12 ways to boost your personal brand at work

1. Get involved with your professional association. 

Whether it’s offering your services as a guest speaker, joining a committee, writing an article for their website/journal or simply buying a ticket to an event, there’s bound to be a way you can get involved and raise your profile.

2. Always carry your business cards

Many of us have stopped doing so. You never know who you might meet in the café, on a plane, at an alumni gathering or a parents’ evening.

3. Ask for introductions.

This might be at work, at a business event or conference, or socially. Who’s missing from your network? Some senior people? Solopreneurs? Returning Mums/Dads?

4. Don’t just take favours – reciprocate.

Reciprocity rules, whether that’s with colleagues, business contacts or friends and family. Balance giving and taking.

5. Find ways to help people

At work and beyond there are bound to be people who need help in some way so find out how you can do a favour that makes the most of your expertise.

6. Maintain balance by staying in touch with your passions

It’s good for our physical and psychological wellbeing to maintain interests and hobbies via groups and clubs. And it makes us more interesting company.

7. Always attend formal and informal company events

Don’t just stick with your work buddies: aim to make contact with some colleagues you don’t know. Not showing up could eventually get you noticed for the wrong reasons. I’ts OK: you don’t have to stay until the very end.

8. Seek stretch assignments that will challenge you

Get out of your comfort zone and develop your skills whilst raising your profile with different colleagues.

9. Offer to run an in-house training session on your specialist topic

A great way to raise your profile is to be useful to others – remember it’s not about you, it’s about what the audience needs.

10. Send links and articles of interest to your network

A great friend of mine is brilliant at this; it keeps her on our radar and I’ always find her snippets useful. 

11. Volunteer to be a guest speaker

For example at your old school or college, or at a networking group.

12. Get a mentor

Ideally within your sector but outside your organisation. Find out how you can help them in return.

Dawn is the author of ‘How to be Zoomly at work’, available on Amazon