Navigating Your Career Transition: Personal Branding Strategies for Your Next Chapter

There’s no denying the impact of introspection during this time in history. Lately, I have noticed a trend. Many clients and friends have recently expressed their desire to do something different. After years in the same work environment, they are ready for “next”…whatever that may look like. 

This can feel intimidating after decades of dedication to one role or company. Leaving behind familiarity for the unknown can feel like an overwhelming risk. However, it’s definitely one worth taking! As they say, you’re never too old, and it’s never too late to pursue a new dream. 

Today, I want to share with you the powerful ways a personal brand can position you for a successful and seamless change. Whether you’re seeking a new board seat or a TedX stage, your personal brand is your transition ticket!

Why a personal brand?

While many aspects of the workforce are evolving across industries, your personal brand evolves with you. Strategically investing in yourself, i.e., your forward facing brand, ensures that you only accrue momentum with change, as opposed to fearing how you’ll fit into it. Let me explain. 

Your personal brand is an extension of you — your talents, personality, aspirations, values, etc. As you build your brand around these cornerstones, you’ll naturally establish your uniqueness and distinguish your expertise within an otherwise saturated marketplace. The best part of a personal brand is that you’re in complete control of where you shine a spotlight. So ask yourself – what are you known for in your industry? What is your core message? How do you want to adjust that if applicable? 

By consistently showing up and taking action, you will form a loyal community seeking leadership and guidance in these areas. And when the next ample opportunity opens up, guess who will be top of mind for an invite! This will also present doors you never even thought to knock on, expanding your realm of professional possibilities.

How to communicate your personal brand.

This all sounds great, right? But how do you get started? What makes for a standout brand? 

Let’s call this chapter of your life— the sequel. Over the years, you’ve absorbed abundant knowledge, experience, and innovative techniques to propel your field forward. Now it’s time to creatively package and share this information and the lessons you learned along the way with your audience. But first, they need to be able to find you! 

LinkedIn™ is a fantastic social networking tool that also serves as a search engine and your profile is a landing page. By consistently crafting a blend of educational and personal posts, you’ll target and engage an ideal audience who is eager to not only learn from you, but work with you. Features such as LinkedIn™ Live Events, Recommendations, and Testimonials are all advantageous ways to showcase your accomplishments and establish yourself as a thought leader. These are also all usable for content to post. 

Next, be clear on your goal. What new opportunities do you want to be considered for? Who are you speaking to in your content or profile? If you’re looking to step into paid public speaking, for example, start creating and sharing your speaker reel and speaker one sheet and ensure that you have calls to action to hire you for speaking on your profile. If you’re looking for a new board seat, begin collaborating on articles to assert your authority on the subject, draft your board bio, and send connection requests to other board members. The possibilities are endless. 

Here’s a checklist to help you position your LinkedIn™ profile for your next chapter:

• Banner: Make this a clear, compelling graphic that exudes brand awareness and value. This is also a great place to direct someone on what to do next on your profile (your call to action)  
• Profile Picture: A high-quality headshot is best to become the face of your brand (literally!) and gain recognition. Strategically interweaving color in your wardrobe or the background of your image goes a long way here to help you stand out in the feed and when commenting on someone else’s post. 
• Headline: Optimize keywords with a short, punchy tagline that shares who you are, what you do, who you serve, and the results you provide. 
• About: This is where you can tell a story about your past professional experiences, brand mission, and why you’re passionate about it. Remember to include how to contact you. 
• Experience: This is your digital resume, which followers can use to verify your credibility and exceptional expertise. Adding featured media under each resume item will help you stand out.

Hot Tip: Your personal brand should also be aesthetically cohesive. Make sure your posts have consistent brand colors, fonts, and logos to establish visual identity. Find out more about visual identity here. Color has an impact!

Network, Network, Network.

Don’t underestimate the power of authentic connections when transitioning into a new career path. Not only will you be inspired watching others achieve their goals, but you’ll also be uplifted and supported as you navigate a new territory to reach yours.

There’s a reason people say your network is your net worth. Genuinely investing in your community leads to many ROIs. Being compassionate, reflective, and helpful translates into amazing opportunities like aligned collaborations, guest appearances, referrals, and so much more. I recently set a goal to do 1 networking call per week. So set a goal to do the same or similar. You never know who knows who or who you can help that may impact you down the road. This is also an effective workaround to maximizing the platform if you are unable to “post” without the approval of legal or marketing. 

By taking matters into your own hands, you’ll feel the empowering freedom and security that comes with self-expression. Get ready to enter your next chapter with confidence that you’re serving a greater purpose, that you’re in your zone of genius, and that the best is yet to come…because it is! 

Want to learn more about this topic? Make sure to follow Melanie Borden on LinkedIn™.