In my team of 15 people, there was only one man. He was the only one who asked for a salary increase. A female colleague even said to me during a staff meeting that more salary was not necessary. Women’s voices in the workplace are still quiet, still restrained – and still afflicted with the feeling of being lucky to be at the table at all. But the digital world offers a table big enough for all of us. Now it’s time for ambitious ladies to take a seat.
Connect with Stefanie Soehnchen on LinkedIn.
Digital visibility has many advantages: The dream job is easier to find, a dialog with like-minded people in a network is created, and one’s own talents are allowed to take the stage.
Experience shows that many women catch themselves in a negative dialog with their inner voice on all three points: “The perfect job doesn’t exist – I’m fine where I am.” “What do I have to say that others have a lasting interest in?” or, “Surely everyone thinks I’m arrogant when I talk about what I know and can do.”
This inner monologue keeps them right where they are. Growth or advancement seems impossible. And with these beliefs, it is.
So, ladies, let’s take heart in 2022 and test these beliefs for truth. Who knows: if they’re not true, valuable changes could happen….
Here are three ways you can increase your digital visibility – depending on what feels good to you.
Become digitally visible – Tip 1: like & comment on others
No one is saying that you have to go full-on communicative right away and post your own content if you don’t feel comfortable with it.
A really good and even more appreciative way to start is to like the content of others or even comment there.
To do this, find interesting people, hashtags (topic discussions) or groups on a network of your choice (e.g. on LinkedIn, Xing or Twitter for Business) and follow them. At first, you can also just read silently.
What is being discussed? In what depth of detail? Who are the recurring spokespersons? You can like casually from the beginning. Also give reactions outside of the “Like” – this is evaluated positively by the network. In addition, these are much rarer, so that the author becomes more easily aware of you.
Once you have an overview, try your hand at making your own comment. At the beginning, this can be something simple like “Thanks for the great post, I liked it” – or you can express your own opinion right away.
Becoming digitally visible – Tip 2: Giving advice
In digital, the most successful content is that which offers added value for others. In other words, posts from which readers take something away.
Therefore, making others smarter works particularly well. They can then use this to position themselves or get ahead in other ways.
Therefore, a sure way to create relevant, customized content is to think about how you can help others with your knowledge.
Do you know how to tie flowers? How to housebreak a puppy? How to work with Scrum? How to be well organized at work? How to find and nurture young talent?
There’s a wide range. If you pick a topic that fits your career, it can also help you get ahead on the job, because it leads to interesting new contacts and perspectives.
So think about it: what is my niche where I can give good advice? And then test out how you can best package that for your network. Basically, feel free to start with a text and a picture and gain experience.
Become digitally visible – Tip 3: Don’t wait to be found
No one comes along and says, “I’ve been waiting for you – thank God I finally found you. Take the job, the network, and of course the salary you’ve always wanted.”
Of course, this kind of thing can happen in individual cases. But that is very rare, without a woman having consciously sat down visibly at the table quoted at the beginning beforehand.
Therefore, active networking (online and offline) is a much safer way to open up new opportunities. And this is explicitly not about “I’ll friend you sometime so I can use you” – that’s a nasty idea even in the digital world.
Rather, as with tip 2, it is a matter of give and take. A headhunter also wants his commission. A podcaster also wants to produce exciting episodes. And an employer is naturally interested in a top team.
In other words, as long as you approach networking with the attitude of “we both have something to gain from a connection,” you’ll be surprised how many doors can open after just the first step.
Actively write to headhunters. Apply on your own initiative if you like a company. Ask others how they overcome challenges.
And: don’t worry about it! It’s not a matter of life and death – but a universe in which you can try out, learn, and perhaps take important steps on your path to self-actualization and happiness.
What do you have to lose?
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