Show your colors: Self-marketing is the keyword on the way to the top

Projecting self-confidence is one thing; knowing exactly what it takes to position yourself as a brand within the company is another. Self-marketing is the key. Many people forget that this skill is essential for steering their own careers in the desired direction. As a longtime college professor of strategic marketing, I recommend that you be a bit more of a colorful peacock than a gray mouse:

• Learn from strong brands. How do companies build strong brands, and what factors do they take into account? There is a wealth of literature on this topic (including *Strategy and Techniques of Brand Management* by Franz-Rudolf Esch). It’s worth reading these works and adopting certain steps to build your own brand.
• Do you know your vision, your goals, and your values? These questions are the very first step when it comes to building and positioning a strong brand. Because only when you know why you’re doing something, where you want to go, and what kind of environment makes you feel comfortable can you come across as authentic and make a big impact.
• Think about your brand identity. What do you stand for, and more importantly, how are you perceived by the people around you? Does this match how you’d like to be perceived? Ask for feedback.
• Do you know what your colleagues (team, supervisors) expect of you? Your colleagues have certain expectations of you as a person and of your performance. Just like a product, you need to ask yourself: What sets me apart from others? What am I particularly good at? How do I benefit those around me? Try taking a bird’s-eye view of the situation for a moment. It’s also important here that your skills are relevant and recognizable to the people around you.
• And there’s one more important point: Face professional competition head-on and seize your opportunities. Those who keep their talents hidden won’t get very far. The same principle applies here: Positioning yourself at the right time and in the right place can be crucial for your career.

So, when it comes to self-marketing, one of the key aspects is to be confident in your strengths and to showcase them. You need to refine your personal brand and communicate it clearly. The people around you need to know what you stand for and what they can expect from you. It goes without saying that this must go hand in hand with excellent performance.

Ultimately, it is the combination of performance, visibility, and clarity that makes you more successful as a person and brings you closer to your career goals.

Karin Jeker Weber holds a Ph.D. in economics and is a work and organizational psychologist. Through the company she founded, Women's Business Seminars It specifically supports women's careers and female entrepreneurship. For more information, visit Womensguide.ch and Femalebusiness-seminars.ch.