed, the ideas you've contributed, and the many solutions you've found. Others aren't necessarily better than you. However, they know better how to promote themselves. So practice the Coué method without any complexes and repeat to yourself in front of the mirror: "I work well, I'm a good professional, I've accomplished interesting things..."
2) Get Out of Anonymity
Planted in the middle of the open space or next to the restroom door, you're barely seen. You respect the schedule and are a good employee, but nothing more. So, get noticed!
During the many office parties (farewells, babies, weddings, retirements, year-end parties, summer holidays...) subtly approach the different managers.
- Talk to them about the projects you're working on and ask them questions about the company and potential job openings.
- Talk about your desires and ambitions so that you are not forgotten during promotions.
- Also slip in some information you've gathered. Caution! We're not talking about gossip but useful information about the company: a Japanese company launching a revolutionary product, an American work method that's a hit...
3) Show Initiative
- Stop thinking "problem" and think "solution"! A reflex that your professional circle will appreciate. Always strive to find a way to fix a delicate situation and systematically propose it. Even better: propose several options to give a choice and thus show that you've thought about it seriously.
- Do your homework at home. Surf the Net, read specialized press and get information from people working in the same sector as you to gather as much useful information, innovative and effective ideas to put into practice in your work.
- Absolute reactivity: no more dragging your boss's requests and respond as quickly as possible. Volunteer when a new teammate is needed on a project.
4) Speak Up in Meetings
It's time to stop the little doodles and the approving nods while you haven't listened to anything... From now on, you speak up. Not to say anything at random, of course.
- Before the meeting, find out about the agenda in order to intervene on subjects that you have taken care to work on beforehand.
- Don't mutter your ideas to your neighbor, but state them clearly and aloud to the assembly.
- You will have taken care to bring reliable figures and sources that you will list. You will offer to send them by email at the end of the meeting.
5) Leave Traces
- You found THE solution to win a budget. Alas, there's no proof and it's your superior who boasts of having done everything and who reaps the congratulations! When you cross the big boss in the elevator, slip in: "I'm glad to see that my ideas on the Trucbidule file appealed to you. I had read an article in the New Times on the subject..."
- Do you have tons of ideas? Make a detailed and explanatory list and send it by email to your boss. He doesn't reply? Ask him by email if he received your proposals...
You understand, it is necessary to leave visible proof of your work so that it is rewarded at its fair value.
Aufeminin.com
Posted online January 20, 2014.
Your mom thinks you're great, your sweetheart calls you his "8th wonder of the world!" and your friends call you a "working girl"... Yet, at the office, you feel your work is as unnoticed as the yellowing houseplant. Lift your eyes from your screen, stand tall, and learn to be recognized for your professional qualities. Catch-up lesson in 5 points!
1) Be Aware of Your Worth
How can you expect anyone else to realize your worth if you aren't convinced yourself?
Learn to congratulate yourself on each task accomplished and regularly review with yourself the files you've completed, the ideas you've contributed, and the many solutions you've found. Others aren't necessarily better than you. However, they know better how to promote themselves. So practice the Coué method without any complexes and repeat to yourself in front of the mirror: "I work well, I'm a good professional, I've accomplished interesting things..."
2) Get Out of Anonymity
Planted in the middle of the open space or next to the restroom door, you're barely seen. You respect the schedule and are a good employee, but nothing more. So, get noticed!
During the many office parties (farewells, babies, weddings, retirements, year-end parties, summer holidays...) subtly approach the different managers.
- Talk to them about the projects you're working on and ask them questions about the company and potential job openings.
- Talk about your desires and ambitions so that you are not forgotten during promotions.
- Also slip in some information you've gathered. Caution! We're not talking about gossip but useful information about the company: a Japanese company launching a revolutionary product, an American work method that's a hit...
3) Show Initiative
- Stop thinking "problem" and think "solution"! A reflex that your professional circle will appreciate. Always strive to find a way to fix a delicate situation and systematically propose it. Even better: propose several options to give a choice and thus show that you've thought about it seriously.
- Do your homework at home. Surf the Net, read specialized press and get information from people working in the same sector as you to gather as much useful information, innovative and effective ideas to put into practice in your work.
- Absolute reactivity: no more dragging your boss's requests and respond as quickly as possible. Volunteer when a new teammate is needed on a project.
4) Speak Up in Meetings
It's time to stop the little doodles and the approving nods while you haven't listened to anything... From now on, you speak up. Not to say anything at random, of course.
- Before the meeting, find out about the agenda in order to intervene on subjects that you have taken care to work on beforehand.
- Don't mutter your ideas to your neighbor, but state them clearly and aloud to the assembly.
- You will have taken care to bring reliable figures and sources that you will list. You will offer to send them by email at the end of the meeting.
5) Leave Traces
- You found THE solution to win a budget. Alas, there's no proof and it's your superior who boasts of having done everything and who reaps the congratulations! When you cross the big boss in the elevator, slip in: "I'm glad to see that my ideas on the Trucbidule file appealed to you. I had read an article in the New Times on the subject..."
- Do you have tons of ideas? Make a detailed and explanatory list and send it by email to your boss. He doesn't reply? Ask him by email if he received your proposals...
You understand, it is necessary to leave visible proof of your work so that it is rewarded at its fair value.
Aufeminin.com
Posted online January 20, 2014.
