How to Raise your Profile in the Executive Career?

On Friday, the 15th March,2019 a workshop session during my EMBA classes in Frankfurt School of Finance and Management conducted about Executive Careers in the 21st Century and one of the main highlighted points was the importance of networking and visibility! 

 I would like to speak about networking after 20 years of experience in a full time Job. Visibility and networking, in my opinion translates itself to “raising your profile “. 

 When we google the phrase “raising your profile” we may find 3 hundred million of entries; an ocean of confusing and conflicting ideas and concepts.

 While you have to go outside the confines of your daily routine and to unchain your ambitions from your desk, you have also to be highly selective. Your own net can’t be as large as Facebook; as concise as Twitter style and as professional as LinkedIn all at the same time.     

 To avoid being confused, or otherwise confusing, you should define your target (is it available or attainable), your audience (are they influential enough?), your platform (is it visible for the targeted audience?) and your style (is it up to the point with proper facts and figures?). 

 Let’s assume that you are a senior banker in Germany with a salary of 120 K per year. Depending on what you want we can decide networking strategy.

 A-Initial Questions before we start:

 What do you want? What exactly? Why do you need networking? Why do you need visibility? According to that answer you can define your networking structure.

1.  Increasing your salary in the same bank?
2. Changing the position in the same bank?
3. Become the boss of the branch where you work?
4. Become the CEO of the bank in Germany?
5. Moving to a Branch abroad?
6. Find a job with a similar salary in another bank?
7. Find a job with a higher salary in another bank?
8. Change your job from banks to other financial companies with the same salary? higher salary?
9. Joining a startup (it’s more fun)?
10. Starting a small business as a consultant in your field?
11. Starting a new business with a real challenge? restaurant, service company?
12. You may have some saving in the bank (around 200 k) and you want to start a secure real estate business? 
13. You are extremely bored with the bank but its good enough according to what you give and get.
14. You want more prestige? 
15. You want an international job to experience change? 

 Important hints; also, before we start:

If your answer was really something around your position, don’t bother yourself with much networking, just contact a recruiter.

 If you found that you don’t really want to make so much extra efforts, you just feel bored, don’t bother yourself with much networking, just contact a recruiter.

  B- Initial considerations: 

 1.      The impact of networking manifests itself after 6-12 months with constant follow up. 

2.      Success is a journey not a destination, you should not fed-up quickly. 

3.      You need to attend a proper networking event at least once every two months.

4.      A highly paid seminar, is not always the right networking place.  

5.      You need to find a way to be a keynote speaker in an event at least once. 

6.      You have to adapt to the prevailing culture of the society. In some countries it takes time. For example, I follow a certain structure in Europe to build a business network while in the Middle East you can meet someone in the elevator and after five minutes talk, he calls an important friend who solves a big issue for you. In certain societies, it is important for a lawyer to know the judge, not the laws! 

7.      You will need to invest money in this network (around 2000 euros a year).

8.      You also need to travel to other cities not string in your city. 

 C.      Networking strategy:

 1.      Look up all the clubs that are interesting and somehow elite. You could be for example a Rotary club friend if you don’t want to be Rotarian. In general, you need to go where rich people go sometimes and other times where the above-average people go. For instance, there are many clubs in Germany, if you are a woman you can join an elite club related to women. 

2.      LinkedIn should be always premium, it’s the best platform to promote yourself. You have to write articles and interesting posts. Not only sharing things.

3.      Always add anyone that views your profile because it means they are interested in you.

4.      Always add interesting people you see; you can write them a short message. Example: we don’t know each other but I found your experience interesting.

5.      Add everyone you know through your social or working environment.

6.      After meeting people (even if they seem less influential), you should contact them once a year. The important ones can be contacted 2 -3 times a year.

7.      Focus on your target, you should make more effort. If your target is to be the CEO of Commercial bank, you should really work hard in Networking and some years you will get what you want or something similar to it. Meanwhile, strengthen your relationship with your current boss.

 8.      If you want to make it to the real estate business you should go to places where investors are available. By the way, some times private investors give money according to how much they can afford to lose. Believe me! 

9.      Always try to be connected to successful and older people ... Successful people don’t have personal or prejudicial issues because success gives them high confidence. It’s automated.

10.  Become a mentor for a startup, there are many hundreds of incubators and accelerators around you, this enable the following: 

§ Enhances professional development opportunities such as becoming a non-executive director.

§ Develops professional relationships with peers and new networks and provides an opportunity to practice interpersonal skills and to act as a spokesperson for your team or group

§ Offers access to additional activities (e.g. Entrepreneurship Events, Dragon Den-style investment pitches.    

§ Provides a clear take on entrepreneurial thinking to cultivate an “ownership” culture at their company.

You can increase your visibility, without much showing-off or stepping on other people's toes when you hold the right key to the right door of the right office within the right compound.

Rasha Oudeh 

20-03-2019