How to Repurpose your CAREER

There’s a lot happening around us over the last few years when this word ‘repurpose’ surfaced and made us ask these questions:

Why didn’t we think of it this way?
Why did we not imagine it like this?
What will happen if we try it for this?

One of the biggest examples this pandemic has been the repurposing of drugs to counter the far-reaching impact of Covid treatment. As the rage of the pandemic hit the world in early 2020, every drug company worth its salt dug deep into their existing arsenal of products to see their application in managing the scourge of Covid19. Companies manufacturing drugs also ventured into quickly supporting the affected population with increased production of PPE kits and masks. Some rallied around to make home ventilators, sanitizers, oxygen concentrators and many industrial units stopped their existing manufacturing to prioritize making oxygen that was urgently needed across the country a couple of months ago. Such a mammoth effort in repurposing their core product to address the current requirement was well appreciated across all sections of the government, regulatory & health institutions and by the general public, including patients.

While all this happened around us, many of us even ‘repurposed our careers’. Many were company driven agendas by the Business leaders and orchestrated by the HR/L&D chieftains. Many were even self-driven where people felt the need to invest in themselves. Many people added new skills or updated existing ones to stay current in a fast-paced environment. In all this repurposing the INDIVIDUAL gained first and the COMPANY second. With the best outcome being delivered to the CUSTOMER. Yes, the trio lapped up all the honors.

Even I took a bold step to repurpose and reposition my career as a part of my version 2.0. The lessons I learnt and practices I adopted might resonate with you. These are the Mantras that I followed:

Have a vision

The journey to reposition or repurpose yourself starts with knowing where you stand, what you are known for, what is the credibility you offer to the people. Once that emerges, start defining your vision on what lies ahead in your journey. It does appear hazy at times but it is important to find your north star. The content gets built along the way, but the navigation should be well marked.

Define your purpose

What is it that you want to do? What do you bring to the table? These are pointed questions that will help you crystallize your thoughts. And help announce loud and clear to the organization, the advantage of having a person like you onboard. Living the purpose is wearing it on your sleeve. The ethic you build around conveying the purpose is second to none. Any compromise here in consistently delivering your offerings, will seriously damage your opportunities to move up the career ladder.

Stay relevant

There couldn’t have been a better timing than this pandemic to underline the importance of staying relevant. With so many changes happening it is prudent to keep in touch with the latest trends, technological developments and also what is obsolete. It helps to make a note of all the changes how to best equip yourself. If your organizations has curated training & development programs, make use of them. Otherwise there are plenty of avenues on the internet where you can get access to the latest skill sets required to manage your career. But it all starts with your vision, defining your purpose and finding synergy with your organization’s mission.

Build relationships

Another stellar pillar that this pandemic brought to the forefront is the value of relationships. It was evident that people and companies that had invested in building strong bonds with each other and their customers emerged less bruised out of this pandemic. They supported each other, built a whole new story around themselves and strengthened their ecosystem to tide over these times. Your ability to network gives you the comfort and a security blanket to fall upon. Knowing the right people counts and helping the deserving people elevates your position. There is also an untapped network outside your close circle. Explore that to the fullest by being present in the right social media channel. Be it LinkedIn for professional purposes, Facebook/ Instagram for personal interactions and Twitter for staying in tune with the trends. All these, or even one of these, can play a significant role in your career. Choose one where you can be consistently visible and network, rather than spreading yourself too thin.

Choose the right Mentor or Guide

The advantage of moving swiftly through the blocks and getting less hurt can only be achieved by having someone trustworthy drive your vehicle. You know your destination, but the navigation and facilitation to help you gather your pace will come undoubtedly from a mentor or coach or a guide. Their experience in having previously travelled the path is a boon that comes across in every engagement you have with them. Where do you find them?

They could be within your own organization or someone outside, whom you trust and idolize; or someone who is professionally qualified to help you traverse that journey. Their presence in your life is undeniably a beneficial proposition worth considering and investing.

These are the 5 mantras that helped me progress in my journey in the corporate world and even now as I start my entrepreneurial ventures as an Executive Leadership and Team Coach, besides being a Management Consultant. I hope that a few of these pointers and notes will come guide you in your career progression and help you repurpose to a better future for yourself and the people influenced positively by you.