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5 Tips to raise your profile at work

By Karen Adamedes on September 11, 2014 / Manage Your Career / 1 Comment

Let people know about your contributions so that you stand out from the crowd.

Letting people know about your contributions can help you stand out from the crowd.

Maybe you’ve been passed over for a promotion?

Had your hard work and contributions go unnoticed?

Or just realized that for your career to progress it is essential that you are visible?

The reality is that people need to know who you are for them to promote you or reward you. Or even just to say thank you!

Often we fall into the trap of thinking that our good work will speak for itself, and that we shouldn’t need to ‘play the game’ of self-promotion.

Great in theory. But work doesn’t work that way.

Managers, customers, suppliers and everyone else are busy. No sooner is one thing done and everyone moves on to the next priority or the new urgent issue that has emerged. They just don’t have (or make) the time to stop and think about the contributions that each individual (including you) have made.

Or you work in a team and it’s not really obvious who has contributed what. Or maybe you’re just a quiet achiever and others don’t realize how much you do and how well you do it.

This is not about making excuses for others, as sometimes you can be overlooked. Often though, it’s not a deliberate slight – as even the best intentioned managers (and the ordinary ones too!) are busy and can ‘miss’ the contributions that you make.

You can help them, and yourself, out by raising your visibility and letting the people who need to know – who you are and what you do.

Visibility keeps you ‘top-of-mind’ with time poor managers who must make decisions (like who to promote) in a hurry and often under pressure.

Raising your visibility also helps make you known to people in your company, industry or field. If they know about you – it gives them the option to consider you in their plans.

If they know who you are, what you do and what you are capable of, there’s a much higher chance that you will be on their radar when it comes to making a business decision. (For instance, someone in another company who is part of your network may never consider you for an opportunity if they don’t know you could be interested!)

So, how do you step out from behind your excellent work to build your profile and raise your visibility at work?

Here’s 5 easy-to-implement tips to raise your profile at work:

1. Let people know what you have achieved.

Have a positive one-liner ready to go that quickly sums up what you are working on and what you are contributing.

It’s even better if you can add some numbers that quantify what you are doing or how much it is worth. The amount of revenue you have brought in, the dollars you have saved, or a percentage improvement in whatever you are working on. It’s a very persuasive way of demonstrating your contribution.

There are numerous opportunities to use your one liner – in the elevator, standing in a line waiting for your coffee, or sitting around the table when people are waiting for a meeting to get started. Replace small talk with you talk. (And don’t forget to ask questions about what the other person is doing!)

2. Speak up at meetings

If you’ve been invited to a meeting you’re there for a reason. Developing a reputation for making positive contributions helps get you noticed. And builds your credibility.

Ask a question that demonstrates that you understand the issue at hand. Or speak up and contribute something you know that is pertinent to the discussion.

Don’t be shy!

3. Spread your wings

Step out of your day-to-day role by getting involved in a one-off project, an interdepartmental initiative or even volunteer to work on a sporting or charity activity that your organization supports.

You’ll make new contacts and it will allow more people to get to know you and your work.

4. Be on the lookout for opportunities to present

When you present you are center stage and it can do wonders for your profile.

Once you start looking for them there are all sorts of opportunities to present lurking around. They could be to volunteer to chair a meeting, present to other staff or customers, or to represent you company at an industry or trade event.

There is nothing quite like a knowledgeable, articulate presentation to raise your profile and credibility.

5. Contribute to company or industry publications

Chances are your company has a blog. Or an intranet. Contribute a story about something you and the team you work with have achieved (share the glory!).

Write about a topic within your area of expertise or even post insightful and/or supportive comments to other people’s blog posts.

It’s not about showing off…or claiming credit for things you haven’t done. Career visibility is just about letting people know you are there, your capabilities and what you are contributing to the business.

When you achieve and contribute…don’t hide…shine!

Career Tip To Go: Build your profile and raise your visibility at work!

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5 Quick Tips for rehearsing a presentation

By Karen Adamedes on September 1, 2014 / Presentations / 1 Comment

Rehearsing is key for a confident presentation.

By Karen Adamedes

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse many people (me included) implore when it comes to the topic of giving presentations.

It can make a huge difference to the quality of what you deliver and can even help calm the nerves – because you know exactly what you are going to be doing.

There can be enough surprises with questions from the audience and cantankerous technology without being surprised by what comes out of your own mouth!

A run through your presentation helps you clarify how you will say what you want to say and let you identify any changes that you want to make. Sometimes what sounds good in your head can make you quite tongue-tied when you say it out loud!

A rehearsal will also help you work out how you will present – where to stand, where you’ll put your notes, your options for moving around the room and how the technology works.

