It’s never easy, comfortable, or ideal to be underestimated at work in any context. Of course, there’s at least a healthy route here, because being overestimated and struggling to achieve the expected standard can feel demotivating, at least when people expect little you can easily prove them wrong. Still, it hardly feels good to have someone think little of your capabilities. No matter if you’ve moved into a career path and are being treated like a beginner despite your years of experience, if your manager has a hard time trusting and delegating, or if you feel like you just haven’t had a chance to shine, it’s important to consider how you’re seen and make efforts to change that.
Part of this means putting your best professional foot forward. Professional headshots can help you get the ball rolling, as they showcase you at your most effective, appealing, and respectable. But what other tips can help you escape this kind of stifling experience, while also showing that they were wrong to judge you? This can apply to any area of life, from the workplace to making sure your in-laws realize you’re not so bad after all. With that in mind, please consider:
Here are effective strategies to overcome being underestimated at work:
1. Underpromise & Overdeliver
It’s healthy to focus on your tasks, because ultimately social connectivity at work, while nice to have, isn’t the point of you being there. If you underpromise and overdeliver on projects, you will slowly become known as the person who is dependable. It will also give you a more comprehensive view of how others operate in your office, and who you can depend on. It’s one thing to gain a reputation at work, it’s another if quite competence slowly reveals you were the most focused all along.
2. Let Your Work Do The Talking
There’s real pride in letting your work do the talking. Not only does it show that your presence is entirely necessary, but it helps you showcase your unique approach to problems. Before long, a manager will be asking you for your insight, and of course, you only need to offer it where the mutual relationship is respectful and contributive.
3. Maintain Consistent Standards
It’s important that you focus on the standards you work by. This can often come from the little details of how we present ourselves. From how we dress at work to how punctual we are, all the way up to volunteering for lateral projects like giving a talk to the other departments in your firm, the more you can showcase your flexibility and willingness to learn, the more your consistent standards show themselves.
4. Live By Your Ethics & Principles
Ultimately, the professional code we live by can help benefit us more than any reputation or misapplied label can. For example, choosing to never gossip about people in the office, while that might disconnect you from some now, can pay off over the years when you’re seen as a dependable and dignified presence. Considering what your principles are, be they integrity, hard work, or sharing credit can take you a long way, and will help you become a vital part of a team.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid being underestimated at work. If they become pronounced, report them to HR after documenting mistreatment. That being said, if you follow many of the tips here, you’ll show up to anyone who underestimated you through goodwill and competence alone.
