Miss Match
3rd September 2012Shellac rules
13th October 2012Changing your personal brand for your "Plan B" career
In today”s uncertain economy, I”m seeing more and more professionals who are following their heart and changing careers – in some cases quite dramatically. One friend, Monica, had a Burning Man epiphany and decided to leave a 20 year career in television advertising to start over in the fashion world, picking up and moving to NY to start over in school, internship, the whole shebang.
A new career means a new personal brand – how you represent yourself to others. If you”re looking to reboot with your “Plan B”, start by thinking about your values to create an authentic brand that resonates. Here are a few questions adapted from work by Dawna Markova to get you started:
A new career means a new personal brand – how you represent yourself to others. If you”re looking to reboot with your “Plan B”, start by thinking about your values to create an authentic brand that resonates. Here are a few questions adapted from work by Dawna Markova to get you started:
– What have you loved your whole life?
– What is most precious and important to you?
– What is one off-the-job accomplishment that makes you feel fulfilled and proud? What about it makes you feel good?
– What are you capable of now that you weren”t capable of before?
– Imagine you casino are at the end of your life. Without hesitation, take a pen and write the story of your life in five sentences. What does it say about you and what you value?
Now, boil all that down to your Brand Essence – a simple statement that really defines who you authentically are and aspire to become.
For Monica, her brand essence is “creative freedom in all facets of my life”. She communicates elements of that core brand through her personal style, the way she speaks and communicates, the headlines in her CV, postings on her LinkedIn and other social media outlets, and the choices she makes. She”s now well on her way to success in her Plan B life – a brave and bold move!
– What is most precious and important to you?
– What is one off-the-job accomplishment that makes you feel fulfilled and proud? What about it makes you feel good?
– What are you capable of now that you weren”t capable of before?
– Imagine you casino are at the end of your life. Without hesitation, take a pen and write the story of your life in five sentences. What does it say about you and what you value?
Now, boil all that down to your Brand Essence – a simple statement that really defines who you authentically are and aspire to become.
For Monica, her brand essence is “creative freedom in all facets of my life”. She communicates elements of that core brand through her personal style, the way she speaks and communicates, the headlines in her CV, postings on her LinkedIn and other social media outlets, and the choices she makes. She”s now well on her way to success in her Plan B life – a brave and bold move!
