Dusseldorf Tijen Onaran, 37, is one of the most important pioneers in Germany on the topics of digitization and diverse visibility. The founder of the two consulting companies Global Digital Women and ACI Diversity Consulting works as a speaker and moderator, writes books and is active as an investor.
In 2021, the Handelsblatt voted her one of the “Top 100 women who move Germany”. Here, the network expert reveals how to brand yourself online – and how she reacted when she blacked out in front of 300 people.
Ms. Onaran, “Only those who are visible will also take place” is the name of one of your guidebooks. So why is it so important to brand yourself?
Whether employer, customer or cooperation partner – other people automatically form an image of us. With the spread of social media, it is more important than ever that we ourselves actively work on our image before others do it, i.e. we influence the color and main motif that this image has in public.
And it’s about positioning yourself and networking cleverly in order to become known in those circles that are important for your own professional goals.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
How do you create visibility for your own performance?
By first thinking about which topics I stand for and what I am talking about. Who I want to reach, how I present myself and of course where – purely virtually or in person, for example at events to spread my message.
That’s the theory, describe how you made yourself a brand on social media.
I am committed to digitization and diversity in companies. My target group are courageous women who want to get off to a good start in business, primarily as founders. The right platform for me to reach them is the career network LinkedIn. Instagram or Youtube don’t work that well for me.
To what extent have your activities on LinkedIn benefited you in your own career?
When I quit my permanent position in a management consultancy years ago without already having a new job, my visibility on the platform helped me enormously. This has opened new doors for me. For example, I was strongly encouraged by my contacts to start my own business, and the first offers were already being made to become a moderator.
Farewell to the desire for perfection
Dare to go public, take a stance, maybe make yourself vulnerable – that’s not for everyone. What do you recommend?
Three things. Firstly, never to think, ‘I have nothing to share, I don’t have anything interesting to report’. That is a mistake. Every person has at least one interesting aspect that he or she can impart to others – whether it is know-how, experience or an informed opinion on a certain topic. Second: Get started and say goodbye to the desire for perfection. Because that is the highlight of visibility: you grow with and on it.
Third: Find a circle of people you already know in the area where you want to be visible. Important: You have to feel comfortable in this group. It is therefore a matter of carefully selecting these initial contacts. Ideally, the visibility then grows almost automatically with their help.
Sounds abstract, how does that work in detail?
Reach on LinkedIn is built by inviting each other. The followers of my contact persons will then also see my posts. Initially, I mean two to three posts a day
topics sent. It’s like an avalanche that gets bigger and bigger once it rolls.
Listen to the podcast Rethink Work here: Why the 30-hour week must also be possible for managers
What if going public goes wrong?
Mistakes and failure are part of growth. Dealing with them and learning from them takes us further.
Has this ever happened to you?
Um, yes (laughs). During one of my first appearances as moderator of a talk show, I suddenly noticed: My moderation card for the most important participant is missing. I don’t just have his name
forgotten, but out of sheer shock I can’t remember that he’s a scientist at the American elite university Harvard, so I can’t introduce him.
How uncomfortable. What have you done?
I say to the Harvard professor: ‘I’m very sorry, your card of all people is gone. I’m having a total hiatus right now, I can’t remember who you are or what your name is.’ All of a sudden it was dead quiet. There were at least 300 people in the hall.
And then?
Well, first of all it got worse, because my mother was also in the audience at the time. And she said loudly: ‘Never mind, Tijen, just keep going!’ Everyone turned to her. I just wanted to sink into the ground.
And the professor?
He’s not enthusiastic, but at least he introduces himself. And I’m regaining my composure.
No show of owning up to mistakes
This has not harmed your professional development. What did you learn from your breakdown?
Since then I’ve always done a double check with moderation cards (laughs). But seriously: when something like this happens, the best way to solve it is to own up to your mistake and ask for help. Even if 300 people are watching you.
You hold keynote speeches in male-dominated manager circles, but you also bring over 300 women together every year with your Digital Female Leader Award event. How did you personally overcome your fear of speaking in front of people?
Discarded? I’m still scared People just think I’m totally chilled. But, hey, I have my own personal strategy for overcoming the fear with every performance.
Oh, exciting, please tell us.
The moment I’m called on stage, I always think: ‘I’m leaving’. And while I’m still thinking that, I’m stepping into my place in the spotlight. Exactly this tension
gives me my energy
Ms. Onaran, thank you very much for the interview.
The interview originally appeared in the #Start magazine “Fair Company Guide”, the Handelsblatt magazine for young professionals. More information on the Handelsblatt initiative “Fair Company”, which around 450 companies have joined – and which offer around 2,000 current jobs and exciting opportunities from internships to thesis work and direct entry.
More: Founder Lea Sophie Cramer would give this career tip to her former self