Letting your work speak for itself is a great way to cultivate humility, but it’s going to make it easier for your boss to overlook you. If you want your contributions at work to be appreciated, carve out a niche that you’re known for.
Photo by US Army Africa.
As advice site The Muse points out, when you do work that doesn’t get highlighted in flashy presentations, you can end up getting ignored. While it’s OK to be humble about your accomplishments (rather than bragging every time you fill out routine paperwork), if you want to get recognition, it’s helpful to give yourself a niche. Pick an area of work that you excel at and then make sure everyone knows to come to you for it.
For example, maybe your work is rarely noticed because you sign up for roles that require execution, rather than standing up in front of the room and presenting. You can make that work, so long as your teammates come to depend on you for those tasks. In other words, make sure everyone knows that you have killer attention to detail, so for example, drafts always cross your desk before they’re considered final.
You don’t even have to be pushy to do this. You can volunteer to do things in your niche when your boss needs it, or pick up spare time projects when you have free moments. If you’re not comfortable giving orders or speaking up, voluntarily taking on certain types of work is a great way to build a reputation without coming off as arrogant or showy.
The Positive Trait That Holds Talented People Back at Work [The Muse]
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