I have a former co-worker who’s been at the same organization for almost five years. And in her time there, she’s created a new position for herself at least twice. When you ask her how, she responds with a simple, “I told my boss that’s what I wanted.”
Sure, this won’t work for everyone. In fact, I’m certain this is a pretty rare occurrence. But I also believe that she never would’ve received these opportunities if she hadn’t had the guts to (professionally) express what she desired in her career. Her ability to be assertive was a major win both times.
Having this level of self-confidence is hard. But while you may not see yourself ever requesting new opportunities from your boss, there are times where being able to assert yourself will be extremely useful. Like when your co-worker tries to push a good chunk of his workload onto you. Or, when you receive a job offer, but you decide the position just isn’t for you.
If this quality doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s OK. Because this video has some great tips and tricks on how you can work on building this skill. And, hey, maybe one day you’ll feel self-assured enough to make your own position.