In an ideal world we would all do a full ‘dress’ rehearsal every time we present. But in this world everyone is busy and trying to do too much (or is that just me?) – and rehearsing a presentation is often the thing that gets left undone.

“I’ll just wing it” I’ve heard many people say (I confess I have done this in the distant past too. You?) but presentations are crucial moments for your credibility and ultimately your career – they shouldn’t be left to chance.

So here are 5 Quick Tips of the absolute must-do’s for rehearsing a presentation:

1. Read your presentation to yourself

At least once – out loud. You’ll be surprised when you do this that you might stumble in some places – sometimes the transitions between topics aren’t as smooth as you thought they would be or something is a bit wordy. Better to stumble over some words on your own than in front of an audience.

You’ll also get a much better idea of timings and how long the presentation will take. A rehearsal will help you know if you need to add some more content, have the time to slow it down, or the more likely scenario – have way too much content and need to take some out.

2. Prepare your notes

Write out or highlight the keywords, quotes, statistics – whatever you are going to need to refer to (or at least have on hand) in a way that you can easily refer to them when you are speaking.

If you do want to read something word for word – that’s fine. You can transition from speaking to reading by saying something like, “Now I just want to make sure I get this quote / statistic / point absolutely correct…” as you pick up your papers. No one will fault you for wanting to be accurate.

3. Test the technology

It’s essential to make sure you know how the technology works, plugs in or, at the very least, which buttons to press. Seamless integration of technology as you are presenting makes you look professional and avoids the loss of both time and credibility when something doesn’t work when you are using it.

Hint – use screen shots rather than live web demonstrations if you can – it might not be “live” but there is a much lower risk of things going wrong whilst you have the full attention of people you want to impress or convince.

4. Know the venue

If your presentation is at a team meeting think about which position at the table to sit so that you will be in the best position to make eye contact with the audience. Or where you can easily stand up from without tripping over wires, bags or the other debris associated with meeting rooms.

If you’re presenting to a larger audience find out if there is a lectern, where it’s positioned on the stage, how you will access the stage and where you will put your support materials (including a glass of water) whilst you are speaking.

5. Have a break

Between your last rehearsal (even if it’s your first and only rehearsal) and the actual presentation. Taking time to clear your head before you do it for real will help you pace your breathing and delivery and put you in control of the presentation.

Be confident, enjoy knowing that you have done your preparation and then you will be good to go…get out there and slay them!

Career Tip To Go: Rehearse your presentations!

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11 Tips to Prepare for a Job Interview

By Karen Adamedes on August 29, 2014 / Get the job you want / 2 Comments

By Nicole Cameron

A job interview is the time to shine and let your prospective employer know what you are capable of.

Finding a new job can be stressful, but also very exciting.

A fresh start and a new opportunity to learn and deliver.

If you are at the interview stage, you have passed the hardest part- getting the interview in the first place.

The interview itself is the time to shine and let your prospective employer know exactly what you are capable of.

Here’s some tips to help:

1. Dress for the occasion.

If you are going to an office job/ corporate interview, look the part. A smart suit, appropriate length with neat hair and day appropriate make-up is key. Navy blue has been shown to be a good color for communication. A splash of color such as red indicates confidence. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, within an appropriate code. Obviously if you are interviewing for a more physical role, you might consider your dress options, but it is better to be more formal/ overdressed in an interview than under dressed or too casual.

2. First impressions.

First impressions count. Make sure you have a confident handshake and hold eye contact. Have your opening line practiced- even it is just a simple “nice to meet you and thank you for seeing me”. This will help avoid awkward first moments.

3. Be confident and assured, but not overbearing.

Enough said.

4. Listen, listen, listen.

Listen with your ears and ensure your body language is open. Lean forward and make sure your arms are not crossed. This indicates you are genuinely listening. Eye contact is key.

5. Ask considered questions.

Prepare at least two questions about the role or the company to show you are interested in what they do and the role.

6. You will be asked to tell them about your experience.

Be prepared to highlight your career succinctly and with examples that are most relevant to the role you are applying for. Don’t be shy at talking about your achievements. The competition will.

7. Do your homework.

Research the company and the people you are interviewing with. Knowing their experience and progressions will help you angle your responses appropriately. I once completely bombed an interview in a role that would have been perfect for me as I didn’t have time to research the program I was interviewing for. When asked how my skills would apply to that particular program I completely froze. I had no idea. Needless to say I did not get the role, but I learned a valuable lesson!

8. Take a clean copy of your credentials.

It is likely they have seen your resume, but it never helps to take a few copies that look professional with you. This might prompt further discussion about your strengths and experience.

9. Do not talk negatively of your former places of employment.

No matter what happened, or why you are moving on, don’t go to the ins and outs of politics or personality conflicts. Be prepared to talk about the need to undertake a new challenge. If you talk about a former employer in a negative way, chances are you will do it when you leave your next company too!

