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When seeking a new career opportunity, your brand precedes you. Yes, we all have a personal brand, one that speaks to our experience, our professional strengths, even our personality. Your brand emanates from the pages of your resume, and from every line on your LinkedIn profile.
But what if your brand is, well, off-brand for the job you’re applying for? What can you do to change your brand in advance of a professional transition?
How to Alter Your Personal Brand
I’ve got a few quick tips I can share with you:
Tweak your social media presence. Use your various social channels to realign your professional interests. Connect with the professional organizations that match your desired career change. Follow the thought leaders in your desired field. Start sharing or engaging with posts that relate to your intended position.
Focus on transferable skills. Maybe you’re shifting gears to an entirely new industry; that doesn’t mean you won’t carry over some skills from your previous one. Brainstorm the people skills, the sales skills, and the management skills that you can bring with you into your new career, and really play them up on your resume and on LinkedIn.
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Educate yourself. Take some classes and earn some certifications in your newly-chosen field. If you don’t have all the skills you need, get ‘em.
Shape the narrative. Something else that’s important is being wise about which previous career experiences you want to highlight in your promotional materials, and which you want to downplay. Don’t feel like every job you’ve ever had needs to be on your resume, or that every professional achievement belongs on your LinkedIn. Instead, be thoughtful in cultivating your own professional narrative to match your new brand.
Make a Change to Your Brand
You can’t escape this basic reality: All of us have a brand. Whether yours helps or hinders you in your next career change is totally up to you!
