Becoming more visible at work creates more opportunities and a sense of belonging.

We’re not talking about “just being visible” at the job here by pure talking or requesting mentions from the team — it’s about the intentionality of doing impactful work, letting your team know about it, and fostering collaboration among your team.

Here are two strategies you can try:

Share your work

I often celebrated my achievements quietly, focusing solely on the immediate goal: “delivering the app or completing a feature”.

However, my perspective has shifted as I’ve progressed in my career.

I came to realize that long-term career growth requires more than just technical expertise. It involves visibility, influence, and strategic thinking. Simply staying silent and completing tasks might not be enough to advance my career goals.

As James Clear states in Atomic Habits, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

Investing in an active career identity is a vote you have to make to grow in your career.

Learn what to share:

  • Share the progress of your work, and celebrate incremental wins!
  • During 1:1s or performance reviews, let your manager know how your work impact the business, e.g., improved X by Y% by doing Z solutions.
  • Let your team know what else is happening outside work: your presentations at meetups or conferences.

Remember, your goal here is to share your work at the level your team finds meaningful and not to overshare. Lastly, remember to celebrate it with the people you helped or worked with!

Offer help

Younger engineers and new team members often need some level of help. But not everyone will ask questions. Some probably don’t need to collaborate that much, but others could be keyboard away and shy of asking questions, afraid others might judge them for asking “stupid” questions.

You’ll likely be surprised by how many colleagues appreciate your willingness to help! By openly offering your assistance, you signal that it’s safe to ask questions and seek guidance.

Every interaction is an opportunity to learn. Offering your help to others is a good way to learn new things, deepen your understanding of a particular tech stack, and build meaningful relationships.

Important note: Set clear expectations with your team on your availability and schedule dedicated time blocks for your focus hours and everything else at work.

That’s it!

If you have any questions about software engineering or an early software engineering career, email me at hi@joshuamdeguzman.com. If you find this helpful, remember to share it with your friends!

Thanks for your readership!