2009 October | Benchmark Consulting

Executive Transitions: 4 Ideal Times for Creating a Powerful Personal Brand

It’s critical for executives in transition to have a powerful personal brand. Whether you are forced to make a change because of a job loss, or are looking for an opportunity to try a new career, a unique personal brand story can differentiate you from your competition and greatly improve your chances of success.

job_search 1. Looking for a new job
With unemployment in the U.S. currently at 9.8% and rising and job creation shrinking, there is a daily increase in human capital competing for fewer and fewer jobs. A powerful personal brand can help set you apart from the competition and may be the key to landing not just any job – but your dream job!

Finding a job is no longer just about who you know; it’s about how potential employers experience you through your brand identification and the effectiveness of your spoken presentation. Role definitions within the organization are not as clearly defined as they were in the past. Many Finance Directors have taken on Human Resource responsibilities. The Office Manager may become the de facto Event Planner. Throughout your career, you have likely built up a unique portfolio of skills and experiences and may be best suited for a job not yet identified. Presenting your personal brand to a potential employer rather than just identifying yourself by your previous job title on resume – allows the employer to truly understand your professional currency, expand his considerations and perhaps, place you in a needed role that was yet undefined.

If you’re job hunting, you’ll also need to communicate your unique personal brand at networking events, casual meetings, in your cover letters, and during the interview. Given all the challenges within the current job market, this is not a time to “wing it”. You need to be prepared with the words that optimally convey your brand.

2. Transitioning to a new career
If you are embarking on a new career, a personal brand can help you communicate your transferrable skills, abilities and talents. Identifying your core strengths and building your personal brand around those assets and experience will authentically “sell” you into a new role in your industry. You must visualize yourself in this new career in order to make it happen. Knowing and practicing your personal brand statement can help clarify your vision of yourself.

3. Becoming an entrepreneur.
In this changing economic climate, many of our clients are taking this opportunity to launch a promising start-up! If you are transitioning to a new role as an entrepreneur by design or by default, you need to be prepared to talk about your accomplishments and experience in a new way. When speaking with potential investors, business partners, or prospects – you can no longer simply review your job history as you may have done during past meetings. You need to re-package the skills, abilities, talents and ‘passion’ you are bringing to your entrepreneurial venture into a cohesive personal brand. Now more than ever, you need an impactful ‘elevator speech ‘so that you are prepared – when you encounter the perfect contact. Don’t fumble for words! Through our Unique Brand Development Process™, we can help you communicate your personal brand in a variety of different scenarios.

4. Breaking through to the next level in your career
Now is a great time to prove your worth to the company. If you want to move up the ladder, you need to start operating at the next level now! Companies are less likely to “take a chance” on you when the economy is in recession; but they want to keep the people that add the most value to their business. Your personal brand can set you apart and help you achieve your next professional goal!