We have come to recognize and respect the value of branding everything!  Today, few people remember the days when “generic” meant a white-labeled can with large block, black print revealing the contents as peas. This approach died quickly as marketers embraced the power of branding.  Even “generic” products are branded these days. Jobseekers, in the job search market, you are the product. Do the work to differentiate yourself from the competition. Create your personal brand for your career change.

This requires the inner work that will reveal all of your skills and assets.  Explore those skills and assets that you love using. I relate to the guy in this article, How to Brand Yourself for a Career Change. Like him, I always loved the training aspect of my positions even when I had prestigious titles like Vice President.

Think differently!

Branding yourself effectively for a new career path requires a new way of thinking about your career. Here are three steps to create the branding that Liz Ryan discusses in her article:

1. Career-Branding Tip #1
   Over the next three to five days, make a list of all of your personal assets.  Not the car or the house but all of the talents, skills, knowledge and experience you have gained in every aspect of your life. Think about your roles as parent, child, spouse, partner, sibling, church volunteer, community organizer, athlete, crafter … You get the idea.  This holistic list informs WHO we are beyond WHAT we do in our jobs. Be sure to have at least 25 assets on this list. You will likely have many more if you commit to the exercise over several days.
2. Career-Branding Tip #2
   Review this list to assess your level of interest in the things you have listed.  Of all of the assets listed – regardless of their source or the role you play while using them – which are the ones that light you up the most?  These are the ones that you perform seamlessly. You are gratified because you know you have positively impacted the lives of others. In these roles, you are authentic and you are delivering your unique value as only you can.
3. Career-Branding Tip #3
   Package these assets into your success stories. Highlight those that are in close alignment with the career path you are seeking.  When you think of your resume as an advertisement for Y-O-U, Inc., you will quickly realize that it is your responsibility to create copy that is so relevant, clear and compelling that a hiring manager cannot resist contacting you.

Don’t let your paradigms hold you back

We get stuck in the paradigm of defining WHO we are by focusing only on our job titles. We are so much more than that!  If you need help getting beyond those deep-seated limiting beliefs, check out my Paradigm Shift Video Series that identifies the sneaky ways our paradigms try to hold us back. Discover simple strategies to manage these so that you can pursue the career – and life – of your dreams.