Can Re-Branding Yourself Give Your Career a Boost?

Imagine if one day you wake up and realize that your job drains you more than drives you. Exhausts you more than inspires you. Diminishes your time, energy, and life, rather than adding to it.

Careers can stall. You aren’t alone. Perhaps you’ve been uncertain of your career goals and lost sight of essential benchmarks. Or maybe you lost passion for your work. Or, worse, maybe someone else decided you are no longer adding value to your job.

Whatever reason you feel that way this morning, there is hope! Taking time to reframe how you envision your future will help you reposition yourself in your career. It may even be a time to consider a new career path – job change, entrepreneurship, additional education. Taking the time reassess your personal brand – or develop one if you never operated strategically – can change the way you perceive your future and give your career a boost.

How did you get here?

 Take the time to assess how you got to where you are. What has given you such a lackluster outlook on your career? What is draining you about what you do? Why did your career lose the vigor you once thought it had? Self-examination is essential to figure out why you are at this point and how you got there. Take responsibility where necessary.

Next, ask yourself whether there were external factors at play? Did the market shift -- and you weren’t paying attention? Did new management come in and have different views on your role?

Finally, is it possible you’re operating from a flawed strategy? Do you lack the training or skills to succeed? Did you rely upon allies who weren’t invested in your future like you thought? Is your reputation inconsistent with your goals and the needs of your stakeholders?

What happens next?

Ask yourself the tough questions:

1.    Is your own reputation holding you back? Did you burn critical bridges in the company, community, or with current (or former) colleagues? Did you act carelessly with confidential information? Did your off-duty antics create a concern? Now ask yourself, are you willing to do what it takes to repair your reputation?

2.    Is it time to leave your company? This may not be an easy question to answer. Be candid with yourself about why this particular company isn’t working for you. Also, be clear about what is working for you. If you don’t consider this carefully, you’ll bring the same challenges to the next job.

3.    Is it time to change careers? This is a big question! You may have spent many years – decades even! – establishing your credibility in your field. Pivoting out can be traumatic or invigorating.

How exactly can re-branding boost your career?

Repositioning or re-branding yourself is hard work. It is not as simple as changing your LinkedIn profile, getting a new wardrobe, or speaking with a brand new southern accent. Re-branding requires significant planning, strategy, and commitment.

First, take responsibility for what got you here. You can’t blame the company, your colleagues (or boss), or market timing. People build strong careers whether the economy is down or whether it’s doing great.

Next, be absolutely clear about your goals. How do you want to be perceived? Why does that matter to you? What is your purpose for being here? Go beyond the importance of money, status, and job title.

Next, you’ll need to be credible in order to fulfill that brand impression. Do you have the clear values, skills, character traits, and motivation to build towards that brand and sustain it?

Last, you need to be super clear on your value. What do you bring to your career, to your clients, employer, team, and the marketplace that is of value? Get past the standard, “I’m hard working, dedicated and loyal.” So are most people (or at least they claim to be). Really crystalize what you do that is valuable to the people who you want to serve.

What problems do you solve for them? What is the value of solving that problem?

The next steps forward.

 Can you rebuild your personal brand to boost your career? Absolutely! I’ve seen it many times. The clients I work with either need to build a brand, pivot their reputation, or repair their brand. It can be done!

The hard work comes from you. YOU are in control of how this plays out. YOU get to drive your reputation. And then soon you will wake up with enthusiasm and energy as you get up and move through your day. If you’re willing to do the work, the rewards are amazing!

Additional resources to get you started:

Reputation 360: Creating power through personal branding (book):

https://www.amazon.com/Reputation-360-Creating-personal-ebook/dp/B007FVLL9G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331523617&sr=1-1

Your Next Mission: A personal branding guide for the military-to-civilian transition (book):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TZ9NN92

Tips for Determining if it’s Time for a Career Change

https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/tips-to-help-determine-if-its-time-for-a-career-change