Map Before Moving

Before you change perception, map it accurately. Ask three colleagues for the three words that describe your work, then compare them to your own three. The overlap is your real reputation; the mismatch is the gap you must close, and its size is your starting score.

More than one gap may surface. Close them by leverage, not annoyance: how much the gap blocks the role you want next, and how easily one visible artifact could shift it. Start with the gap that is costly and fixable; leave the low-stakes ones alone.