Got a tuxedo? You're hired!

My son David, a rising young actor, musician, and teacher, told us an interesting true story the other day. He was contacted by a casting agent for the TV show "Blacklist." The caller said, "We understand you own a tuxedo." Apparently, the casting agent was looking for extras to populate a scene where people in fine dress would be mingling at an upscale party.

We asked our son, "How did they know you own a tuxedo?"

Dave explained that some time ago, at another acting gig, he had filled out a form about his background as an actor. One of the questions asked if he owned a tuxedo. Since he had purchased a tuxedo for a wedding, the answer was "Yes."

Somehow that questionnaire made its way to the "Blacklist" casting agent. And my son scored an acting gig on TV.

So the career questions for You and me are: What are we known for? And: Who knows about it?

Let's look at both.

What are we known for?

Each of us has skills and capabilities. Each of us has experiences and accomplishments. If we have taken the time to think about it, we know what these are.

But how about others? What do they know about us? Do others know that we "have a tuxedo?" In other words, that we have desirable skills and qualities needed in our respective fields?

How do we get the word out to others? Have you completely filled out your LinkedIn profile? Have you carefully planted the keywords that are relevant in your line of work? Are you an active user of LinkedIn, posting weekly updates on your activities to those in your network, and actively participating in group discussions?

Who knows about it?

Who are the "casting agents" in your case? Who are the people in your field who need to know what your capabilities are?

One of the elements in today's challenging career management process is "visibility." How do you raise your visibility to people who may be on the lookout for skills such as yours?

The strategy for visibility is to "put yourself out there." Way out there. Much further than you might ever have previously considered.

For example, are you active in your professional association? Have you ever thought about giving a presentation to a group in your field? Have you ever thought about writing an article about some specific facet of your expertise?

Have you ever thought about picking up the phone and calling a Decision Maker to introduce yourself and discuss with him or her how you can help improve their organization?

Terrence Seamon is a career coach who helps his clients figure out what they want to do and how to achieve it. Follow him on twitter @tseamon, and connect with him on LinkedIn.