How to Build Career Visibility as an Underrepresented Professional

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

Professional visibility As an executive coach for women, I always emphasize that visibility is not a matter of luck but of strategy, boldness, and consistency. If you want to position yourself as a reference in your field of work, you need more than just doing your job. Here are some disruptive strategies to achieve it: °Do not wait to be assigned a project. Example: if you notice that a process is inefficient, develop a proposal and present it to your team. °Share results, progress, and learnings in meetings with other areas, internal newsletters, or even on LinkedIn. Example: publish a brief success story about a project you worked on. °It is not enough to speak; you must ask the right questions. Example: instead of just listening, ask: "How could we optimize this process to improve efficiency?" °Challenge the status quo with viable proposals; if something can be done better, dare to say it. Example: if your team follows an outdated method, suggest trying a new tool and show its benefits. °Offer talks, mentorships, or participate in panels. Example: propose a webinar on a key skill in your sector. °When crises or challenges arise, step up. Example: if there is a lack of organization in a project, create a clear plan and present it. Turn your work into a reference, into something that truly makes a difference for your audience, your team, and the community in which you operate; it is better to create solutions, promote critical thinking, and, above all, put them into practice to make them possible and lead from action, coherence, and real impact. Which of these strategies will you apply this week? I’ll read yours  in the comments. 💬 Dania@fiercemusecoaching.com 

Let's talk about credit, especially in HR. I've been thinking about this topic after seeing a post about the "smartest CEOs" with zero women. Whew, if you want to see how invisible some of us still are, just check those lists. A commenter brought up whether the comms folks writing those speeches deserve some of that shine, too. And honestly, same goes for HR. Too many of us in HR pour our expertise into empowering, coaching and developing leaders but rarely get to showcase that impact publicly. We build the systems, create the strategies, and guide organizations through transformations, but then we’re told we can’t even mention it in our resumes or portfolios. Being hungry for credit just to boost your ego isn’t it. But making sure you get recognized for your work? That’s called survival and making sure you aren’t invisible on the job market. If you can’t show your receipts, you’re always going to be knocking on locked doors. Some real talk on getting credit while staying true to your values: - Document your wins in real time. Keep those thank you emails, project results, and recognition. Consider it professional receipt-keeping. - Have clear conversations about what you can share externally. Most leaders understand the need to demonstrate expertise, especially for fractional or consulting work. - Find ways to showcase your knowledge that respect confidentiality. Templates, frameworks, and anonymized case studies can demonstrate your capabilities. This hits especially hard for women and underrepresented groups who already face additional barriers to recognition. We have to be intentional about visibility. If you’ve managed to balance hyping up others and still making sure your own impact doesn't disappear, drop your best tip or story. How do y’all stay seen? Remember, your contributions matter. Make sure you can prove it.