| "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and | | | | whether we realize it or not. The station's call |
| remarkable. Take those attributes to work and | | | | letters are WIIFM - what's in it for me. If you |
| you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious | | | | want to be viewed as a valuable player in your |
| career. Does having a bodacious career sound | | | | company or work group, you must proactively |
| exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an | | | | communicate what you're doing and how it's |
| hour customer service rep, I rose through the | | | | helping others. How it helps your boss or an |
| ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and | | | | individual. Or, how it helps the organization achieve |
| surviving over six layoffs to become the head of | | | | its goals. Make it about them, make it clear the |
| corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along | | | | part you play, and make it positive. |
| the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to | | | | So often I see women (and men) who assume |
| achieve the career I wanted. Out of that | | | | that others know who they are, understand their |
| experience I created my "cheat sheet" of ten | | | | role, and how they've contributed to the |
| essential Bodacious Career Builders. Here's number | | | | company. Most of the time, this isn't the case! |
| four: Actively Market Your Value | | | | The reality is that most people you work with or |
| One day while I was driving north on the | | | | reach out to have their heads filled with all that's |
| interstate to speak at Princeton University, a | | | | going on in their lives and haven't given you one |
| billboard suddenly caught my attention. Amongst | | | | thought! They aren't being mean or rude. Their |
| all the other colorful billboards promoting products | | | | lives are just extremely busy. So, to market your |
| and services that to this day I can't remember, | | | | value, you have to do the thinking for them. You |
| this billboard was white with some simple black | | | | have to proactively inform them about you in |
| lettering. In large letters it read: Don't Advertise! | | | | ways that help them out. |
| "Huh?" I thought. Then I read the smaller writing | | | | For example, if your dream is to get promoted to |
| below the alarming statement: Success is | | | | the next level in your company, how do you |
| Overrated. "What?! No, it's not!" my mind was | | | | promote the value of your work to your boss? I |
| screaming. Now thoroughly engaged, I noticed the | | | | wrote weekly reports to my AOL manager that |
| smallest print on the sign: If You Disagree, Call | | | | marketed my achievements and value to the |
| This Number. "Brilliant!" I said out loud to myself, | | | | department. I also photocopied thank-you letters |
| "Just brilliant!" | | | | for a job well done and forwarded similar e-mails |
| Why did I consider this contrarian statement | | | | to my boss. These actions helped him know that |
| brilliant? Simple. Because if people don't know who | | | | I was getting the job done, so he didn't have to |
| you are and what you offer, they can't buy from | | | | worry, and how people were responding, which |
| you. And, without customers you don't have a | | | | would ultimately reflect upon him. |
| successful business. | | | | An effective marketing plan doesn't just do this |
| The same is true for your career in an | | | | once or in one way. That's why I sent weekly |
| organization. If people don't know who you are | | | | reports. I needed to keep tying my latest |
| and your abilities, they can't consider you for new | | | | accomplishments to the department's goals. In |
| opportunities or reward you for your contribution. | | | | addition to my weekly e-mails I also repeated the |
| So, just like a business selling a product or | | | | same information at in person staff meetings and |
| service, you have to actively market yourself in | | | | with individuals when it was relevant to the |
| and outside your company to be known. No one | | | | conversation. |
| can do it for you. If others start bringing up your | | | | Marketing your value may feel a little awkward at |
| name it's because you made yourself known in | | | | first, but with a little practice to make it feel |
| the first place. | | | | authentic, the initial discomfort will melt away. |
| This is where your internal girl good alert might be | | | | Your reward is others viewing you with greater |
| going off. "I don't like talking about myself! That's | | | | esteem, which sets you up for even greater |
| bragging, selfish and distasteful!" Well, I'm here to | | | | success. Because, after all, success isn't over |
| say no it's not! Bragging is being arrogant and | | | | rated, it feels fabulous! |
| big-headed. There's nothing big-headed about | | | | BODACIOUS CAREER BUILDER #4: Proactively |
| stating what's TRUE about you, your abilities and | | | | communicate who you are, what you do, and |
| your accomplishments. It's all in the way you say | | | | how it's currently benefiting your manager, |
| it. | | | | department or the company. |
| We are all tuned into the same radio station, | | | | |