2. Hone your pitch

Heard the one where a chief executive asks an employee: 'What do you do?' and he replies: 'I work here'?

It pays to be clear about what value you bring to the company and not to be afraid to say it to people you meet.

Ms Horan says: 'I worked with a woman who could walk into a room and within the first three minutes, people would know where she travelled, what she did and whom she had lunch with.

'She was great for dropping names of very powerful people. And most people in the room would think: 'Wow, that's incredible.''

This corporate trailblazer's self-introductions gave people a glimpse of her achievements in a couple of minutes and made an impression on whoever she met.

If you are starting from scratch in this area, start working on your pitch. What do you really do in the company that brings it value?

The next time your CEO asks you that question, you will be more prepared with smart answers like: 'I drive innovation.'

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