Even if you think you have a decent career, sometimes it just feels that something is wrong or could get better. This disconcerting feeling springs up because of many obvious reasons:

 

  • You are simply not happy with our career’s status quo – and feel you can do better.
  • Your brand needs a big boost and is not getting that branding respite (which it so badly needs) because of slow and a bit detached kind of job.
  • You have very few colleagues who probably try to ‘get’ your brand right in the company – and the rest just seem to be indifferent (sometimes, brutally).
  • You just don’t get your mojo back, no matter how hard you try to get the ‘happiness hacks’ right.
  • You still feel that you don’t have the requisite skills and haven’t mastered the art of branding and sailing through your career.

 

Well, the reasons can be many, but let’s remember one saying by Stephen R Covey: ‘What’s most personal, is most general.’ And that is the case even with your brand and your career: whatever you feel deep down inside is actually being felt by many others, even if they don’t air it or tend to just overlook it, they professionally become a bit thick skinned and intentionally dispassionate.

 

So let’s look at some ways of how you can fix the broken pieces of your career and brand – and play your A game in your job.

 

  • Pick a book to rise in this fall. This season, make it a practice to read a book a week on the subjects that you feel you need to get more knowledge of. A book is by far one of the best ways to upskill or upgrade your knowledge-base in a matter of just a few weeks. Over a period of time, you will be surprised to know that you have mastered your subject at least at an optimum level – and are able to articulate your thoughts in many creative ways: via blogs, write for other blogs, host or co-host podcasts, videos, etc. This instantly attracts the employers towards you knowledge and confidence.

 

  • Select top 5 events and conferences you want to be a part of. By participating in relevant conferences and events, you naturally make more connections and also some great prospects who would be interested in your services or ready to give you a full-time job, provided you present your best elevator branding pitch of you are and what you can do for them. But, like I said, if you have something additional to show – say like a blog, giving a small talk at the event, showing your personal Web site, or showcasing some exciting work samples, employers will chime in with job [and speaking] opportunities for you. And don’t forget to follow-up consistently when they refer you to someone or give you their business card.

 

  • Write more. This bears a repeat: you should take out the cold out of your cold e-mails and make it more personal and likeable by writing messages to your top list of employers on LinkedIn. With the right tone and ‘not sounding needy’, instead compelling them to get in touch with you, you will attract more employers. So the obvious question is how? Show them that you can ‘fill’ a need and you can help more than just filling a need – you can advance it to the level that the company will not just grow, but thrive.

 

How are you fixing your broken career and advancing your personal brand to new levels?