5 Ways to Increase Your Visibility
It’s quite simple: being visible helps you achieve your goals.
People prefer to work with people they’re familiar with. That familiarity doesn’t have to be based on impressive and daring feats; it can come from simple exposure. You, your name, and your work need to be visible to your peers, to your boss, to your boss’s boss, to casual observers, to industry experts, to anyone who goes looking for you or your area of expertise on the Internet, etc.
Here are five simple ways to increase your visibility.
1.Introduce Yourself
Do people know your name? Introduce yourself — repeatedly. Many people have difficulty remembering names, particularly in large organizations. No one wants to be embarrassed by calling someone the wrong name. Many would rather avoid you than admit their forgetfulness.
Keep saying your name until they’re saying it first.
2.Be Present Online
LinkedIn has become the de facto home of professional identity online. It’s a way to essentially post your resume online without accidentally communicating “I’m looking for a new job!” to your existing employer. It’s also the first place most people turn for information about you in a professional context.
Make sure your profiles are visible wherever people in your field will look. And try to use the same form of your name and the same photo whenever possible so people associate the online information.
3. Start Conversations
People remember people they have a great conversation with. Questions are a great excuse for a conversation, and people are flattered to be the source of answers.
4. Dress Up
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
This is not a trite old saying that has lost its value in the age of the casual workplace; it’s wisdom you can take to the bank. By dressing the part, people who want to get ahead signal that to the people who can help them get there.
5. Show Up
You can’t be seen if you aren’t present.
When you keep showing up, opportunities will appear. Many people got their first job, their first break, or their first chance to hold the microphone simply because they were already acquainted and available at a moment of need.
Being visible helps people become familiar with you.
Don’t be afraid to share your personal interests, side projects, and even your ambitions. At the least, it helps people see you as a more interesting and well-rounded person. It might even be the element of common interest that leads to an improved relationship or an offer of help.
You can also make yourself visible by doing stuff. In particular, participate in distinct and useful activities that aren’t easily labeled.
Do stuff that you couldn’t represent by checking a box on a form. Do stuff your boss will explain (not apologize for!) when reporting to their boss. Do stuff that will be shared on the Internet. Do stuff that will cause interviewers to ask questions when they see it on your resume.
Own your exposure. Learn more at StartNextNow.com.
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Bob Pritchett
Bob Pritchett co-founded Faithlife Corporation (makers of Logos Bible Software) and serves as President/CEO. Bob speaks regularly at industry conferences and to academic groups on entrepreneurship, electronic publishing, and digital libraries. He is a 2005 winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, one of Glassdoor’s Highest Rated CEOs 2015, and was included in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. His second book, Start Next Now: How to Get the Life You’ve Always Wanted released in October 2015.