Rebranding Yourself: Using LinkedIn™ for Career Transitions

Are you considering a “second act” in your career? You’re not alone. There are many seasoned professionals out there who have hit a plateau in their current career or are simply desiring something different. This courageous act can be intimidating after climbing the proverbial corporate ladder for decades or being accustomed to one industry for the entirety of your professional life. However, it’s never too late and you’re never too old to rebrand yourself and pursue a career change. 

In fact there are over 1 billion members in 200 countries and regions worldwide. This shows the market is there, it’s now about positioning yourself for these new endeavors and connections. With the right strategies your extensive expertise, wisdom, and industry knowledge will become powerful assets to leverage on LinkedIn™. This article will outline the fundamental components for creating a standout profile and establishing your personal brand to attract new opportunities.

What is a personal brand?

Your brand isn’t what you say it is, it’s what others believe about you. It sets certain expectations: who you are, your expertise, who you serve, and what you value. Whether you realize it or not, you already have a personal brand from simply being yourself and showing up in the ways you do. Adopting effective strategies to enhance this visibility and positioning will support in authentically aligning your brand values, expertise, and aspirations. 

The first step in building a brand is deciding what you want people to know about you. Reflect on the following prompts to clarify your unique positioning.

1. I am a ______________________.
2. I am an expert in ______________________.
3. I can best serve people (or businesses) who _______________________.
4. When you work with me, you’ll see I value ____________________________.
5. When my clients talk about the kind of person I am, I want them to say I am ______________, ________________, and __________________________.

Establishing a personal brand, one element at a time.

The beauty of a personal brand is that it’s meant to evolve with you. This is especially liberating as you look to make a career change. Remember, you’re the CEO of your life and your brand follows your lead. The way you articulate your brand comes down to the small details. A large part of this? Visual identity.

As you know, we live in a scroll-heavy world and creating scroll-stopping content is the way to get recognized. Which makes cohesive visual identity paramount to standing out in an otherwise saturated market. When someone sees certain colors, fonts, and images you want your name to jump top of mind. Just like when you see a yellow capital M you think of McDonalds or a red circle you think of Target. This is all visual identity. Your aesthetic communicates a certain tone and aligning this tone is key to tying the bow on your brand.

Here are the core branding elements to start thinking about:

1. Colors : The colors you choose will create an impression before someone even looks at the content or your profile. Understanding color psychology and the feelings they evoke is the first step in choosing colors that match your brand vision. Read more about this here.
   
   
2. Fonts: Fonts should focus on personality and readability. Finding font families that accommodate both is the sweet spot.
   
   
3. Profile Pic: Your profile picture should be professional, warm, and inviting. Be sure to smile, have good lighting, and choose a background that’s simple and a true representation of your brand.
   
   
4. Personalized Images: Selfies work! But you don’t have to rely solely on selfies to be relatable. Any image that shows the true you and your humanness will resonate and build a bridge with your community.

Building a strong LinkedIn™ Profile.

LinkedIn™ is the go-to platform for professionals, hosting a billion members around the world. That’s a lot of potential opportunities right at your fingertips! This is why optimizing your profile is vital for confidently moving forward towards your career goals. Here’s how to get started.

Your profile = your personal landing page

When someone comes to your profile, what do they see? What’s here is the equivalent of a “first impression” so you want to structure your profile to be compelling and benefit-driven. This will turn a viewer into a loyal client or collaborator.

1. Questions to ask yourself:

• How do people get in touch with you?
• Who do you work with?
• What industry are you in?
• What results do you get?

2. The most effective places to incorporate your answers:

• Banner
• Headline
• About Section
• Featured Section

How to successfully optimize your profile sections.

1. Headline: Focus on what you do, who you do it for, and the results you get. You’re allotted 220 characters, use them wisely!
   
   
2. Featured Section: This is where you “close” the connection by giving your viewers an easy way to get on your calendar, see your offers, or showcase your most targeted content. Here’s how I set mine up:

• My main offer on the far left. (This is a great place to link to your calendar)
• Off-platform “social proof” of my authority (aka media features, social proof, testimonials/reviews, etc.)
  

