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Top Ten List for
Propelling Your Career to the Next Level
By Catherine Kaputa, founder of SelfBrand (www.selfbrand), a brand strategy company that works with people, products and companies. Catherine’s new book, U R A BRAND, will be published by Davies Black Publishing in February, 2006.
For many of us, a dream career is something we want to happen, but often we don’t do what it takes to create the result. Knowing that your dream is to have a great career is important, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t act on it.
Here’s our top ten list of the things senior executives can do to get their career to the next level.
| 1- |
Have a different pitch for yourself. Differentiation is powerful. It will position you apart from the crowd. Differentiation is a cardinal rule for any job search. When you don’t have a different pitch or approach, you are a generic version of the name brand. |
| 2- |
Have a relevant USP. Have a value proposition that is relevant to the market just like a winning brand. You need to develop your different promise and the benefit you bring to the job and the organization if you want to get to the next level. |
| 3- |
Think Outside – In. Think of what your industry or organization or boss is looking for (Outside), and then figure out how you (In) can meet those needs. Most people concentrate on what they want. It is much smarter to concentrate on what your key target audiences (Outside) want first. |
| 4- |
Have a strategy. You need to know where you want to be two years or five years from now. What’s the best way to position yourself to achieve those goals? |
| 5- |
Develop an action plan with specific tactics. Develop an action plan with tactics that can get from A to B to C. There is no one right path, but some roads will be more effective than others. The important thing, though, is to act. Even if an avenue doesn’t work out, there will be learning. |
| 6- |
Get some visibility. Learn what skills and experiences are needed to achieve the next level and then make yourself available to work on special projects that get you noticed and help you develop the necessary skills. Volunteer to lead a high profile project that no one else wants to lead. |
| 7- |
Bring intellectual value. We used to be a country that made things. Now we’re an idea country. We’re in the Knowledge Age. That’s why you need to keep up with what’s going on. Keep up to date by reading trade journals, your company’s developments, business magazines and newspapers. |
| 8- |
You’re always on stage. Every meeting, every interview is like a sales call. There is no such thing as a performance that doesn’t count. You are always on stage and need to be selling yourself. Brush up your communication and presentation skills. It can have a big impact on how promotable you are. |
| 9- |
Dazzle interviewers with a killer resume. Most resumes are a laundry list of skills and jobs with no focus or message. The good news is your resume can be a powerful way to position and sell yourself and create a powerful personal identity. Write your resume as if it were an advertisement for yourself. Have a focused message and a document that looks attractive and impressive. |
| 10- |
Prepare to ace the interview. Interviewing is an art. Approach an interview as a conversation. It should be a two-way street, where you just don’t answer questions, but ask them so you have a conversation with the interviewer. You will find the balance of power changes dramatically when you have a conversation. Also brush up on the art of storytelling. It can help to think in terms of a narrative format with conflict and resolution, dialogue, and character development. If you took an action that produced results that were not as successful as you had hoped, don’t despair. When you talk about tough situations, you make it easier for people to relate to you and care about you and your experience.
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