8 High-value Career Habits (Part 3): Grow Your Career Capital and Strengthen Your Personal Brand

Advance your career with 8 powerful habits to increase earning potential, future-proof your skills and strengthen your personal brand, creating growth, resilience and opportunities on your terms.

Over my last two blogs - 8 High-value Career Habits Part 1 and Part 2 - I’ve shared the habits I wish I’d learned earlier in my career: the practices that build resilience, sharpen your presence and give you more freedom and choice in your professional journey.

In this instalment, we move from habits that protect your value to habits that actively advance your career and expand your personal brand. These aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re the strategies for you to earn more, future-proof your skills and create opportunities on your own terms.

Whether you’re an ambitious beginner, an emerging leader or a seasoned professional, these eight career habits will help you position yourself for growth, open new doors and strengthen the brand you’re building every day.

1. Increase your earning potential

Your salary doesn’t grow by accident or with wishful thinking - it grows as you do. Upskill yourself, build complementary skills for a solid ‘skill stacking’ strategy and invest in further education, formally or informally, to increase your market value. Be the creative with commercial expertise, or the emerging leader with stellar presentation skills. Leverage in-demand skill combinations to raise the ceiling of your capabilities and earning potential. 

2. Follow the formula for career progression

Many government or well-led organisations have salary or position banding systems. Instead of waiting for your manager to tell you what’s needed from you to climb the corporate ladder, know the leadership skills, behaviours, qualifications and results explicitly expected of you to make your move. What are the key differences that separate the bands? Start practising these long before you’re promoted. So, when the opportunity does arise, you’re already operating at that next level of leadership.   

3. Always keep an up-to-date resume

You never know when a career opportunity will come knocking or your dream job will open up. The most exciting career opportunities can manifest when you least expect them. Have an exceptional resume ready to roll for headhunters, recruiters or a contact in your network. Keeping your resume, LinkedIn or portfolio always up to date ensures you’re ready to move with confidence when the right door opens. Don’t get caught off guard. Your resume isn’t just about job hunting - it’s about building your personal brand narrative, tracking your highlights in real time, and being ready to make a memorable first impression.  

4. Set personal KPIs to build your personal brand

You’re not in school anymore. Don’t wait for someone else to set your homework or tell you what to do. While your business or boss might set KPIs to measure success, the most astute leaders create them for themselves too. 

Set personal benchmarks that exceed company expectations. Once these feel comfortable, set new personal bests. Define goals that go beyond any standards. For example, while you might have a sales target, set yourself a business development one too, and build three new client relationships each month. Over time, your personal bests, which extend well beyond the wildest expectations of your employer, become your personal brand. 

5. Build financial literacy

Your pay cheque will only take you so far in building your wealth. If you only think in terms of your pay cheque, you put a clear cap on your wealth - one explicitly linked to your salary. One of my favourite lessons from Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad, was not about the financial concepts at all, but rather the importance of educating yourself on money and growing your financial literacy. This includes learning how you grow your income outside of your 9-5. 

By building your financial intelligence, you give yourself options in your career, such as the freedom to take a career pause, make a pivot, start a business or say no without fear when you need to. Which leads nicely to Habit #6.

6. Save 3-6 months of expenses

Most financial experts are proponents of saving 3-6 months of expenses. Like growing your financial literacy, this gives you choices. It’s your career insurance, giving you the freedom to not have to compromise on your worth or values when your back is up against the wall, or when the unexpected arises. You can take a break or find new work with peace of mind of knowing that you’ve bought yourself some breathing room. 

7. Create win-wins

The best way to win in your career is to want other people to win as much as you do. Like the best commercial strategies or negotiations, true value is created when everyone benefits. In the book Happy Money, Ken Honda highlights the importance of creating win-wins, or what he describes as “Maro up”. In Japanese, Maro is short for magokoro, meaning “true or sincere heart”. A very wealthy (and happy) businessman and mentor told Honda that those in touch with Maro always create win-win situations for themselves and those around them. Seek the wins for yourself and your employer, or yourself and clients. If you have both - even better - seeking win-win-wins all round for key players. When everyone prospers, you become even more valuable. 

8. Future-proof your career

Every industry is always shifting. AI, automation and globalisation are reshaping roles faster than ever. Job security is rarely ever guaranteed. Don’t let your cushy or easy job lead to complacency. Even when you’re not looking, search the latest job ads to understand what the market is currently demanding and build your understanding of emerging themes. Stay curious about the future of your industry and proactively learn the skills that will keep you relevant well into the future.

Compound your career habits into career gold

These high-value career habits will help you grow your value, strengthen your brand and step into your next chapter with confidence.

Remember, your career isn’t built in leaps, but in layers. The habits you practise consistently will compound into opportunities, influence, and freedom. Reflect on all three parts of this series, choose the habits that resonate most, and commit to practising them daily. Because when you master your growth, you master your brand, and that’s the most valuable investment you’ll ever make.

P.S. If you missed it, don’t forget to explore the high-value career habits in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, and Part 4 up next.