Sichtbar sein - gesehen werden - befördert werden

Visibility is not a "nice-to-have" but a strategic resource for career advancement. It does not mean pushing yourself to the front, but positioning your work so it can have an impact. There are several ways to work on your own visibility.

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Key points at a glance

Companies in the financial industry report that women are promoted less often than men because they are less visible.
Those who are present are more likely to be remembered, including when promotion decisions are made.
Visibility is therefore not a "nice-to-have" but a prerequisite for career advancement.
Visibility means positioning your work so it can have an impact.
Communicating your own successes is not shameful, as long as it is done honestly and factually.
To be seen as an expert, you need to take yourself seriously. That is something you can work on.

At Fondsfrauen-Events and through many conversations with our members, we repeatedly notice: visibility is not a "nice-to-have." It is a strategic resource and one of the most underestimated prerequisites for career advancement. Studies have shown for years that performance alone rarely suffices to be considered for promotions. What matters is who gets noticed, who is seen as competent, and whose name comes up at the right tables at decisive moments.

In her book "Becoming," Michelle Obama puts it clearly: "If you don't get out there and define yourself, you'll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others."

Visibility does not mean pushing yourself to the front, but positioning your work so it can have an impact, for the team, for the company, and for your own career.

Why visibility matters

The 5th edition of the study "Zeitenwende im Asset Management: Gender Diversity zwischen Fortschritt und neuer Zurückhaltung" (2025), produced by Fondsfrauen together with KPMG Germany and the University of Mannheim, shows clearly: companies want to promote women but they see them too rarely. The most frequently cited reasons are:

Too few women overall
No or few female applicants
Female candidates are less visible

The reasons were not explained in more detail, but they are obvious:

Promotion decisions are based on perception. Those who are present are more likely to be remembered.
Competence is attributed, not just measured. Visible women are more likely to be seen as experts.
Networks run on familiarity. Relationships do not develop in silence.
Visibility creates influence. Those who are heard can shape things, professionally, strategically, culturally.

What women can do for their visibity

Those who have recognized the importance of visibility are already one step ahead. The key question then is: what can I concretely do? A few pointers:

Communicate your own successes clearly. Short, factual, impact-oriented.
Use spaces actively. Meetings, project updates, conferences, all of these are stages.
Show expertise, internally and externally. Visibility comes from contribution, not volume.
Look for sponsors as well as mentors. They open doors and talk about you when you are not in the room.
Build networks strategically. Relationships rather than mere contacts.
Take yourself seriously. Confidence is a decision.

Visibility is not an ego project, it's a career driver.

Women often find it hard to take themselves seriously, especially younger ones. Yet they achieve a lot, often more than becomes visible. Visibility is not an end in itself but a tool to create impact, make use of opportunities, and actively shape your own professional future. Those who are visible get heard. Those who get heard can shape things. And those who shape things get promoted.

But for many, visibility is not a gift but a skill that needs to be learned and trained before it can be used with intention.

What Women Can Do to Take Themselves More Seriously

Visibility starts from within. Those who do not take themselves seriously are also less likely to be perceived by others as a competent voice. This attitude can be strengthened:

Document your own achievements. A success journal makes impact visible.
Set boundaries clearly. "No" is professional.
Use your voice with intention. Do not wait until everything is perfect before speaking.
Define yourself as an expert. Name your area of focus clearly.
Stop mentally putting yourself down. A change of perspective helps.
Allow yourself to develop. Learning is a strength, not a weakness.
Do not relativize your successes. Do not downplay them, let them stand.

Sheryl Sandberg, longtime COO of Meta and founder of the Lean In movement, puts it in her well-known bestseller "Lean In": "Being confident and believing in your own self-worth is necessary to achieving your potential."

Foto: Canva

Anke Dembowski

Anke Dembowski is a financial journalist and author of various investment fund-related and other financial books. She is also a co-founder of the "Fondsfrauen" network.