Visibility + Value = Career Success

The modern schooling system was designed to create a pipeline of factory workers. While it has evolved over the years (*cough* abolishing the cane *cough*), one thing remains consistent: We celebrate students who deliver a high standard of work.

After closing our textbooks ChatGPT for the last time, we leave school with the mouldy remnants of our lunchboxes and a well-ingrained idea of what it takes to be successful: put your head down and work harder than everyone else.

Then, we land in the workforce. Hard work is only half the job. The schooling system leads us to believe that the value we add equals career success. Our work speaks for itself in the classroom - results are 100% determined by your deliverables. And ew. You don’t boast about your exam results. Hashtag no rizz, skibidi, or whatever the word for ‘lame’ is today.

When we enter the workforce, we have to unlearn the approach that helped us at school. Because unlike in the classroom, there are two equal components to career success. Unless you focus on both value and visibility, you’re limiting your options.

Except no one tells us to. Yes, we know you hate the idea of self-promotion. You’re not alone. Most of us feel uncomfortable sharing our accomplishments, so let’s address that limiting belief first.

The next time you’re in a meeting, you have our permission to tune out for a minute. While Mark is delivering the CEO update, answer this question for each participant: What are their individual career accomplishments? Mentally list every project, role and achievement.

Yup. It turns out it’s not something you just know. Of course, you don’t - you’re surrounded by colleagues, stakeholders and LinkedIn connections. And you’re busy. It’s impossible to memorise everyone's CV.

Newsflash: everyone else is in the same position. Unless you tell people about the value you add, there’s little chance they’ll know what you bring to the table. And that means the next time a colleague/boss/client/connection is looking to hire someone with your skills, they probably won’t think of you.

And that’s a career-limiting problem because almost 70% of job vacancies are filled through networks. The less visible you are, the more you miss out on career-enhancing opportunities like new roles, key projects and interesting events.

Sharing strengths is not showing off. We’re in the diversity era; our differences are celebrated. In the fast-paced, high-change environment of the modern workplace, your unique superpowers and experiences give you an edge. And you don’t need to steal the spotlight to shine.

These three simple tweaks will make a big difference to how you’re perceived:

Swap ‘we’ for ‘I’
At Powrsuit, we recently consoled someone who lost out on a role. The feedback? She had liberally sprinkled all her examples with the word ‘we’, making it impossible for the interview panel to identify her specific contribution.

Collaboration is great, but interviews and networking provide a valuable opportunity to highlight your impact. There is no ‘I’ in we, so don't use it when articulating your achievements.

'Your stakeholders aren’t limited to immediate colleagues - they include anyone who is impacted by (or interested in) your work. Identify key people to keep in the loop with proactive updates. Very few of us are mind-readers (not even our dogs), so a quick, well-crafted message is a simple way to showcase your contributions and top-notch communication skills.

After your last networking event or meeting, who stuck in your mind? Chances are it's the people who clearly and enticingly introduced themselves - not those who mumbled through their job title.

Take 15 minutes and intentionally craft an elevator pitch. This is your professional headline, helping people remember you. Skip the awkward shuffle and clearly, concisely articulate who you are, why you’re there and what you offer (or what you need).

Nervous about testing your intro in public? Powrsuit members get plenty of opportunities to practice in a safe space.