With reinvention, you’ll balance your life and maintain your interest

In life, it’s sometimes necessary to reinvent one’s self. This may be true in your personal life or your work life.

Kevin Hart said, “I feel like I have a job to do, like I constantly have to reinvent myself. The more I up the ante for myself, the better it is in the long run.”

It’s common to hear tales about the unfulfilled customer service manager who left her job to open her own boutique, or the bank teller who changed positions and became a loan officer and then a vice president, working their way up in the company. So, how should you go about reinventing your career?

Reinventing yourself daily

One expert notes that based on your passions, strengths and where the market is, you may need to alter and reinvent yourself regularly. When you do, you’ll be more likely to remain happy, fulfilled and significant in your professional life. Reinvention increases your value as an employee, while those who don’t take this step frequently become less relevant at work.

What are the best ways to reinvent your work persona?

To reinvent your work persona, select a skill or a topic to conquer. Transforming your area of focus is another reinvention option. In this case, be sure to invest time to become skilled at it. Once you’ve mastered something that increases your value as an employee, share your new insights and skills with your higher-ups and coworkers. To learn a new skill, you can:

• Spend time with mentors
• Take courses
• Read books about the topic

When you share your newfound talent with others, do so without bragging. Instead, search for company projects that let you display what you’ve learned. That way, you can show how you’ve changed by being helpful.

Finding new career paths

If you’re ready for a new career path, find the one that calls to you by researching what you’re interested in online. Consider asking people you know for advice about the best direction for your career. You should decide where you can leverage your skills. Once you do, draw attention to yourself online with LinkedIn and through other networks. If people see that you’re interested in reinventing yourself, they may contact you with an offer for a fresh opportunity.

When it comes to marketing yourself online, you’ll need to embrace the law of attraction. Present yourself appealingly on websites and social networks. While there’s a meme that jokes about dressing for the job you want and wearing a Batman costume to work, there is truth to this advice. It’s important to brand yourself online for the career you want instead of the job you currently have. To accomplish this, add keywords to the sites that you use. Make sure that these keywords indicate the career that you want to launch. This will allow you to become known by others as a person who has an interest in that area.

Making your reinvention transition a smooth one

To make your reinvention easier, network with people in the professions and industries that interest you. When you do, you’ll know people who currently work in the employment field that you want to be in. This will also let you learn about their work skills, the ones that got them hired. When meeting someone in your preferred industry, ask the person if they enjoy their current career, how they got into the industry and the skills that they developed while working in the field. Use this information to form those same skills.

Be sure to obtain new abilities and build your network. Once you feel that you’ve mastered the skills needed to work in the career you want, use your network to learn of job openings and apply for them. This is the best way to reinvent your career.

As you begin the process of establishing yourself in a new career area, don’t forget to continue to work hard at your current job. Not only is it the right thing to do, but this step will also ensure that you receive a positive reference from your employer when recruiters begin seeking this information.

Consider how others view you to reinvent yourself at work

One expert suggests that it’s common for people to have a particular set of qualities and talents when it comes to their work. To reinvent yourself, highlight these traits. For most of us, it’s tough to know what these things are. You can find out by asking those you trust to describe you in three words. Ask several people. Then, take what they’ve noticed about you and use the information to make your work persona fresh. Keep in mind that the things people notice about you are your strengths; they’re what people count on you to provide.

By keeping your request to three things that others notice, you’re encouraging those you trust to prioritize and share only your most important and memorable traits. This word exercise is a revealing one. For instance, you may learn that people think you’re especially trustworthy or that you show excellent leadership. These may be things that you haven’t considered strengths. Use the qualities shared as the foundation for your new work image.

Connect with people who inspire you

If you’re interested in leadership, search for someone who is a leader and connect with that person for inspiration. You can connect with inspirational individuals face-to-face, through a blog or on social media. For instance, if you want to move into the finance industry, follow someone who is a financial expert on Twitter. As you build your network, people will share information with you that will help guide you down the right path, helping you reinvent your career.

Your appearance matters

While we know that your job skills are the most important thing, it’s human nature for people to notice your appearance. The way you look determines how people see you. If you want a different position than the one you currently have or want your boss or coworkers to see you in a particular way, it’s time to dress the part.

This doesn’t mean that you need to purchase a closet full of blazers, unless you want to display a corporate image. It simply means you should start reflecting the kind of person you want others to see.

However, you don’t need to make a drastic change. Instead, consider ways that you can make yourself feel more confident, whether it’s the clothes that you’re wearing or the knowledge that you possess. When you’re confident, this feeling tends to extend to the way that you present yourself, making others feel assured about your abilities.

Competition can make you work harder

One foolproof way to reinvent your work self is to work harder. This can be tough to do on your own. Instead, work harder by being competitive. In every office, there’s one person who goes above and beyond each work task whether it involves getting everything done on time, coming up with amazing money-saving ideas or producing noticeable results. Narrow down who that is in your office and make it your goal to outwork him or her.

The executive vice president of NBC, Lindy DeKoven, said, “Such a scary thought: competing. Yet, like it or not, it’s part of the workplace and essential to building a career. Don’t avoid it. Embrace it. Get out there and compete wildly for the job you want.” When competition is healthy, it can inspire you to do your best. It can also encourage you to be better.

Embrace the tenacious side of your personality

You won’t reinvent yourself at work in a week. It’s something you’ll need to keep working at by growing and proving your value. If you’re tenacious, you’ll get to where you belong. It’s hard work to reinvent yourself. The least you can do is not give up until your hard work has paid off.

When You Make Your Work Persona Fresh

Make your work persona new by identifying your strengths and using them to your advantage. In addition, decide where you want your career to go and develop new insights and skills to make this happen. Not only does reinventing yourself at work make you a more valuable employee, but it will also keep you more interested in your career.