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Top performers tend to find it uncomfortable to promote themselves and may underestimate their competence. So, they end up underselling themselves. On the flip side, employees who are underskilled often overestimate their abilities because they are unaware of what they still need to learn.
“Not everyone is comfortable with the ‘humble brag’ and they don’t want to market themselves. They feel that if they do excellent work, others will notice. But at a time when job applications have doubled and creator activity has become mainstream, excellence without visibility equals invisibility.”
In a nutshell, visibility is not bragging. Rather, it is communicating with your employers in such a way that they see your work, achievements, and thinking process. There are times when your approach is more important than the results you (do not) get.
“In engineering and software development job interviews, it is not uncommon for the person running the interview to ask the applicant to build something. Recruiters consistently report that they care less about whether a prototype works and more about how the applicant approaches the challenge. They want to see curiosity, problem solving, and a healthy relationship with failure.”
So, what can you do? Simply put, you need to get better at articulating how awesome you already are.
For one, you have to make your skills discoverable. Be more specific about what you do and achieve in your in-office communication, resume, and on LinkedIn.
Meanwhile, even if you’re not a content creator, you might want to share your industry insights and lessons in posts, videos, newsletters, etc.
“You cannot help people if they do not know what you do. You will not be promoted if people cannot find you. Self-promotion is for attention. Visibility is to spark curiosity, share your thinking, and your unique value. If you want to stay ahead of the rapidly shifting job landscape, you will need more than ability. You will need to be seen,” Gotian writes.
Which of these corporate life memes resonated with you the strongest, and why?
What are the biggest work-related challenges that you’re personally dealing with? What steps are you taking to avoid becoming replaceable?
Who do you know who’s struggling to find a job in this bizarre job market? How are they staying motivated?
We want to hear from you! Share your perspectives, experiences, and words of wisdom in the comments.
