Girls, I'm scared

I talk to an excellent executive assistant who is looking for a job at Startups and is not afraid of the workload, on the contrary - she also does a lot of volunteer work for refugees. I ask her about her LinkedIn profile. Can I share it? Hmm, she says, it's not really up to date. Hmm, I say, then I can't share it, and wait - why is there no mention of your social work? She hesitates and tells me she doesn't feel comfortable bragging about it. Hmm, I say, if more people knew about your work, you'd inspire them to do something too. Plus, you'd get a better job because you could explain yourself, and great CEOs would come forward because they'd understand your mindset and values.

I'm talking to a graphic designer I admire. She creates books on architecture and urban development, edits images, creates little worlds of wonder with fonts and illustrations. Her website is old, but she doesn't take the time to redesign everything. Hmm, I say, how do you manage to get the right clients? How do you compete on a global level for famous architects and wonderful projects? Hm, she says, until now something always came up. Hmm, I say, and what if you had a real website that you were proud of? Well, she reflects, that would pigeonhole me and I'd have to commit to a style and wording. Hmm, I say, yes, that's what positioning is all about, being recognized for the good that you are.

I'm emailing a medical student, who is absolutely wonderful with her accomplishments and the seriousness with which she approaches her studies. Good grades, multiple languages, high-caliber internships - she combines all of this with humility and reliability. She has started a girls group to help each other get ahead and shine in a very competitive environment. Hmm, I ask her, Do you think you have to care about your reputation already in your time as a student? Absolutely, Alyssia Matter writes, "We need to learn to speak up and not be ashamed to show what we are worth and how much we can do." I'm so RELIEVED reading her text, see full interview* below!

I am doing research on (female) managers at C-level and C-1 level globally. You may know that eight years ago we created the first C-level reputation and visibility score for top management. Eight years of data! I can tell you that we have impressive evidence of how we as women belittle ourselves all the time and make ourselves invisible. Yes, of course there are some female influencers who have big mouths, even on LinkedIn. But I'm not talking about influencers, I'm talking about thousands of hard-working female leaders, often with families and kids, who take zero time to invest in themselves. Reputation? Visibility? - Survival first.?

Let's be clear: The future is noisy and crowded.

Competition is global. Corporate careers end sooner and peter out into unhappy self-employment and retirement poverty. Hard work is not recognized unless it is advertised. The working world is becoming a brutal place of permanent competition. No one can survive without followers, fans and sponsors. This is true for freelancers as well as executives, lawyers, doctors, architects and many more.

Top athletes are several years ahead of us. We can see how the field splits into the few at the top and the many at the bottom who barely make a living and have to pay for training camps and travel, physical therapy sessions and building their websites to attract sponsors, often at night.

No clicks, no future?

I don't know. We'll see. There's a lot to suggest that we'll all be influencers and sell each other to each other. It's not that I like this world. I'm afraid of it.

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PS: A good website, an optimized LinkedIn profile and knowledge about your reputation score doesn't hurt. If you want to know more, please email me. ????

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* From the perspective of your generation, is this an issue you care about?

Alyssia Matter: "Although I can not speak for an entire generation, I do believe that female reputation is an important issue. One’s reputation, whether you are a woman or a man is incredibly important. It determines your credibility and your trustworthiness. It has a big impact on the opportunities you get in your carrier and your personal life."

Would you be willing to invest time and effort into building a reputation for yourself and the projects you are promoting?

Alyssia Matter: "I believe that the people of my generation are very eager to build a good reputation for themselves. We grew up with social media, meaning that since we can remember, we are perfecting the way that we are perceived by the world. Personally I would definitely be willing to invest time and effort into building a reputation for myself. As I aspire to become a medical doctor, I think my reputation within the medical community and more so for my patients is very important. It is a lot easier to treat and build a relationship with patients who trust you.

Do you experience any differences between men and women in your generation?

Alyssia Matter: "[...] I notice that men are better emphasizing their strengths, rather than their weaknesses. This is something I encourage the women of my generation to improve, myself included. We need to learn to speak up and not be ashamed to show what we are worth and how much we can do."