6 Ways to Brand Yourself as a Superstar While Working Remotely

For many, drawing attention to your accomplishments is difficult enough. You may just hate the spotlight, or perhaps you worry no one will be interested. Still, it’s an important part of being a professional and growing in your career — making sure you get the recognition you deserve.

Working remotely makes this even more of a challenge. You’re not seeing your colleagues, managers and organizational leaders in person, so you have to be more obvious about it. Again, this may come less naturally to some than others.

How can you brand yourself as the superstar you are while working remotely? Here are six ideas.

1. Keep your LinkedIn profile and portfolio fresh.

If you’re not updating your LinkedIn regularly with accomplishments, work experiences, certifications and more, then you’re missing out on the career-development opportunities the professional networking platform brings. By keeping your profile fresh and timely, you’re branding yourself as someone with motivation and capabilities.

Depending on your industry, you should also refresh your website or online portfolio. This is a great way of showing the world what you’ve been up to — and who knows? You might secure more work opportunities in the process.

2. Commit to lifelong learning by taking courses.

Always be improving your skillset. There are plenty of courses you can take and certifications you can earn across a wide variety of industries and careers. They will help you boost yourself and gain the recognition you deserve. 

How do you shout them out? Posting them on your LinkedIn profile is certainly one way. And if you can find ways to apply what you’ve learned in your career, that will show that you’re growing and gaining knowledge.

3. Attend events — and make your presence known.

There are still opportunities to network and get to know people in and outside your company when you’re working remotely. Take advantage of industry events and goings-on within your company itself — even a virtual after-work happy hour can make a difference.

And don’t just attend — make people aware that you’re there. Find ways of contributing to the conversation and getting to know colleagues.

4. Vocalize your ideas.

Be a problem-solver. If you’re the person who always has a solution to a problem and can contribute meaningful thoughts to the discussion, your colleagues will begin to see you as a go-to resource. Whether it’s a Zoom meeting or email thread, make sure to vocalize your ideas. Pitch in during brainstorming sessions, too. 

If you’re an introvert, this may be anxiety-provoking, but try not to let this get in your way. (Here are some ways to make yourself heard as an introvert.)

5. Lift your colleagues up.

Be a team player by lifting your colleagues up. This not only helps them in their careers, but it will make others appreciate you and see that you’re not just out for yourself. 

Collaborating with others and giving them credit for their successes shows that you value your team members — and they, in turn, will value you for the goodwill you’re putting forth. Call out a colleague’s accomplishment or hard work on a project in a meeting. Send a teammate a quick note about something they did that you admire. This will feel good for both of you — and give you a reputation as a team player.

6. Reach out to higher-level colleagues.

Work on building relationships with colleagues outside of work. Perhaps you can ask to have a quick chat over Zoom with someone you’d like to get to know better. Ask them about themselves — their career trajectories, why they were drawn to the field and so on.

This will help you develop stronger relationships with your colleagues and learn more. You could even secure a mentor or find that this leads to other connections in your industries.

Personal branding is critical to career success. While the remote-work landscape is a challenging space to navigate, taking advantage of these opportunities will help you grow and make it clear that you’re a force to be reckoned with.

About the Career Expert:

 Laura Berlinsky-Schine is a freelance writer and editor based in Brooklyn with her demigod/lab mix Hercules. She specializes in education, technology and career development. She also writes satire and humor, which has appeared in Slackjaw, Points in Case, Little Old Lady Comedy, Jane Austen’s Wastebasket and The Haven.