10. Be friendly.

At the end of the day, people want to work with people they will get along with.

11. Flexibility.When is the right time for the conversation?

If it comes up in your interview, don’t be shy about the fact you have a family. In some roles, I did not want to spend a week every month overseas, so I had to put it on the table early. The job wasn’t right for me. If it is a high priority for you, talk about it early in terms of “is the company family friendly” way. You don’t want to waste your time or theirs. If it is a minor point, then save the discussion to a later meeting in which you are talking about salary and conditions.

Good luck! If you get the job, it is meant to be. If you don’t, keep trying. The perfect job will be just around the corner.

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9 Communication Skills for Career Success

By Karen Adamedes on August 25, 2014 / Communication / Leave a comment

Meaningful communication can achieve great work, strong relationships and positive credibility.

By Karen Adamedes

Understanding and adapting your communication to the accepted style of business can have a substantial impact on your career potential, how much you enjoy your work and how your contributions are recognized.

Your interactions with others is the foundation of how you build and manage your image, reputation and relationships.

Communication is the mechanism of how work is done in organizations.

To work effectively and to manage your career these skills are vital.

Communication skills support your career by helping you get across:

the value of what you do
the contributions you make
how well you are doing it
what you need to do your job
how you work with others
the benefits for others of what you do
who you are

9 Skills To Communicate

The 9 key skills that enable you to communicate effectively in business are your abilities to:

1. Choose your words

The words you use can help people understand what you actually mean – not what they think you mean.

It’s most effective to use words that are:

positive
clear
action-oriented
solution focused
problem solving
unambiguous
brief
to the point

Using words that are straightforward and commonly understood greatly increases the chance that what you mean when you say something is what the other person understands.

2. Be heard

It is a skill in itself to cut through the ‘noise’ of work so that what you say, the email that you send or the presentation that you make, is actually listened to, read or even heard. People are busy and have multiple competing priorities. The ability to get people to pause, pay attention or take the time to think about what you are saying is vital for your communication to have any impact.

To be heard requires the abilities to:

speak with confidence
order information so that you grab attention or create interest
set expectations about your communication
demonstrate that you know your stuff
be clear and concise
use analogies to paint visual pictures
know what you want to say and say it

These abilities are necessary so that what you have to say will get a chance to be heard…then you have a chance of getting the outcome from the communication that you need!

3. Present

Presentation skills are now a mandatory requirement in business. Whether using them to inform, influence or gain approval they are also the ideal forum to ‘sell’ your value and build your reputation.

When you are presenting you have center stage and should have the attention of the audience. The trick is to present in a way that will keep people off their smart phones and listening to you.

Knowing how to take advantage of your time in the spotlight includes:

preparation
planning
quality content
objectives for your presentation
knowledge of the needs of the audience
structure
rehearsals

4. Write well

The ability to write well provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate the very best of your knowledge, skills and expertise without any preconceptions.

It allows you to be persuasive, table your ideas, demonstrate your thinking, articulate your position, justify your recommendations or requests and be clear about what you ask for.

Writing well helps show your strengths and proficiency, get things done and positively builds your image and reputation.

5. Speak with your actions

The most powerful communications can happen without needing to speak or write a word.

Body language and non-verbal communications need to to show consistency with and reinforce what you say.

These skills can be developed by aligning your body language with your intent, being confident with your posture and gestures and a range of other actions from proactively shaking hands to being aware of your eye contact and other non-verbal signals.

6. Engage

There are many times when you need to work with key stakeholders who are impacted by what you do or whose approval you need. It can be time consuming to get people on board and explain what you’re doing and what it means to them – but it can fast track achieving business outcomes if you engage with each person from their perspective.

Genuine rapport and understanding can be built – and even if you don’t persuade them to your point of you – they will respect you and your approach.

These skills not only include what you say but how you say it, when you say it and sometimes the order that you conduct your communications with others.

7. Listen

Two ears, one mouth. Enough said. You know the drill.

8. Adapt

Whether it’s to different audiences or through different mediums the skill to adapt is powerful for effective communication.

Knowing when to use the appropriate stories, style and messaging is a skill in itself. Being able to adapt these as appropriate will help you meet the needs of your audience and get your message across to them.

9. Ask questions

The most powerful tool of them all. Asking questions will help you find out information you may never have had otherwise, confirm what you know (and give you credibility that you asked) and even provide a subtle way of demonstrating what you know or how much you understand about a topic through the quality of your questions.

Meaningful communication is two-way, mutually beneficial with consistency in the messages and the needs of the other person or audience taken into consideration.

When it happens great work, strong relationships and positive credibility can all be achieved.

Career Tips To Go: Continue to develop your communication skills (always!)

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