4 Ways to get Noticed and Advance your Career

I came across an article by LaRae Quy that struck a chord.  She provided 4 ideas on career advancement that seemed overly simplistic to me at first, but the more a read the more I understood her wisdom.

Quy joined the FBI to make a difference, but soon learned that she'd need to get noticed by leadership before important cases would be assigned to her. Otherwise, she'd be relegated to second tier on the squad. 

Here are 4 simple ways she found were the most effective to getting noticed by leadership:

1. Find a mentor you admire

There are many different kinds of mentor relationships. Some of them are formal and you meet at regular intervals to discuss your career goals or assess your progress. Quy found mentors helpful to some degree, but the most effective mentors were the ones whose leadership style she emulated.

2. Focus on your likability

This one isn't always as simple as it sounds.  Smile, be happy, be likable.  Make friends.

All it takes are straightforward gestures to make colleagues, and leadership, feel more comfortable with you. But don’t overdo it.

3. Become a team player

There are times when you’re the star of the show, and other times when you work the backstage props. Become alert to the needs of your colleagues and offer to help them. By the way, be careful with criticism and snarky comments. Stay above the fray at all times.

4. Add value to the bottom line

Leadership looks for people who create maximum workplace impact. Self-promoters tend to oversell themselves, and their talents, to get noticed by leadership. Often, they are unprepared when an obstacle rears its ugly head.

Quy says, "To add value, you need to look at your job description as the place to start, not to end."  Amen!

Tom Colton