Another post from the shameless self promotion category, this time from the Wall St. Career Journal.

The key, in short, is to garner good "press" while not giving the impression that you're getting that press because you're trying too hard. Got that?

Here are some ways to raise your professional profile without branding yourself as an opportunist:

1. Be very good at what you do. - this goes without saying. It's even more fun when you have measurements & metrics in place to gauge your success (some companies don't have these...so there's an opportunity for you to bring data discipline in and help yourself to boot)
   
2. Stick your neck out. - To find a huge opportunity, look for a huge problem, then go after it.
   
3. Volunteer for small but valuable tasks. - Don't spread yourself thin, but strive for ubiquity within & around the organization so that people within your sphere of influence can't swing a dead cat without encountering something that you've made a difference in.
   
4. Don't be insular. - Sometimes, it's what you do outside the company that really matters, but don't sell yourself short inside either. The key is the 3-pronged approach of speaking, writing and networking." These activities help you become known on the outside. In some professions, such as in scientific fields, external recognition is more important than internal acclaim, and joining professional groups is essential to your career.
   
5. Switch Job functions. - This is also sometimes an organizational habit. Smart leaders take their staff and rotate them among functional roles to make them better managers & more aware business people. If your company doesn't do that, set up your own rotation and move around the company.
   
6. Limit yourself. - Chances are, if you're doing any of these things, you have very, very high standards. DON'T take on a project/job/task if you can't complete it to your standards and wouldn't be proud to put your name on it. Pulling back from extended efforts & making a deeper impact in your current projects will pay greater dividends than a trail of corpses. Ambition without a trail of results is a bad track record. Seek to maximize in each area.