Today’s employment marketplace is unlike it has been in decades. The “Great Resignation” has necessitated employers to step up their compensation game, but this doesn’t mean that you can promote yourself without effort. Let’s discuss five professional behaviors that will get you noticed and the value of self-promotion.
1. Get Yourself Unstuck
It’s difficult to move forward and up when you feel stuck. There are two major reasons you may feel this way in your current position:
Circumstantial: There may be obstacles, including policies, structure, geography, in your current situation that make you believe you’re stuck. These issues require you to put yourself first and manage your mindset and intention to overcome and change your situation.
Embedded: This happens when you stand back and do what you’ve always done instead of stepping outside the box to do something different. Getting comfortable in your habits will leave you stuck in a rut. Allow yourself to consider doing the things you think you can’t do to heighten the likelihood you can garner positive professional attention through self-promotion.
2. Practice the Art of Self-Promotion
It may feel uncomfortable but promoting yourself is a crucial professional behavior. Don’t shy away from accolades and recognition. When you are recognized, accept the recognition without diminishing your own accomplishment. Don’t be afraid to take the compliment.
3. Clearly Envision Your Future
When you have a distinct idea of where you’re going (or where you want to go) in the future, you can approach your day-to-day responsibilities with an air of confident poise and professional behavior, which is implied self-promotion. You need to think about how you’re working. Align your work with where you’re headed. Understand what your “mission statement” is and exhibit professional behaviors that support the statement. When opportunities become available, you need to engage in self-promotion by speaking up, and put yourself in the spotlight by indicating interest and selling why you are a good fit. Unfortunately, your work doesn’t speak for itself; YOU have to speak for YOURself.
4. Understand the Limits of Expertise
Know that mastering what you’re doing today doesn’t necessarily launch you into the next step. In fact, mastery risks getting you stuck. If you get too comfortable with your expertise in any area, it can serve as a roadblock to your desire in seeking out new skills or responsibilities and in your willingness to delegate responsibilities so that you can focus on something new. Just because you’ve mastered something, one important professional behavior to exhibit is to stay hungry for new opportunities.
5. Avoid the Perfection Trap
Don’t get wrapped up in the need to be “perfect” in all aspects. Otherwise, a small failure can sink your professional ship. It can cause you to dwell on that one mistake and inhibit your ability continue with
your productivity and your self-promoting professional behaviors. You must be willing to share the load without fear of mistakes. Allow yourself to be open to trying something new or to try doing something in a new way.
Presented by:
Susan Weston