How to Use Advocates for Career Growth

The best promotions don't go to the most talented people. I’ve worked with thousands of professionals in my career. If there’s anything I’ve noticed after a decade in tech, it’s the fact that the promotions and high-visibility projects go to those with advocates. Here are the key reasons why advocates are essential for career growth (and some practical tips to gain and nurture them) 🔵 Advocates amplify your visibility. ↳ They talk about your achievements to others. This spreads your name and work beyond your immediate circle. 𝗧𝗶𝗽: If you’re a heads down person like me, it’s time to lift your head up to build relationships with colleagues and mentors who can vouch for your skills and contributions. 🔵 Advocates provide opportunities. ↳ They recommend you for projects and roles. This opens doors that you might not even know exist. 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Show your value consistently so that advocates feel confident in recommending you. 🔵 Advocates build your credibility. ↳ They lend their reputation to yours. This enhances your professional standing and trustworthiness. 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Maintain integrity and professionalism to ensure advocates are proud to support you. 🔵 Advocates ensure your efforts are recognized. ↳ They make sure your hard work is seen by decision-makers.This leads to promotions and career advancement. 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Document your achievements and share them with your advocates regularly. Bonus: 🔵 Advocates help you build a network. ↳ They introduce you to influential people. This expands your professional connections and opportunities. 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Your network is one of the most valuable things you’ll take with you in your career. Don’t let these opportunities go to waste! Seize the opportunity to build strong advocates and supercharge your career in the final months of 2025. If you’re not sure where to find your first advocate, try building a good relationship with your manager. Here’s my FREE LinkedIn Learning Course that can help you turn your managers into your #1 advocates: https://lnkd.in/gPXXNckd 💬 What are your obstacles when it comes to finding advocates at work?

Angling for that next promotion? Most of the high achievers I coach over-index on solo strategies to get ahead: taking all the classes, accepting every assignment, working crazy hours to prove their dedication. That stuff can be helpful, but what they typically deprioritize (or avoid like the plague) is the interpersonal piece of the puzzle: building relationships and communication channels for mutual support and growth. Here are some often-neglected interpersonal approaches to lay the foundation for your next role: -Proactively seek feedback: Request input from your superiors and incorporate feedback to enhance your performance. Most people don’t know how to give effective feedback, so be specific about what you’re seeking and make it easy for them to give it to you. -Keep people in the loop: Clearly articulate your ideas, share progress updates, and communicate your achievements. While you may feel your accomplishments should speak for themselves, most people are too busy to be paying much attention. Expect to have to champion your results to get them on others’ radar. -Build a strong network: Cultivate relationships across the board, be it peer-to-peer, superiors, and industry influencers, to expand your opportunities. This isn’t sleazy schmoozing; seek to show up authentically, add value, and prepare to invest in these relationships for the sake of the relationships themselves. Any professional growth that might result is just the cherry on top. -Invite a mentor: Find someone who can provide guidance and support and advocate for your professional growth - then explicitly invite them to mentor you. Trying to go it alone is an overused and limiting strategy for many high achieving ICs, and a lot of folks point to a “mentor” who doesn’t even know they’ve been designated as such. TLDR: By seeking feedback, communicating effectively, building a strong network, and seeking mentorship, you’ll build a strong foundation for growth ahead (and probably make some great new friends along the way.) #leadership #growth #learning #development #relationships #peopleskills #coaching

I used to think that hard work was enough. That if I focused all my time and effort on becoming “smarter”, gaining new skills, or knowing everything about my domain… Acknowledgement and rewards would come to me. That wasn’t enough. I love frameworks, so I started leaning on Joseph Garfinkle's PVI (perception-visibility-influence) model to excel. After 8 years of using PVI myself to get 5 promotions and now using it in my work with clients, I’ve simplified it to two simple things you need to get great at if you want success in your career: 1) Building healthy networks and relationships (perception, visibility, & influence) 2) Self-advocacy (influence) Yes, developing expertise and actually doing good work IS important… But it’s also important to spend time developing relationships with people that are in a position to advocate for you and…you have to brag about yourself. (even if it feels weird or awkward to do 😖 ) ^ These are the things that make you stand out. So it’s something I help my clients to do every day. They get on the right people’s radar. They share the amazing work they’re doing. And in the process, they gain a reputation of being “leadership material”. So the next time you're about to put in a 12 hour day, ask yourself: → Am I also spending time networking & advocating for myself? If not, put that on your list this week.

Friends, I've frequently been posed a fascinating question about careers recently. To benefit everyone, I'd like to share my perspective The recurring query goes something like this: "Amir, what do you believe is the cornerstone of a successful career, something you might not have been aware of at the outset?" In my academic years – high school, college, and graduate school – I believed success pivoted on top grades, class rankings, or even intra-class networking. Wrong In the nascent stages of my career, I was under the impression that success equated to sheer hard work. Incorrect again Mid-career, I leaned towards factors like presentation skills, professional prowess, and a tendency to claim credit for achievements. Still off the mark Later, I surmised it was about forging numerous professional relationships and mastering workplace networking. Again, not the essence While the above elements have their merits, they're often necessary but not sufficient Reflecting on my life experiences, the business literature I've delved into, my formal education, and observations of varied career trajectories, I discerned a pattern among the truly successful. These individuals: *Efficiently pinpoint a few advocates (1-3) in each organization *Ensure these advocates will ardently support their work *Persuade these champions to back them consistently *Identify and align with individuals known for their extensive networking prowess and influential career reach and willingness to use it for others *Distinguish between genuine supporters and talkers, not wasting professional time (social time is different) on those relationships *Persistently replicate this across different organizations and departments Usually, the success of many can be traced back to a handful of people – mentors, advisors, or managers – who fervently vouched for them. Those advocated for might not necessarily represent the most talented or affable, but successful individuals master the art of building and nurturing these relationships nonetheless It's imperative to discern genuine supporters from fair-weather allies. Many seemingly promising relationships end up as fleeting encounters with little long-term value. The art of this discernment blends judgment, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to one's authentic self Lastly, the capacity for repeated relationship-building is crucial. As many professional connections reset over time, it becomes essential to continuously win over a few influential allies at every phase. Over the span of a career, these few pivotal relationships can provide an unshakable foundation, acting like a resilient spider web that multiplies in strength and reach People who seem to float from opportunity to opportunity are often seen as being very lucky or fortunate. They are for having that fate. But mastery of the starred points above, supported by other traits and a lot of effort, is what really makes such people appear lucky