Your personal reputation and your work

Reputation defined

Reputation refers to the general opinion that others have of you. Simply put, it’s what they say about you and how they perceive you within a work environment.

Because it is about people and their opinions, it can take years to build a reputation as you get to know colleagues and they get to know you. After some time, your colleagues can testify to your experience and vouch for what you represent and stand for.

Reputation vs popularity

Earning a good reputation is not about becoming popular. Being popular simply means that you are widely liked. While that cannot do any harm, it shows only one aspect of your profile and says nothing of the qualities that directly affect your performance as an employee. Reputation relates to aspects such as character, ethics, quality, integrity, honesty and your attitude.

Reputation’s value

A good reputation can be the difference between merely having a job and having a career. The old adage “your reputation precedes you” finds real truth when you are on the lookout for better work opportunities. Prospective employers almost always contact the references listed on resumes and these conversations about your reputation can go a long way towards opening new doors.

Your best career opportunities might be with precisely the employer you are working for now. If your reputation within your present working environment is a good one, it becomes easier to make your way up the success ladder.

Simple truth

The American poet and diplomat James Russel Lowell said of reputation: “It is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit.”

It may be difficult to concede that what others think and say about you carries so much weight in your career, but it is a simple fact of life.