How to Distinguish Yourself as an Established Professional

LONDON, United Kingdom — The focus on fashion's notoriously competitive job market often revolves around breaking into the industry. However, those on the inside face a different challenge when looking to develop their career.

Indeed, learning how to differentiate yourself within the workplace may now be necessary to increase your prospects for career progression. Last year, BoF’s Best Companies to Work for in Fashion report found only 59 percent of the 2,600 employees surveyed were satisfied with opportunities for training and development at work.

To help you distinguish yourself as an established professional, BoF sat down with Musa Tariq, who was appointed to the C-Suite at Ford Motor Company as chief brand officer — before the age of 35 — following senior leadership roles at Burberry, Nike and Apple. For Careers Week, BoF condenses Tariq's experience in exceeding expectations to help you achieve the same.

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Market Your Brand

Just as businesses brand their companies, employees can form their own professional identity, or personal branding, through a carefully crafted tone of voice, which resonates in verbal communication, emails, social media, and appearance. It is how you present yourself in all manners of professional contact. Once you develop your personal brand, consistency is fundamental. Remaining constant equates to reliable character traits, and that builds into your reputation.

"Brand tends to live in the eye of the consumer versus the brand itself," explains Tariq. "Thinking about your personal brand is about putting your best self out there so that you're differentiated in the marketplace. I want you to come across as the best you, the one that is most attractive to recruiters. But it's also got to be authentic to you."

Create Connections

An essential component for success is your network, from which opportunities for career progression will invariably arise. As with personal relationships, you will gravitate towards colleagues with similar values to you — and the more aligned your values, the better you will work together and the more successful you will be.

"You will build networks for life," says Tariq. "But take your time and play the long game. Network across and below, because in the long run, you will find it a lot more effective."

Risks of Recruitment

Through the recruitment process, talent acquisition will invariably use flattery to encourage you towards the job — they want you to join the organisation. But while your skill set will be valuable to the company, the contacts awaiting you there have greater worth, and starting with an air of arrogance will not win you the network you need at the beginning of a new role.

"Make friends in this period of time," advises Tariq. "There might be people who are threatened by your existence or sceptical of your skill set. This is the time to show them that you're not there as a threat, but as a team player."

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[ 5 Women Leaders on Getting Ahead in FashionOpens in new window ]

[ The BoF Podcast: Inside Fashion with Imran Amed and Musa TariqOpens in new window ]