Sometimes, no matter how hard we try or how good we are at our jobs, good work simply isn’t enough to achieve career success. Far too often, the effort we put into our work and the outcome can go unnoticed. The truth of the matter is if you take a backseat and don’t do all you can to get your hard work noticed, career advancement can be tricky.
The myth that our hard work should speak for itself runs deep. Many of us have been taught that bragging in any way about our work is bad and comes off as being arrogant or not being humble.
A skill that sets you up for leadership, promotion, and pay increase opportunities is learning how to speak about your great work and achievements without being seen as obnoxious. It is important to intentionally look for opportunities to share your accomplishments with your bosses and colleagues to make them aware of the hard work you’re putting in and the successful results you’re achieving.
It might feel strange or unnatural to go out of your way to showcase your work and get it noticed. But remember, your accomplishments don’t always just benefit you, they can also help other team members and your organization as a whole. If you’re unsure of how to promote your work in the right way, it can help to think of framing it as a learning experience.
If you’ve produced work or results that are high-quality and deserve recognition, there’s a good chance that other team members can learn from what you did. This will help them to achieve success too, so getting your work noticed certainly isn’t always a selfish or boastful thing to do.
By the same token, you should make it a point to recognize your colleagues’ work in order to help them get noticed. In some cases, this might also indirectly draw attention to your own work. For example, perhaps your colleague will publicly recognize that they wouldn’t have been able to achieve a good result if you hadn’t shown them the way or inspired them with your own work.
It’s always important to share positive feedback within your team, as it helps to build a culture where praising one another’s work. As a result, colleagues are reminded to give you credit, as well. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. Never feel hesitant to point out a job well done when you see one, and this extends to your own work, too. Praise that is sincere and true shows you aren’t only focused on your growth but also the growth of the team as a whole.
There’s no shame in sharing your strengths, as long as you go about it the right way. It not only helps you advance your career, but it also helps you stay satisfied with your job. No one likes to feel as though their work goes unnoticed. In fact, lack of recognition is a key reason why so many people leave their jobs. In addition to sharing those successes with people you feel comfortable with at work, it also helps buffer or mitigate stress in the workplace rather than focusing solely on challenges.
Beyond sharing your successes with your colleagues, you also want to make sure they go noticed by management. It can be helpful to bring up your hard work and achievements during one-on-one review sessions to make sure management knows what you’re doing right. Your agenda for any one-on-one meetings or reviews with your boss should include an “accomplishments” section. Take advantage of the opportunity to tell your boss about your work.
Let’s talk about some more great ways to make sure your work gets noticed.
OFFER TO TAKE ON NEW PROJECTS
Being proactive and team-oriented often requires you to lend a helping hand before you’re asked to directly. Consider offering to take on new responsibilities at the onset rather than waiting for them to be offered to you. Even when something isn’t your direct responsibility, it never hurts to offer a helping hand. It shows you’re a team player and are willing to learn. Gaining experience and increasing your value within an organization comes from going out of your way to take on new projects.
PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND DATA
By including specific examples or data that backs up a job well done, you can provide tangible proof that you’re succeeding. This is particularly beneficial during performance reviews. Data is undeniable, and sometimes, it’s exactly what a boss needs to see in order to realize just how well you’re actually doing.
SPEAK UP AT MEETINGS
Being willing and able to speak up confidently in meetings goes a long way. Speaking up will make your attendance memorable, as well as shows that you’re actively engaged. Just make sure your contributions are positive and useful so you aren’t remembered for the wrong reasons! Don’t be afraid to offer your own opinion, and don’t be afraid to agree with a colleague, too.
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, our work isn’t recognized or goes unnoticed. This can feel awful, and often leads people to quit their job or abandon a promising career because they don’t feel appreciated. The truth is, there are times when you have to showcase your own work and make sure it does go noticed. Sitting in the background and hoping for recognition that might never come won’t get you anywhere. Just make sure that you go about getting your work noticed in the right way so as not to come across as arrogant or boastful. And while you’re at it, make sure to recognize others for their hard work, too.