Early in my profession, I missed out on promotions regardless that I labored exhausting. As an engineer by coaching, I assumed my success could be performance-based. I mistakenly thought that my worth to a corporation could be measured solely by my technical abilities — how rapidly and precisely I might compute the costs of complicated monetary derivatives.
It wasn’t till years into my banking profession that I noticed my mistake: I had neglected picture and publicity. Harvey Coleman’s 1996 examine on profession development revealed that profession success is dependent upon a mix of efficiency, picture, and publicity (PIE). In reality, solely 10% of success correlates to efficiency, whereas picture accounts for 30%, and publicity for a staggering 60%.
In case you’re delivering outcomes however are nonetheless being handed over for promotions, it’s time to take inventory of the lacking items in your PIE.
Picture: Your Fame at Work
What are you recognized for at work? In my first job as a overseas alternate (FX) gross sales skilled at a Singapore financial institution, I didn’t do properly as a result of I lacked social abilities. Despite the fact that I improved my promoting abilities considerably after a yr, the poor impression my colleagues and executives had of me was mounted. It was troublesome to alter their minds. If I had stayed on, I might have been a mediocre salesperson at finest. So, I left to pursue my grasp’s in finance.
After I joined Citi in 2001 as a derivatives structurer, I confirmed a robust curiosity in educating. I volunteered to conduct product coaching for each shoppers and colleagues. In a short time, I constructed a repute not simply as a talented structurer but additionally as a superb coach. This repute led to invites from gross sales heads throughout Asia to coach their groups and clients, considerably enhancing my private model.
Easy methods to Construct Your Private Model
Develop a signature talent, one thing that’s totally different out of your core experience however will be included into your work.
As an example, should you’re a junior analysis analyst in an asset administration firm, you possibly can develop video modifying abilities. By providing to shoot and edit movies for senior colleagues presenting at funding conferences, you may be seen as a helpful workforce participant whom they need to convey alongside to occasions.
When you have already labored at your present firm for greater than a yr, altering your inner model could be a problem. I recommend specializing in growing your exterior model and letting it affect your inner standing.
Volunteering with a CFA society, organizing occasions, or serving as a speaker liaison are nice methods to do that. I’m proud to be a speaker on the CFA Institute LIVE 2025 occasion in Chicago subsequent Might. Share these experiences on LinkedIn and different retailers, as I do, to showcase your capabilities as a grasp networker or organizer. Your employer will see you in a special mild. Study to be a storyteller. Tales resonate extra deeply than information and figures. Use your tales to let individuals learn about your character, skills, and values. They’re essential components of your private model.
Publicity: How Nicely Do Individuals Know You?
Publicity is about making certain that the precise individuals — your colleagues and senior leaders — are conscious of your contributions. With out visibility, you received’t get promoted.
I realized this the exhausting method. After I was a vp (VP, a mid-level rank) at an American financial institution, my boss went on vacation and requested me to current the weekly market replace to the gross sales and structuring groups throughout Asia on his behalf. I advised him I couldn’t host the assembly as a result of I used to be busy making ready for my skilled exams. However this was simply an excuse. In actuality, I feared public talking. He received one other VP to do it as a substitute. By year-end, when it got here to promotion nominations, guess who my supervisor selected to advertise to director degree? That’s proper, not me, however the different VP.
In case you carry out properly in your job however don’t communicate up in conferences, you’re making it troublesome for managers to learn about your work. Even when your personal boss needs to advertise you, nobody else within the firm will assist you as a result of they hardly know you. It comes all the way down to this straightforward equation:
How good you might be × Your presentation abilities = How good individuals suppose you might be
So not solely should you do good work, however it’s essential to additionally seize alternatives to let individuals know concerning the work you do.
Easy methods to Improve Publicity
- Communicate Up Throughout Conferences: Share your insights, ask considerate questions, and ensure your voice is heard.
- Volunteer for Excessive-Visibility Duties: For instance, supply to emcee the corporate’s annual dinner.
- Pursue Worldwide Alternatives: Inner transfers to totally different workplaces or nations can considerably enhance your publicity. I labored in London and Hong Kong throughout my profession, and these stints allowed me to construct relationships with international leaders.
- Have interaction with the World Neighborhood: Attend CFA occasions outdoors your house nation to attach with a broader community.
Full Your PIE
Promotions require extra than simply exhausting work and outcomes. By mastering the PIE framework, you’ll place your self for long-term profession success.
