On a recent Career Alchemy Academy coaching call someone mentioned that she was at the first big work event with her new company. She was standing in line next to someone she did not know yet and they got to talking. During their conversation they saw how their roles actually had some overlap. This led to scheduling a call for later in the week to see how they might leverage their situation for both their benefits.

This is an example of Invisible Work.

Invisible work can help you to create new relationships and connections, grow your visibility inside and outside your organization, build your work reputation and shorten the path to promotions, recognition and career acceleration.

And the best part … Invisible Work works without “trying”.

The Invisible Workload, on the other hand, involves those things you decide to do, or say yes to doing, that stall your career. This could be work you are doing that goes unrecognized or those times when you get a bit squishy with your boundaries and regret it later.

Invisible Work works for you and your career.

Invisible Workload works against you and your career.

Both can be subtle and quiet. We might not be aware what is happening until after the fact. This might be fine if the consequences of the invisible workload were not so detrimental to your career, health, relationships.

⚠️ What’s the career-stalling Invisible Workload?

This is the low-reward labor that drains your time, energy, and growth—and women take on more than their share. Watch for:

• Always taking notes or planning team events.

• Being the “default” fixer for people problems.

• Doing extra admin or onboarding with no credit.

• Getting asked to help “because you’re good at it”.

• Volunteering out of guilt, not growth.

• Serving on committees with no recognition or support.

• Taking on emotional labor for team vibes—without support.

• Shadow-managing a project without title, credit, or pay.

🌀 What is career-building Invisible Work?

Invisible work isn’t flashy and may not be immediately measurable, but it builds trust, influence, and momentum quietly and with ease. Think:

• Being fully present in meetings even if you’re not actively speaking.

• You are absorbing context, noticing dynamics, and building rapport.

• Mentoring others behind the scenes.

• Bringing your calm center when things get tense.

• Clarifying confusion to keep momentum going.

• Spotting roadblocks early and preventing meeting spirals.

• Prepping others to shine—even when you’re not the face of the work.

• Being a low-key connector across teams.

• Volunteering (strategically) for work that expands your visibility.

• Inviting someone you don’t know to join your group at a work event.

There is a subtle but important, difference between Invisible Work versus the Invisible Workload.

Invisible Work builds trust behind the scenes and while you stand in line. It earns you quiet influence, moves projects forward and speeds up decisions without you burning out or feeling resentful.

The trick is getting good at spotting the difference.

Because these actions are invisible, one tip is to notice how you feel.

If the activities drain you, that is the invisible workload. Drop them.

If the activities energize you, that is invisible work working for you. Keep them.

Invisible work that works for your career eventually becomes visible.

Hello promotion, award, raise, flexibility, career growth, visibility!