How to Advocate for Yourself as an Analyst

Before becoming an Executive, I was an INVISIBLE contributor for the first 10 years of my career. (you probably are too) I was: Dreaming of recognition but → keeping my head down and hoping someone would notice Dreaming of promotions but → waiting for my turn instead of advocating for myself Dreaming of leadership roles but → staying quiet in meetings to avoid rocking the boat Dreaming of making an impact but → underselling my achievements to appear humble Turning point? I got snubbed for promotions not once, not twice but THREE times. Staying quiet was getting me a first-class seat at my DESK. After the third snub, I realized: I can't stay quiet and expect someone to notice me. I will always care more about my career than anyone else. I can't expect someone to articulate our value for me. I worked on: Actively sharing my accomplishments: "Our team's productivity increased 30% last quarter due to the new process I implemented." Clearly communicating my career goals: "I expressed my interest in leading the upcoming project to my manager, highlighting my relevant skills." Volunteering for high-visibility projects: "I took charge of presenting our department's quarterly results to the executive team." Quantifying and presenting my contributions: "I created a dashboard showing how my initiatives saved the company $500K annually." I eventually became an executive once I put these into practice. You don't need to change jobs every time you hit a roadblock. Or throw money at the problem with another degree or certificate. Learning to articulate your value can make all the difference. To master value articulation: Keep a detailed record of your achievements Align your work with company objectives and highlight this connection Practice describing your impact in concise, compelling ways Seek opportunities to present your work to leadership Regularly update your manager on your progress and aspirations Remember: "Your work speaks for itself, but only if you give it a voice." #aLITTLEadvice

Self-advocacy in the workplace can be really uncomfortable. Yesterday, I talked about why that is for people who are socialized as women. (Read that first if you want to stop judging yourself for why it is so hard!) If you want to advocate for yourself more often, you can both (a) decrease your discomfort with doing it and (b) expand your capacity for taking action despite your discomfort. Here are some ways to get started: 1️⃣ Change the way you think about yourself and talk to yourself. One way to start doing this is to regularly and actively sell yourself on your value, skills, knowledge, and accomplishments. Keep a running list of ways in which you add value at work (that don’t include how much or how hard you work), skills you have, areas where you have knowledge or expertise, and things you’ve accomplished. Be specific. Nothing is too inconsequential to go on the list. Refer back to it regularly. Add on to it regularly. Journal on it. Think about how you would perceive that woman if she weren’t you. This can help you shift whatever your current narrative is about yourself, AND confirmation bias will start to work in your favor. Your brain will start to look for evidence that confirms the new narrative, instead of whatever your current negative narrative is about yourself.  2️⃣ Practice discomfort in small doses to build your capacity for taking action despite discomfort. Some options: Create a support system. Find a colleague, have coffee once a week, and share your wins, why you add value at work, and why you are great at what you do. Even this will probably be uncomfortable at first if you aren’t used to advocating for yourself. So creating a safe space where you can practice helps build your tolerance for (and ultimately will lessen the overall discomfort you feel). Start sharing your accomplishments with your manager or boss via email on a regular basis (don’t wait for your annual review to roll around). In person communication can feel scarier than sending something in writing. Side note: This is a win/win situation. It can only benefit your boss or supervisor to know that the people they are supervising are crushing it. It makes them look good. Find small ways to promote yourself. For example: Does your company have a company-wide or external newsletter where wins are shared? Does it make social media posts about employee wins? Find a win you could promote and draft something for your company to share. Another win/win situation that benefits you and your company. Start building in small boundaries. Start pausing before you say “yes” to anything and say “no” to lower stakes things more often (and decide in advance that you are going to say “no” to those kinds of things). Turn off phone and email notifications. Block off 20 minutes of time for yourself or an hour to do deep work. Stop automatically accepting meeting invites. What other tips do you have for folks who want to start advocating for themselves?

