Early in my career, I missed the promotion despite working hard. As a training engineer, I thought my success would be a performance-based one. I mistakenly thought that my value to an organization was measured solely by my technical skills. This is how quickly and accurately you can calculate the prices of complex financial derivatives.
My banking career wasn't within a few years. I realized my mistake. I overlooked the image and exposure. Harvey Coleman's 1996 study of career advancements revealed that career success depends on a combination of performance, image and exposure (PIE). In fact, only 10% of successes correlate with performance, but images account for 30% and an astounding 60% exposure.
If you are offering results but still carrying on for promotion, it's time to stock up on the missing pieces in your pie.
Image: Your reputation at work
What are you known at work? My first job as a Forex (FX) sales professional at the Bank of Singapore didn't go well because I lacked social skills. I've significantly improved my sales skills after a year, but I've fixed the impression my colleagues and bosses had on me. It was difficult to change their minds. If I had stayed, I would have been a mediocre sales person at best. So I left to pursue my master's degree financially.
When I joined Citi as a derivatives structure in 2001, I showed a strong interest in education. I volunteered to carry out product training for both my clients and my colleagues. Very quickly, I have built a reputation not only as a skilled constructor, but also as a great trainer. This reputation has led to invitations from sales heads across Asia trained my team and clients, greatly improving my personal brand.
How to build your personal brand
Develop signature skills that differ from your core expertise but can be incorporated into your work.
For example, if you are a junior research analyst at an asset management company, you can develop video editing skills. By providing you with filming and editing videos for senior colleagues presenting at investment meetings, you are considered a valuable team player they want to bring to the event.
If you've been working for your current company for more than a year, changing your internal branding can be a challenge. We recommend focusing on developing external brands and focusing on impacting your internal position.
Volunteering with the CFA community, hosting events, or serving as a speaker liaison is a great way to do this. I'm proud to be a speaker at the CFA Institute Live 2025 event held in Chicago next May. Like me, I share these experiences on LinkedIn and other outlets to showcase my abilities as a Master Network Representative or Organizer. Your employer will meet you from a different perspective. Learn to be a storyteller. The story resonates more deeply than facts and numbers. Use your story to let people know about your personality, abilities and values. They are an important part of your personal brand.
Exposure: How well do people know you?
Exposure is ensuring that the right people, namely coworkers and senior leaders, are aware of your contribution. Without visibility, you will not be promoted.
I learned this the hard way. When I was the VP (VP, mid-level rank) of an American bank, my boss went on holiday and presented weekly market updates to the Asian sales and structured team on his behalf. I asked. I was busy preparing for my professional exam and told him I couldn't hold a meeting. But this was just an excuse. In reality, I was afraid of speaking in public. He got another VP to do it instead. By the end of the year, when it comes to promotional nominations, do you guess who the manager chose to promote to the director level? Instead, it's another VP.
It works well at work, but not speaking out at meetings makes it difficult for managers to know about your work. Even if your own boss wants to promote you, no one else in the company will support you because they know little about you. We come down to this simple equation.
How good you are × Your presentation skills = How good you think you are
So you need to not only do a good job, you also need to seize the opportunity to let people know about the work you are doing.
How to increase exposure
- Talk during the meeting: Share your insights, ask thoughtful questions, and make sure you hear your voice.
- Highly visible task volunteers: For example, an offer to host the company's annual dinner.
- Pursuing international opportunities: Internal transfers to various offices or countries can greatly increase exposure. I worked in London and Hong Kong during my career, and these stints helped me to develop relationships with global leaders.
- Engagement with the global community: Take part in CFA events outside your home country and connect to a wider network.
Finish the pie
Promotions require more than just effort and results. Mastering the PIE framework will help you position yourself for long-term career success.
