How To Strengthen Your Visibility Muscle And Stand Out At Work

Have you ever found yourself thinking:

• “I just wish the right people would notice me.”
• “If my work is good enough, opportunities should come my way.”
• “I don’t want to have to sell myself—people should want me first.”

If so, you’re not alone. Many brilliant professionals struggle with these beliefs. Even those who are deeply passionate about their work.

But people can’t want you first if they don’t know you exist.

We grow up believing in the fairytale of being discovered. We buy into the idea that if we just work hard enough, someone will find us, see our hard work, and offer us the opportunities we dream of. That magical someone may be a client, a conference organizer, or a book publisher in our minds. But for most people, visibility is a choice we make to show up and be seen. People don’t magically stumble upon the best-kept secrets. They engage with the people who are consistently showing up, sharing their expertise, and making it clear how they can help.

If you’re passively waiting for people to find you, here’s what’s actually happening while you remain hidden:

• The companies struggling with the problem you can solve aren’t thinking about hiring you because they don’t know you exist.
• The people who need your expertise are hiring someone else because that person is showing up.
• The opportunities you dream about are going to others who are making themselves more visible.

But you can choose to make yourself more discoverable. Instead of waiting to be noticed, be intentional about being seen. Here’s how:

Talk about what you do more regularly

Build the muscle to be seen by sharing your ideas. If showing up on video is too uncomfortable at first, start with sharing your written words. Post on LinkedIn. Write an article. Share your insights. Let people hear your voice. Then build up to sharing your voice through audio, video, and in-person engagements.

Make direct connections

Don’t wait for people to notice you and make an inquiry about your work. Reach out to people who you believe could benefit from engaging with you. DM someone in your network, or find someone new and make a connection request. Follow up with a past client and ask if to reconnect. Be intentional.

Show up where your audience is

Start attending industry events to make new connections. Understand the landscape for speakers and offer yourself up as an expert once you know the types of topics that are in-demand, or you observe a noticeable gap you can fill. Pitch yourself as a podcast guest. Contribute your ideas to publications in your field.

Remember: none of this is about being arrogant, pushy, or obnoxious. Some people hesitate to put themselves out there because they fear being seen as obnoxious, and as you get started it will likely feel uncomfortable. That’s normal. You must build the muscle to be seen. Remind yourself this is all a part of making it easy for the right people to find you. You don’t need everyone’s attention. You just need the right people to know you exist and understand how you can help them.

If you’ve been waiting to be discovered, I challenge you to take one step toward visibility today. Post something about your expertise. Reach out to a past client and check in. Pitch yourself for a speaking opportunity.

Your next opportunity is on the other side of you showing up.