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in my career is this: No one will advocate for you the way you can advocate for yourself. When I first entered the professional world, I thought my work would speak for itself. I believed that if I put my head down, worked hard, and delivered great results, recognition and opportunities would naturally follow. But here’s what I discovered: While hard work is essential, visibility is just as important. It took observing how others approached their careers to realize this: The people who often get ahead aren’t just hardworking — they’re intentional about making their contributions known. They speak up in meetings, share their goals openly, and make sure their achievements don’t go unnoticed. That realization changed the way I approached my career. I began to see the importance of not just doing the work, but owning my voice and advocating for myself. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way about self-advocacy: 1. Track your accomplishments. I started keeping a journal where I noted key projects, results, and positive feedback. When performance reviews came around, I didn’t have to scramble to prove my value. I had it documented. 2. Ask for what you need. Whether it’s a promotion, mentorship, resources, or even a clearer direction, I learned to be upfront about my goals. 3. Speak up. This was the hardest for me. I used to hold back, worried my ideas weren’t “good enough.” But I realized that staying silent wasn’t helping anyone, not me, not my team, and not the organization. Advocating for yourself isn’t about arrogance or entitlement, it’s about honoring your value. It’s about recognizing that your hard work, skills, and ideas are worth being seen, heard, and rewarded. If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: Don’t wait for someone else to notice your potential. Take the first step. Speak up. Celebrate your wins. Ask for what you need. Your career is yours to build, and no one else will fight for it as fiercely as you can. #StephSynergy

I spent too many years thinking my boss was responsible for my career. Or the company. Or a magical fairy godmother. I thought it was everyone else’s job to advocate for me. To push me. To help me advance and grow. And I completely missed the fact that it was me. It was always ME. Our job is to be the biggest advocate for our careers. We are in the driver’s seat. And we can’t take a back seat and expect someone else to do the driving. Here are ten ways to start advocating for your career not tomorrow, TODAY: 1️⃣ Take a seat at front of the table, not at the back of the room. Be visible. Log onto that Zoom early, make sure people know you are there. Don’t shrink to the corner of the screen or room. 2️⃣ Raise your hand 🙋🏾♀️ Ask that question. Show you’re engaged and thoughtful and there to contribute. I always ask a question early on in the meeting to build my confidence to contribute more later. 3️⃣ Ask to be put on that assignment Make sure you are working on assignments that are priorities for the company. Especially in this market. 4️⃣ Coach your peers on their work You don’t have to have direct reports to have influence. Guide peers who ask for your help: position yourself for the next level by acting like you are at the next level. 5️⃣ Build a career development plan If your boss won’t help you do this, ask a colleague to be a sounding boarding or a friend outside of work. Understand what your goals are this year and what you want your next two roles to be. 6️⃣ Focus on one new skill you want to build What’s one new skill you want to learn that can help with your career growth? Pick it and commit to it. Block 30 minutes on your calendar daily to work on it. Make this time non negotiable. 7️⃣ Take credit for your work Even if they won’t let you in that meeting, share what you are working on with others. Whether that’s it in 1:1 conversations or in team meetings, make sure you let others know the impact you are making. 8️⃣ Get meaningful feedback If your boss keeps saying you’re killing it or avoids giving your feedback, ask others. Show up with what you think your strengths are and areas of opportunity to get their reactions. 9️⃣ Keep a track of your wins Start a Google doc or grab a notebook, and down all of your wins and the end of every month. This makes it easier to do your self evaluation during performance review time and update your resume. 🔟 Always have your resume ready Whether you are looking for internal or external, always have your resume ready. And make sure it’s not saved on your work lap, especially in this market where layoffs are happening every day. How do you advocate for yourself at work? #leadership #culture #inclusion #MitaMallick

Your silence is killing your career. I've watched talented people get passed over for promotions for years. The common thread? They kept their ambitions to themselves. Here's the hard truth: No one is coming to rescue your career. No one will magically discover your hidden talents. No one can support dreams they don't know exist. Here’s how to start speaking up — today: 1/ Schedule a quarterly career conversation with your manager. Don't wait for review time. Develop a career growth plan with specific asks for support, mentorship or stretch assignments. 2/ After big wins, email leadership. Share the impact you've delivered and what’s next. Show you’re thinking beyond delivery. 3/ When someone asks “How’s work?” say: “I’m working toward [goal] — what challenges are you facing?” Small talk → strategic talk. 4/ Volunteer for projects tied to where you 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to go — not just what you’re good at now. 5/ Book 15-min chats with people you admire. Ask curious questions. Listen closely. Build advocates. Your manager isn't a mind reader. Your colleagues can't recommend what they don't see. Your network can't connect you to invisible goals. The most successful people I know? They don't hope someone notices their work. They don't silently resent being overlooked. They don't expect loyalty to be rewarded automatically. They state their ambitions clearly, repeatedly, and to the right people. What career goal have you been keeping to yourself? Drop it below — you never know who’s reading. Your growth is too important to keep quiet about. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.