10 Steps to Create Demand for Your Work for Your Careers Sake

10 Steps to Create Demand for Your Work for Your Careers Sake Remember Bo Jackson? He was one of few professional athletes to play and excel at two different sports baseball and football.What does Jackson have to do with your career? Its simple, really His example teaches us what it means to be in demand. Jackson so proved and maintained his excellence that teams in both the MLB and the NFL wanted him on their rosters.Staying in demand is the key to a successful career. If you want to stay in demand, you need to take a page from Jackson. Your strongest skills must be evident in all that you do. You must exploit their value, showcase them to the world, and create demand for yourself.Here aresome steps to take in order to create and sustain demand for the value you produce as a professional1.Stay Focused on the Value of Your WorkMost of us need to be reminded occasionally of what our work means and how it impacts others.Find out how your work improv es other peoples lives, and keep this in your sights at all times.2. Keep Proof of Your Best Work Close ByYou will have to show others your best work not to brag, but to illustrate your value. Share proof of your best, most recent work on your social channels. Use the channels where your work is mostly likely to reach its intended audience.3. Know Who AppreciatesYour Work and WhyYou may have to do a little schmoozing in order to better understand whom your work reaches and whom it serves, but thats okay. Over-delivering is mora thanjust an extra scoop of ice cream its a way to build intimate pathways between your work and the people it affects, not to mention the additional brand loyalty it yields.4. Reward Constructive FeedbackConstructive feedback can be tough to swallow, but its necessary. Most importantly, pay attention to the source of the criticism. Can you accept constructive feedback from someone who may not care about the outcome? If you can, and you can respond positivel y to that feedback, you can stay ahead of your competition. Thank people for their critiques. Doing so will build goodwill and show others you are serious about what you do.5. Engage in Meaningful ConversationsGood networking isnt about getting things from people.Good networking is an exchange of value. When you make connections, look for ways to build trust not just for now, but for the long term. Also give as much as youre getting if not more.6. Anticipate Your Professional Peaks and ValleysAll careers have periods of thriving and periods of decline. Layoffs and terminations happen toeven the best of us people. Stay connected to the meaning of your work. Respond quickly and appropriately to both good and badeanstalt news.7. Become Your Own Master PublicistYour future employers and business partners want to know you. The more people rave about you, theeasier it is to buildtrust. When you have people bragging about the value you deliver, new opportunities will come to you.Why not lend your voice to a podcast, magazine, or television interview? Get your message out there, and get other people spreading it for you.8. Share Your StoriesYour message, voice, and delivery matter to the people in your network. Peoplewant to know how you got to where you are. Part of why people invest emotionally or financially in anything is because they understand the journey and want to be part of it. Get your message out there through relevant, engaging stories. People will listen.9.Connect With ExpertsWhom you meet matters. It is essential toforge relationships with hiring managers and executives. They may not hire you, but they can certainly help you on your journey in some way or another. Employers who offer insights into their hiring practices on LinkedIn and other platforms are valuable. If youre bold and tactical, you can engage them.10. Give Without Expecting to GetWord spreads when you give more than you take. People care more about your generosity than your skills. If y ou prove you arepersonally drivento create value for others, people will be impressed and theyll want you on their side.People wont demand you if they dont know or trust you. You must create demand. It wont show up at your door. Put your work out there. Connect with employers, referrers, and other people in your industry. Make yourself available to others the people who want you in their network, the employers who could use your skills, and the people who need your help.Mark Anthony Dyson is a career consultant, the host and producer of The Voice of Job Seekers podcast, and the founder of the blog by the same name.