Still Pushing? 5 Tips to Create a Career Plan that Gets You Pulled

I get it.

You’re frustrated.

You’ve been passed up for promotion.

Again.

Someone with less experience, less talent, and poorer results just got the nod and you didn't. You've been fighting this battle for a while. You're not about to compromise your integrity and become an endless self-promoter, but you're not sure what else to do.

Don't throw in the towel.

Take a page from successful inbound marketers.

Some companies are rising remarkably quickly not by pushing their product, but by creating high quality content that PULLS clients to them. It's referred to as inbound marketing.

Isn't that what you want? To have your managers drawn in towards you, recognize your contribution, and invest in you?

You need a career plan that pulls people to you, and gives you the traction it needs.

You need an inbound marketing plan for your career.

The Inbound Marketing Career Plan

Inbound marketing is actually outbounding value-add content routinely that inbounds a return. It's the same for your career: actively add value on a consistent basis and create pull for yourself.

Let's break it down.

1. Adding value should be part of your personal brand.

   Adding value is critical to creating pull. When your personal brand is about improving others, then it's easy to sustain a stream of value add activities, and talk about your branding in a positive way.

   Can you easily articulate your branding?

   If YOU can't articulate your branding, no one else can either. [tweet this]

   One way to think about your personal brand is to answer a simple question: "My leaders look to me as their go to person because I uniquely help them ( fill in the blank )."

   Then find ways to help, teach, and learn.

2. Embed your branding when you discuss how you're getting results. Give your manager and mentors something to take away and repeat.

   "I don't know if you ever told you, but I personally feel my claim to fame is anticipating and preventing problems. Here's an example of how I did it and the problem I prevented. Now I've developed it into a system to help others do it too."

3. Outbound your expertise to prevent problems and you'll soon inbound requests for your expertise.

   Build your problem solving reputation. Become known as a person who routinely anticipates issues, flags them, and prevents them. Don't be afraid to highlight how you helped someone else learn and improve their results.

4. Volunteer to lead a result area in your interest area, send out monthly updates. Make sure to recognize others and credit good work.

   "We've been working hard at anticipating problems and Jeff really did some great work. He just prevented a $100,000 error by anticipating a customer complaint."

   Or offer to provide training: "I've had some consistent success with using a process to anticipate problems and prevent rework. I'm happy to train some other groups. Can you think of any that might need some help?"

5. Look for opportunities to give and get advice in your area of branding.

   When I was an HR manager, I was very interested in learning how to build organization capability. I met a plant manager with an unusual background in developing teams, and he and I traded ideas off and on. This eventually led to a transfer opportunity for me because he knew of my interests.

Don't spend time pushing your career. Invest time becoming pullable. [tweet this]

Align what you offer with your business and managers' needs and you will naturally create the interest and recognition you deserve, while helping the business and others grow.