Personal & Professional Advocacy

Professional Identity & Advocacy

Hello everyone. Today I want to talk about a common issue that affects people in employment. Even if we are good at our job, we can sometimes feel a bit lost at work. It can seem like other people see you in a different light, or that their expectations of you might be a little bit skewed. If that is the case, then we need to talk about professional identity and advocacy. 

So, let’s start with a working definition of what professional identity actually is. Essentially, it is what defines you at your workplace. Of course, we all aim to be competent and to thrive in our work, and to be professional in every aspect of what we do. At some points in our career, we can find this to be a little more challenging. Perhaps you are freshly into a new job, entering into a well-established team, or possibly even entering into a leadership position. People may have certain expectations of you, of the type of person you may be or leadership style you will adopt. The key thing about professional identity in such situations is to be honest and to ensure that you have good communication strategies. It is perfectly fine not to know everything straight away, but if you are calm and competent and communicate clearly then your team will go with you. If you are in a client-facing role then this also applies; think about your non-verbal behaviour as well.

It is important to remember that any changes will take some time. When I see clients who find themselves in this position, I will frequently advise them to think back to a previous job they had. Now, it doesn’t matter if this job was in a different field, or at a different level of seniority. The key thing is to think of a mentor or a person who has helped in the past to mould our professional identity, to how we view ourselves and our work. If this person had a very positive impact on you and your career at the time, then try to emulate them. What tips and advice did they give you, and can you go back to those now to enable you to be the best you can be?

It takes time, and you have to be patient with it; but being honest and open with your colleagues is a very good way to start. 

If this resonates with you, then you can click HERE to find out more about me, and you can follow this blog to discover much more information, tips and strategies in the coming weeks.