Overcoming Ageism (HBR Women at Work Series)

5

Building a Personal Brand at Work—No Matter Your Age

by Nahia Orduña

Working hard has always kept me busy. As a college student, I took on two internships at once, only to find out neither company was hiring upon my graduation. In my first job at a big tech company, I went the extra mile to exceed my quarterly goals, only to be laid off three years in. Despite my efforts, my position was made redundant. A few years later, once I landed on my feet, I was assigned a major project by the head of my department at a telecommunications organization. Sadly, my boss was moved to another team, and the new leader completely dropped it.

In all these stories, I was so absorbed in my day-to-day tasks, so eager to meet expectations, that I had no time to ...