If your CEO confuses you for the intern or worse — the UPS delivery man — even when you’ve been faithfully serving for years, you could be facing the fate of invisibility. It happens to the best of employees, but rest assured, it usually escapes the worst. (Your obnoxious colleagues may get attention, but not for long.) If your good deeds earn you nothing more than a half-aware nod in the hallway, it’s time to put your fears aside and learn how to get noticed at work in a nice way.
Showing Off
Nobody likes a show-off, but most people do like those who simply show their skill set in a bragless way. If you’re especially good at flowcharts, for example, volunteer to make one and make it shine. After the final touches are done, ask your manager to take a look and offer input. Not only will she notice what you have to bring to the table, you can benefit from her insight as well.
Rubbing Shoulders
If you’re suffering from invisibility syndrome, it’s likely you’re not the office socialite and introversion is more your style. Use this to your advantage and do what introverts do well — build a few solid relationships rather than grow your Facebook friend list by a few more hundred. Start with those connections you have in management who may appreciate your listening ear. Once rapport is built with one or two, you’ll find it easier to talk about work and your accomplishments in a non-obnoxious or self-promoting way. Don’t be surprised when your name and your work becomes the subject of another conversation that becomes the subject of another one — perhaps in the executive wing.
Name Dropping
While name-dropping can be poor form, there’s a good kind of name-dropping, too. If you want to learn how to get noticed at work, here’s the golden rule: if you want to be noticed, notice others, too. When you see a colleague do a job well done, don’t hesitate to tell your boss or refer to the good work in your next meeting. Beware of too much of this — lest you appear to be a flatterer — but looking out for a colleague’s best interest is normally a win-win situation. After all, showing interest in the workplace around you puts you in the best possible light, which is one of the strongest antidotes to invisibility.
Tooting Horns
If you find yourself blushing frequently at compliments and quickly referring to the great “team work” when someone gives you credit — it’s time to stop. Yes, crediting your team is important, but not at the expense of your visibility. Learn to graciously accept compliments and believe them yourself — confidence is contagious and highly visible. Speak for yourself, too. Look for segues in conversations to naturally bring your work up and remember it’s okay to talk about your work, especially when you’re at work. Just keep the decibels down and practice self-awareness so you’ll know when too much self-promotion is too much.