⚡️ Happy Transformation Tuesday, y’all! So glad you’re here 🙏

I made a LinkedIn post last week that I thought was important enough to share here in the newsletter. 

And it stems around asking for what you want in a professional setting.

This is so important. 

Sure people will help you out, see results, see your work, and keep you in mind. 

But no one can truly advocate for yourself like YOU can. 

Especially in this day and age of remote work. When they can no longer see you putting in the work. Showing up early and staying late. 

You pop up on a zoom call every now and then. Ping them on a slack. But that’s not enough. 

Whatever position you’re aiming for, whether it’s a promotion, new job, new role, new opportunity - you have to make it known. 

People will have no idea what you want unless you tell them.

Whether it’s your boss, your boss’ boss, the VP, or heck, even your significant other. They can’t read your mind and won’t know what you want unless you tell them. 

When I first started my career in tech sales as an SDR, my focus was to be the very best SDR I could be, while aiming for a future AE role. 

I knew this. I wrote it down. Posted my goal on sticky notes. Put it on white boards and wrote it in journals.

But the issue was that no one else actually knew it. How could they? I hadn't voiced it.

Oftentimes in life, at least in my experience, we assume people know what we want, and we assume people are thinking about us far more than they actually are…

Now I don’t mean this to sound harsh, but generally speaking, the last thing people are thinking about is you. 

And they won’t know what you want unless you make it known by telling them. 

You want a promotion? Schedule a meeting with the hiring manager of the team(s) you’re interested in. Tell them exactly why you’re asking for their time. Be clear, be direct. Come prepared with an agenda and tell them exactly what you're working towards so that not if but WHEN the opportunity presents itself, you're top of mind.

When I had put in the work, backed it up with results, and was ready to "make it known," I scheduled 1:1's with every next-level manager in the business, told them what I was striving for, and asked them to please keep me in mind when an opportunity presents itself. 

Important - I also asked a ton of questions. Remember, you are also interviewing them as much as they are 'interviewing' you. You want to make sure you’ll also be a good fit for their team, leadership style, and role.

When managers and leadership are behind closed doors discussing promotions and "Who's up next?..." Be the person that they immediately think of.

Be the “No-Brainer” as I was taught early on. 

TL;DR: Whatever you want in life, make it known. No one can truly advocate for you like you.

🌱 Additional Strategies that helped me:

- Meet with the other members of that team. Pick their brains - what do they love about the job, team, & manager? What do they dislike? What are the major challenges? How are they supported? What would they change and keep the same?

- Be professionally relentless and pleasantly persistent: Post on LinkedIn. Reach out to people in similar roles at companies you’d like to work at. Send a Slack message. LinkedIn message. Make a phone call. Do it now.

- Make a list of your key achievements, have it handy, and use when appropriate

🌱⚡️ Keep Plantin’ y’all

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