5 Unshakeable Strategies to Bullet-Proof Your Career

No job is forever. But, a career is. That’s why I am urging you to use YOUR skills while in a job to build your career. These are two very different things.

In a rapidly evolving professional landscape, maintaining a strong, enduring career trajectory involves more than just delivering on job responsibilities. 

Nurturing relationships, building your personal brand, practicing mindful communication and storytelling, and creating a bank of 'Karma Currency' are all crucial aspects that fortify your career against uncertainties. 

Here are five fail-proof strategies that can help you bullet-proof your career:

1. Nurture Vendor Relationships

A colleague told me this story: A client they worked with for a long time had a new executive join the team. The first thing this executive did was try to prove their value by bullying vendors and agencies. They thought it would be a good way to show their worth to the new employer. The relationship came to an end. Years later, this same executive was on the shortlist for another company. Unbeknownst to them, that company was also a client of the agency. This time, the client asked the agency if they had any feedback, and based on that feedback, that individual did not get the position. 

On the flip side, In the last year, I’ve helped multiple individuals in their search for a new position who were once vendors. While a few were voluntarily looking, most didn’t see it coming. And the truth is that this happens. Especially at bigger companies. 

Just as a strong foundation is essential for a building to endure, fostering robust relationships with your vendors is key to career longevity. Vendors can often be the link to your next big opportunity! 

2. Raise Your Professional Profile

"The rising tide raises all boats," so focus on elevating your own professional profile while in your current position. This helps your current employer and you.  Depending too heavily on your company's brand isn't enough. Step up and establish yourself as a spokesperson within your industry. 

Hopefully, your company engages in earned media/PR. If not, that’s step number one. Then, use those media opportunities to raise your professional profile as well. Podcasts, profiles, panels, awards…please don’t be shy. It doesn’t serve you, and it doesn’t serve your company.  Individual brands will always outshine corporate ones.

I know one executive right now who has toiled away in the background for decades. He was recently let go. His biggest regret? Never establishing his brand while he had the opportunity. It comes at a cost. 

3. Imagine a Witness to Every Conversation 

Basically, the golden rule for all communication is to act as if a third party is present. Privacy is an utter illusion in the digital age. 

Avoid disparaging remarks about colleagues, clients, or your boss. Even in seemingly casual platforms like Slack or informal Zoom calls, only say what you feel comfortable being made public.

Your reputation isn’t just what’s said about you when you aren’t in the room. It’s what you’ve said about others when they weren’t in the room. The good, bad, and the ugly.

And, I promise you, they know. 

4. Master Your Narrative 

As humans, we love a good story! At Zen Media, as communication professionals, we have to be really, really good at this because the narrative matters. Whether the outcome is selling more software or enhancing your career, the path is the story.

Yesterday, I spoke to a very intelligent young woman in marketing looking to make a transition. Her background is in journalism, and she spent many years traveling the country, shooting and editing videos. In speaking with her, I realized she saw her video background as a detriment because it was a “different industry.”

My new proposed narrative for her: She’s a multi-media marketer who gets both the creative and the analytical side of marketing. That’s an utter win! 

You are more than a series of jobs in different industries. 

You are more than where you went to school - or didn’t.

You are more than the KPIs you helped achieve.

You are the story you tell! 

5. Accumulate Karma Currency 

The people who stand out for me in my mind are those who went out of their way to advocate for me when I wasn’t in the room. These folks could call me at 3 am in the morning, and I would do whatever I could to help them.

It’s the CMO who has gone to bat bringing Zen Media to the table. 

It’s the marketing professional in Bali who convinced her team that they should hire me to keynote their next conference.

It’s the 70-year-old white male executive who put my name forward for his board position as he was stepping down.

They have what I call - Karma Currency. 

Every interaction you have is an opportunity to build up your Karma Currency. Act graciously and leverage your platform for the betterment of others. 

Never underestimate the power of reciprocity; when you help others, they're likely to return the favor when you need it.

These five strategies aren't quick fixes; they demand patience, effort, and a long-term commitment.

Yet, if integrated into your professional approach, they'll not only bulletproof your career but also enrich your professional journey.