Make Your Career Yours (Because No One Else Will)

Let’s be honest, it’s rough out there. Scary, even.

Layoffs are everywhere. Rent’s up. Groceries cost a small fortune. The market feels like a damn roller coaster designed by a drunk engineer. And half the people you know are quietly panicking behind “open to work” banners while pretending they’re totally fine.

I get it. I’ve been there.

After four career pivots, tripling my salary, earning three degrees, and working 3–4 jobs at a time while in school full-time, I think I’ve earned the right to say this:

When things get hard, you try harder. Because the alternative? That’s giving up. F that.

And look, I’m not here to coddle anyone. But if I meet one more person crying over the one job they applied to, or someone who waits a month to reach out to a warm connection because it’s “uncomfortable,” or the person who’s fired off 500 resumes and still hasn’t realized they might be part of the problem…

Reality check: if something isn’t working, make it work. No one’s coming to save you.

Let me back up.

If you’re waiting for the “right job” to magically appear, I wrote this for you. If you’re stuck, angry, or feeling like the world’s conspiring against you, I wrote this for you.

Because I used to believe the same lie: that if you worked hard and did everything “right,” you’d be rewarded with a great job. That was the narrative I bought into. Check the boxes. Follow the rules. And things would just… work.

Stop Waiting for It to Be Easy

A lot of smart, capable people fall into the same trap I did. They believe that effort alone guarantees outcomes. That following the rules guarantees success. But if the rules aren't working, you need to change them.

Yes, the job market is brutal. Yes, privilege and timing play a role. But you don’t get to stop there. That’s not the end of the story. Unless you want to give up.

You can’t sit back and hope the system gives you a break.

You have to break the system. You have to build what’s not being offered.

You have to make your career yours.

So How Do You Actually Do That?

Here are some hard-earned, no-BS strategies that actually move the needle. Not fluff. Not vague motivation. It's time to lead yourself and take back control of your career.

1. Rejection Isn’t Personal. It’s Information.

Stop ghosting your own progress. Every “no” is market feedback. If no one is responding to your resume, then your resume sucks, or your strategy does.

Action: Send your resume to 5 trusted peers and ask one question: “Would you interview me based on this?” If the answer is no, fix it. Immediately. Then throw out your resume (sort of kidding) and go find the hiring manager. Have a real conversation.

Example: One client changed the top third of her resume to include a results-based headline and value pitch. Then she showed up at an event where the hiring manager was speaking. Handed the resume as a reminder and focused on making a real connection. Interview booked.

2. Outwork, Outlearn, Outreach

Don’t just apply. Engage and Learn. The application portal isn’t your strategy, it’s your backup plan. Do more, in more places, and become more of an expert, than everyone else. Hiring is human, algorithms don’t fall in love with your story, people do.

Action: Every time you apply, send a personalized note to a real human. Yes, it’s work. That’s why it works. Better yet, find someone IRL that works at the company. Make yourself visible.

Example: I had a client send a video note through LinkedIn to a hiring manager. That 15-second message got him a coffee chat, which turned into another interview, and then an offer.

3. Stop Selling Your Experience. Sell Your Story and Add Value.

A list of tasks doesn’t get you hired. A compelling story does. Your narrative should answer: “Why you, why now, and what can you do for me?”

Action: Practice your 30-second story out loud. What problem do you solve? Why do you care about it? Where have you already added value? How can you add value for them?

Example: A client pivoting into tech reframed his restaurant management background as “real-time problem solving with multimillion-dollar P&L responsibility.” Speak the language and align with the needs of whoever is in front of you.

4. Build Your Brand, Before You Need a Job

Don’t wait until you’re desperate to network. Be visible when you’re not asking for anything. Be everywhere your target companies are. Build credibility before you need opportunity.

Action: Share 1 piece of insight or perspective every week on LinkedIn. Comment. Engage. Become known.

Example: I’ve had clients land jobs because a post they shared months ago stuck in someone’s mind. Opportunity has a long memory.

5. If You Don’t Lead Your Career, Someone Else Will

Most people drift. If you don’t choose where you're going, someone else will choose for you, and they won’t choose your fulfillment. Reflect on where you want to go and make sure you are always doing something to build that environment, from learning, to people, and experiences.

Action: Set a recurring monthly career strategy check-in. What are you aiming for? What are you doing to get there? What’s in your way?

Example: One exec I coach landed his dream internal promotion simply because he started acting like the role before it was posted. That’s control.

So What Now?

You can wait. Or you can work.

You can wish. Or you can win.

You can complain about the system. Or you can build your own damn ladder.

I don’t say this to minimize your struggles. I’ve lived them. I say it because I know you can handle the truth. I say it because you are not helpless. You are powerful. You are capable. But only if you stop waiting and start leading.

Make your career yours. Because no one else will.

—-

Dr. Benjamin Ritter

Leadership & Career Coach | Founder of LFY Consulting | www.liveforyourselfconsulting.com

Helping leaders and professionals create careers they love. Want to chat? Grab some time here: http://cal.com/drbenjaminritter