I was at a Leadership Conference in Washington DC in Jan 2008 and had the chance to interact with diverse women from local and their international divisions in various positions within a corporation.

In my conversations, I realized how heavily women were focused on working hard in their respective positions. They paid little or no attention to building a brand of their own or building a network.

Most of them said, “ I don’t like to talk about my work”.

Here are some key findings:

Working hard and getting nowhere:

Many women felt like they were bragging when they spoke about their work to people within the organizations. They felt as long as they worked hard and completed the job somebody will figure out that they are brilliant.

As a result, they were confused why they were not getting noticed. One of them told her story, “ I saw my junior getting a project that was more visible and fell right up my alley. I approached my boss and confronted him on why I was passed on this project. He said I never knew you were interested in such assignments. You seemed happy with what you have.”

Now, if this is anything that is close – I am sure you have figured out that it is time to re-evaluate your stand on not speaking up or talking about your interests.

No time for Networking:

This is a major concern for women. They are so over-booked in their day-to-day activities. With their families taking precedence in the evening when most networking happens, they find themselves trading off networking for family time. Understandable…

Building your network is critical for success. It is a fact that opportunities won’t show up in your cube or homes. I believe this is just another way to take better care of your families. By showing up you may find opportunities that were made for you. In essence, you will be happier and will be better equipped to deal with demands on your time.

Brand of my company is my brand:

There is a reason why companies spend money on building a brand in the marketplace. This gives them an undisputed competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Similarly, building your brand gives you a competitive advantage. In a world where, any job you do can be outsourced. Building an impeccable reputation is a MUST. This is your ticket to successful global career.