Starting at the bottom of the corporate ladder is not fun for anyone looking to carve out a successful career in their workplace. You’re able to see where you want to go, it’s getting there that’s the inherent challenge.
You may work hard, show up to meetings and go the extra mile in everything you do, only to be turned down for a raise or promotion – much to your frustration and disappointment.
Why did you get sidelined? After all, you did all the right things and ticked all the correct boxes.
You’re not alone – recent studies show that only around 29% of employees rate themselves as being highly satisfied with the career advancement opportunities their workplaces provide. It’s tough to get ahead, particularly with the rise of remote and hybrid workplaces, where direct contact with managers and other executives is limited and invisibility is the norm.
What you might not realise is that an invisible divide exists between how you think you’re perceived and how you’re perceived in reality. It’s not intentional or malicious – but it’s there and it can become a self-sustaining glass ceiling preventing you from advancing in your career.
I see this happening time and time again with new employees entering the workplace, who take to their new roles enthusiastically, believing that their education, effort and performance are all enough to secure the advancements, promotions or career evolution they’re looking for. Spoiler alert – they’re not (sadly).
You might be working harder than any of your colleagues, but if no one knows who you are, you’ll remain invisible regardless of the incredible results you’re bringing in. If you’re serious about setting yourself apart from colleagues and coworkers and landing career opportunities, you need more than results and performance – you need to leverage a curated, strategic personal brand.
What exactly is your “personal brand”?
Building a personal brand is not an overnight endeavour but, when done correctly, it delivers results. Research into the effects of personal branding on career development confirms that personal branding does lead to greater career success and satisfaction over time.
But before we progress any further, let’s define what we mean when we talk about a personal brand. In short, your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room (famously articulated by Jeff Bezos – founder of Amazon).. It includes your goals, values, actions, decisions, relationships and anything else that communicates who you are and what you stand for.
Traditionally, we associate brands with businesses, but in the 21st century, personal brands have become just as important as corporate or business brands in creating the right impression that will lead to the right conversations and, ultimately, the right opportunities.
Building a solid reputation is key to building a strong career. Your reputation is created from your habits and character traits – delivered consistently. Collectively, your reputation is made up of the extent to which that which you want to be known for is (your personal brand) is delivered consistently in a way that makes you stand out from your colleagues and competitors.
Why your brand is more important than you think
Whether you realise it or not – you have a personal brand. It’s out there and it plays an important role in deciding whether doors open or close for you in your career development. According to research, 70% of employers use social media to screen applicants during the hiring process and 43% of employers check the social media accounts of their existing employees.
The image of yourself that you craft, both online and offline, is the image that employers, managers and executives will receive – so taking charge and gaining control of your brand’s narrative is the best strategy for positioning yourself favourably for future opportunities.
Visibility is the key to developing an effective personal brand. You build your brand by building awareness about who you are within your organisation and communicating what value you bring to the company.
This necessitates networking and making the right connections within your workplace. In the short term, leveraging your brand to form mentorships and strategic partnerships/ambassadors will help to grow your visibility within the company and allow you to continuously demonstrate what you bring to the table and why it matters.
It will take work and reinforcement and perhaps even a little rebranding based on the feedback you get from your seniors, but it will pay dividends in the long term by putting you in front of the people who will provide you with both the experience and opportunities that you can utilise as stepping stones to where you want to be from a career perspective.
Developing a personal brand in a hybrid work environment
2020 upended the old, dusty paradigm that centred around the idea that employees can only be productive in an office. We know in the world of work, the hybrid work model is here to stay.
While the rise of remote and hybrid working has no doubt brought great benefits like better working flexibility, it’s also made certain aspects of work all the more challenging – building a personal brand, for one thing.
You might be wondering if developing a brand is even necessary if you’re working remotely. After all, there’s limited visibility in hybrid work environments as well as less opportunity to network within an organisation.
But this is exactly what makes developing a personal brand in a hybrid workplace even more essential. If you want to get ahead, you still need to build strong relationships and be able to articulate the unique value you bring to your organisation. Strive to make authentic, genuine first connections with others through digital channels and, from there, try to nurture these connections into lasting relationships – both digital and in the ‘physical’ realm as well.
It’s about finding that important “human” element – the part of us that makes us social beings who want to connect – and leveraging it within tech-driven tools as well as ‘in person’ opportunities to create growth and development opportunities. It’s not impossible in a remote or hybrid workplace!
Start building the brand you deserve today
No matter where you are in your career, it’s never too late to begin crafting a personal brand that can give your career the upward trajectory you’re looking for! Your personal brand matters and the sooner you begin developing it, the sooner you’ll be reaping the career benefits.