Positioning Yourself For Career Success
Everyone wants to be successful in their career. To find career success, you have to position yourself in a way that makes you stand out. Being comfortable talking about yourself and making a good first impression will go a long way in your career.
Our CEO and Founder, Jessica Chen, recently hosted a Soulcast Media | LIVE event on LinkedIn where she interviewed Head of Marketing at Hirect, Stephanie Lovell.
They shared tips and personal stories about positioning yourself for career success. This Soulcast Media | LIVE event is brought to you by our amazing sponsors at Hirect
Hirect focuses on top tech startup hiring. Using our own proprietary algorithm, we match job seekers and recruiters instantly. Hirect is the one stop shop for matching with candidates, instant chatting, and video interviewing. No more emailing back and forth and waiting for responses.
1. Clear Communications
Your ability to communicate clearly is imperative when positioning yourself for career success. This is especially true when you are in an interview setting. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Stephanie emphasized how clear communication correlates with confidence.
There are several ways you can ensure you are using clear communication strategies during an interview.
- Questions – The interview is really your chance to learn the most you can about the company and the role, your daily tasks, who you will work with, and the company culture. Remember, you are interviewing the company as well. Allow yourself time to ask questions before or after an interview. For example, before the interview, write down a list of questions. Practice asking the questions before your interview.
- Communicate Your Success – During an interview, you have to be comfortable talking about yourself, and your success. This is your chance to showcase yourself to a potential employer. If you aren’t comfortable talking about yourself, your past experiences and skillset may not come through. For example, let’s say you increased sales by 50% during your tenure at your previous position. You need to be able to communicate your success clearly to the interviewer. You could say something like, “In my previous position, I increased sales by over 50%.” The interview is a time to let your success shine.
- Effective – Effective communication means you are being clear and confident. This means you get to the point and don’t “beat around the bush.” When you speak, you aren’t using a lot of filler words, you are using examples to back up your points, and everyone can understand the intent of your message. For example, if you are explaining your previous job responsibilities, you can say something like, “In my previous position, I was responsible for creating and executing corporate events.” However, if you explain your previous position less effectively, it could sound like this, “I was kinda in charge of some things. I did events, and put them a little together.” In the second example, your communication isn’t effective or confident.
Clear communication will help you stand out, and position you for career success.
2. Appearance
If you want to position yourself for career success, you need to make sure you are considering your appearance. This is true for in-person and video interviews. Remember, impressions still matter. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica and Stephanie said that even though many people are working from home, it is still essential to be professional.
You can do several things to make sure you are presenting yourself in a professional way, especially in a virtual setting.
- Lighting – Your lighting can make a huge difference on video calls. For example, if there is too much light in your background, the people watching may not be able to see you clearly. You can use a ring light to improve your lighting. Or, you can sit facing a window with light shining directly on you. The better lit you are, the more professional you will appear.
- Body Language – As you sit on your video call, consider your body language. You will want to come across as engaged and excited to be there. For example, take your hands off of the mouse and use them to accentuate points. You can also look into the camera, so it appears you are making direct eye contact. You can also hold a pen to show you are taking notes and really care about what is being said.
- What You Are Wearing – What you wear on camera still matters. Even though working from home allows you to be more relaxed, you still need to maintain your executive presence – especially as you position yourself for career success. For example, wearing jewel-toned colors will help you pop on camera. Try to avoid wearing anything shiny or busy patterns that may distract from what you are saying.
Your appearance can help boost your confidence. Being comfortable on video is a huge advantage, especially if you want to work remotely.
3. First Impressions
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, an attendee asked the question, “How can I position myself for career success as I start my new job?” Stephanie and Jessica said there were many things you can do to make a great first impression and actively position yourself for career success.
- Ask Questions – Many people don’t want to ask questions because they feel like they don’t know what they are doing, or they’re questioning how things have always been. However, asking many questions will show you genuinely want to understand what you are doing and why. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica also pointed out people will be more gracious when you ask questions as you start a position, rather than once you’ve been there for a while. For example, if you aren’t sure how to do something, ask right away. Or, if you are curious about what projects were done before you started, ask sooner rather than later.
- Career Ladder – Talk about your career ladder and career roadmap early on. This shows you want to grow, and you want to find success within the company. Most interviewers are excited to learn you want to grow within the company. When you start, be sure to communicate this with your team. You set yourself up for more opportunities when you do this because you’ve let people know you want them.
- Learn – When you first start, it is a great idea to learn as much about the company as you can. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Stephanie emphasized the importance of learning as much context about the company as you can right away. The more you know about the company, and why things are the way they are, the better you will navigate working your way up.
First impressions matter. Make sure you are actively working towards your goals even during your first few weeks at a new job.
In the end, you are your own biggest advocate. You have to want to learn and know more to position yourself for career success.
If you want to see the full LIVE version of Jessica and Stephanie’s conversation, check out Jessica’s Youtube Channel.
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