3. About Section: This is the perfect place to humanize and differentiate yourself in 300-500 words. Here are some ways to make this section unique and captivating.

• Tell a story! Stories give your brand that human touch. Stories are personal and unique to you and only you; therefore, they cannot be replicated. The emotion intertwined within your story is what will deeply connect and resonate with your readers. This vulnerability gives your audience a deeper look into you as a person. Never underestimate the power of storytelling!
  
  
• Write in first person: Use ‘I’ and ‘me’ rather than third person narratives. You want to bring your readers close, not hold them at arm’s length.
  
  
• Make it mobile-friendly. Along with living in a scroll-heavy world, we also live in a skim-heavy world. To make this section easy to digest, break up big blocks of text so the most important parts pop off the page.
  
  
• Include a call to action at the end. Always give your readers a clear way to work with you and take the next step.

4. Experience Section: This portion is like a resume…but better. This is where as a senior professional you will outshine your junior peers, simply because you come to the table with decades of extensive experience. Experience is an invaluable asset that can’t be taught — use it! The experience section is about bringing your expertise to life. Here are some tips to highlight this section:

• Make sure you connect each experience to a company so the logo populates on your profile. This will go the extra mile in verifying your expertise and establishing authority.
  
  
• Avoid overly niched industry jargon. You want anyone reading your profile to be able to comprehend the totality of your responsibilities and experiences. Especially as you look to move into a new industry, you want these prospects to envision the value you could bring to their team too.
  
  
• Add media where you can like links, images, and videos. This will add “proof” of your accomplishments in an interactive and engaging way.
  
  
• Don’t neglect your Top Skills section. LinkedIn™ algorithms use this info for search results and relevant content. Keep those keywords coming!

Content Creation to Enhance Visibility and Leadership.

1. Types of Content

Creating and sharing content is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and engage with your network. Consider writing blog posts or articles on industry trends, sharing insights from your experience, or creating videos where you discuss topics you’re passionate about. 

2. Content Consistency

Visibility is the cheat code for getting noticed for any new opportunity. This can only come from consistent efforts (algorithms love consistency!). Develop a content calendar and stick to a regular posting schedule. Start with at least three times a week and build your way up to five. This keeps your profile active and shows your network that you’re engaged, eager, and up-to-date with industry developments.

3. Engage with your network

Engage with your network by commenting on posts, sharing relevant content, and participating in discussions. After publishing your own posts, it’s best practice to respond to all interactions within the first 15-20 minutes. Thoughtful engagement helps develop relationships and increase visibility on the platform. 

Remember, it’s not just about broadcasting your own content but also supporting others. You never know what opportunities can come from simply being genuine and giving back to your community.

Common fears and how to overcome them.

1. Tech, tech, and more tech

LinkedIn™ is always rolling out new features, which is great for scaling and keeping up with new developments. However, it can be equally overwhelming to stay up to date with the latest and greatest, especially if you’re not tech-savvy. I highly recommend following LinkedIn’s official blog and joining relevant online communities to stay in the know. If you feel you could use more support with your digital skills, take online courses or listen to podcasts. These resources are excellent starting points for optimizing your digital footprint.

2. From self-doubt to self-confident

Building confidence in the digital arena takes time, especially if you’re new to it. Start by setting small, achievable goals like posting once a week or engaging with a certain number of connections. Celebrate your small wins and learn from any setbacks. Find a supportive community to have in your corner that you can go to for trusted advice and encouragement. I also recommend following inspirational leaders who are showing up in the ways you hope to one day. Seeing how they’re making it happen will expand your realm of possibilities!

Conclusion

Remember, a rebrand takes time. Start with small action steps each day. These add up quickly, the key is staying consistent with your efforts. By showing up as your authentic self, being intentional with networking, and building lines of trust with your audience, you’ll establish a strong personal brand and find new opportunities in no time!

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

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