Building Credibility: 10 Ways You Can be a Professional Brofessional

The beginning of your career is one of the trickiest times to navigate in your professional life - but if you play your cards right, you’ll be on the fast-track to success in no time. Many bros get caught up in the Catch-22 of the early career: you have no credibility because you have no experience, and you can’t get any experience because you don’t have any credibility. Here are some ways to Brofessionalize your life:

1. Start small – When you’re the low bro on the totem pole, no job is too small for your attention. Ask if you are able to devote part of your time to a project you are really interested in. Even if it means staying later and/or taking on tasks you don’t typically perform, you’re planting the seeds of your business reputation. Higher-level personnel will take note of your determination and proactivity. Caveat: Be clear on what roles you are willing and unwilling to take on so that no one can take advantage of you.
2. Follow through – It’s as simple as responding to all e-mails and as complex as doing the legwork to ensure that others have finished tasks you’ve delegated. At first, it may seem like a lot of extra work, but you’ll gain a reputation as a stickler who doesn’t let important tasks go unfinished. Caveat: You want to avoid being seen as an overzealous control freak, so make sure that your follow-through is efficient, but not overkill.
3. Arrive early – Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early (10 is ideal) for everything for the first several months or year. Nothing makes a worse first impression than showing up late. If you are not organized enough to make it to a meeting on time, why should a client choose you, a boss promote you, or a colleague vouch for you? If you account for extra time all of the time, last-minute events or emergencies are less likely to derail your plans. Bring a laptop, book, or other reading to maximize productivity in the time before meetings or events. Caveat: Don’t arrive more than 30 minutes in advance; then you’re the guy who always awkwardly arrives too early.
4. Treat everyone at work the same – From the CEO to the janitor, it might seem strange, but it’s a good idea for a lot of reasons. They say that to truly judge a man’s character, you should look at how he interacts with people who are less fortunate than he is. A similar tenant holds true in business. Treat the secretaries, assistants, travel coordinators, and other support staff with just as much respect as you do the higher-level execs. These people often have been around the company for years and are responsible for making the office run efficiently from day to day. If you get in with these people, you’ll gain a reputation as a class act. Caveat: Don’t treat this as a business strategy. People know when you’re befriending them out of genuine interest and when you simply want to get ahead. Do it because you’ll have a greater perspective and understanding of your workplace; if perks come your way because of it, that’s just an added bonus.
5. Send Thank You Notes – We can’t stress this enough. There’s a certain finesse that Brofessional is all about. Not only is it a nice touch; it’s a clear way to stand out from other professionals. Most people in today’s corporate culture settle for a grateful e-mail instead of a handwritten note – that’s fine, but going a step above and beyond could open doors for you. Caveat: Again, be sincere. There’s no need to send thank you notes to everyone you meet just to suck up. Express a personalized detail – “I enjoyed talking to you about the changing role of technology in our company”, or “It was great to hear about your daughter’s wedding”, and thank them for the meeting, job interview, dinner, or other event.
6. Innovate – Instead of simply accepting tasks and responsibilities in your new professional role, treat each one as a personal challenge that will allow you to exhibit your best work. Brainstorm ideas that will not only fulfill the responsibilities of the task, but also go above and beyond the bare minimum. If you need to write a report, try to get as many examples of similar reports as you can. Then ensure that your work has all the essential qualities of a good report. Think of ways you can improve – maybe by pulling in outside data from another source, incorporating charts, graphs, or anything that would really make the report stand out. Caveat: You don’t want to change things up so much so that you’re perceived as someone who doesn’t follow directions or takes too much liberty with his work. Just be sure to make changes that enhance the work, but don’t completely change the format you are required to work in.
7. Promote yourself – This one is tricky, because you don’t want to come across as pushy or arrogant. It’s simple, though – if you don’t have business cards yet, get them printed. Keep 5-10 in your wallet at all times – you never know who you’re going to meet. Use them casually – if you make a contact that could be beneficial in the future, hand out your card and ask them to give you a call or shoot you an e-mail. Caveat: Don’t overdo it –handing out a business card every five seconds is not helpful to anyone, namely you.
8. Track your Internet footprint – Do you know what anyone with Internet access knows about you? If not, get on it. Google yourself every couple of weeks or months to find your Internet footprint – the websites, message boards, blogs, etc. that people can find by searching for your name. You may be an entirely different person than the guy who wrote an op-ed for a site a decade ago. But potential employers or business contacts don’t know that. They only know what pops up when they type in your name. If you’ve got a common name, it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, you’re fairly safe because people won’t know if you’re the John Smith in question or not. On the other hand, what about the stuff you want people to find, like your professional resume or awards? That will be nearly impossible to find. To control your brand, consider purchasing a domain, yourname.com, if you don’t already have one. If you’re a John Smith, consider a domain name that incorporates your profession or interests. You can then direct people to your personal, professional website, which can in turn steer visitors to the sites you want them to see – samples of your work, relevant experience, sites you’ve designed, or whatever else you hope to impress upon people. Also, remember to do damage control: delete old personal blogs if they have information you don’t want associated with your name, remove potentially damaging information from social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, and check to see what others are writing about you. Caveat: To be a Brofessional, you don’t need to erase your online identity – you just need to keep tabs on it and be sure that it represents your personality and interests in a professional capacity.
9. Learn work-life balance – When you’re at the office, focus on work. Don’t spend a portion of your time to make loud personal calls, run errands, or do anything other than work. It’s fine to take care of those types of things at lunch, but be careful to delineate between your work and your personal life. You will earn a reputation as a professional. Caveat: It’s easy to fall in love with your work – well, really it’s more of a tumultuous, love-hate relationship. Don’t let your job become your girlfriend. Make time for yourself and the things you love. Eating right, exercising regularly, and trying to minimize stress can improve job performance, too.
10. Be positive – Always. People enjoy being around people who are optimistic and proactive. No matter who you are talking to, refrain from badmouthing a colleague or obtuse policy. Instead of whining, focus on what you can do to improve conditions. Everyone needs to vent about their work. Save that for a time when you are outside of the office, and find a sympathetic ear who does not work with you. Though it’s tempting to gripe with co-workers, you never know who is listening and thinking that you’re a disloyal employee who’s not a team player. Caveat: Sometimes, you have to go negative. If a fellow employee commits a serious offense or something illegal is going on, it’s important to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the problem