Stop settling for a career you don’t love and stand up for yourself!

career advice

.You are a human being with great talents, and you deserve to be recognized and appreciated as such. Step out of your box and take action on the change you NEED with these six steps:

DECIDE ON WHAT YOU WANT – DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS

Many people get paralysis by analysis. They either don’t know where to start, or they overthink their plan until they feel overwhelmed.  Set your goal like GPS coordinates.  Commit to it and make one small step EVERY day to move closer.

DON’T PLAY FINITE, PLAY INFINITE

Don’t compare yourself to your friends or colleagues. When you do that, you are playing finite.  You will only concern yourself with being better than him or her, despite the level they are operating at.  Your plan should include you growing stronger than you were yesterday.  If you continue that course, you play INFINITE.  Don’t get content.  Keep working to TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

GET COMFORTABLE TAKING RISKS

Without trial and error — and risk-taking — you remain stagnant, predictable and, ultimately, you will become complacent. Risks are about pushing yourself until you’re operating outside of your comfort zone — with good judgment of course — and allowing yourself to take a step that might feel uncomfortable at first. If you want to be viewed as a leader, you must be comfortable challenging the status quo. A leader who does not take risks will eventually be superseded by someone who will.

LEARN TO SELL WHAT THEY WANT

Find the strength or skill within you that solves the problem. Most hiring managers (and consumers) care less about WHAT you have (product or skill) and more about the OUTCOME you will produce.  For instance, don’t highlight your excel skills, instead, speak to your ability to analyze data for trends and predictive analytics.  In this example, anyone can pull together data, but less are focused on what to do with the information.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

This involves you leaving your office or cubicle and getting to know as many people in your organization as you can.  You ask “Why?” well, in 2013, research done by Prof. Lynn Wu from Wharton found that a person’s engagement in social communication was the most indicative factor of job retention and promotion, not the financial value generated by their work.  This means that your knowledge base matters less than who you know.  The logic behind this is those people who have a lot of social capital also have a lot of “clout,” or influence. They spread messages more readily and also help make people feel more comfortable during times of change.  The more people you know, the more resources are available to you to when you need help or are trying to solve a problem.

LEVERAGE YOUR RESOURCES

Attend workshops, webinars, conferences, anything that is going to help expand your strengths and remove your limitations.

Now it’s time to stand up, go to the window and shout, “I’m mad as hell, and I am not going to take this anymore!” Get started on your plan and remember, don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve. If you do so, I am sure you will get noticed!