career branding for mid career

Career Branding for Mid Career

October 29, 2012

Copyright, 2012, WiseWorking 1

Order of Topics

•  Midcareer Pros & Cons: Our Situation •  Career Branding? •  Career Brander’s Skills & Habits •  Career Branders’s Tools •  Career Brander’s Results •  Career Brander’s Misses I commonly see


MidCareer Pros & Cons: Our Situation

Pros •  Experienced •  Track Record •  Network •  Wisdom •  Strategic & HolisBc Thinking

Cons •  Tired •  Jaded •  Betrayed •  Cynical •  Aging ungracefully



•  In mid-‐career many anBcipate seKling in for reBrement while maybe moving to senior ranks

•  Though this paKern is disrupted in single companies, it is not necessarily within an industry or discipline, if you are well branded

•  We are all known for something professionally but by whom and for what soluBons is the quesBon



•  Think of midcareer transiBon as same as leaving college to get that first gig but with advantage of experience, track record, wisdom, knowledge, reputaBon and network

•  Maximizing your Career Brand takes amplifying and developing, outside what you have been accustomed to developing inside


Career Branding

•  A brand is a promise of quality; a decisionmaking shortcut

•  Career Branding’s goal is being known for something relevant, urgent and valuable to those who are willing to pay aKenBon, referrals and money for that value

•  Consider: How have the brands you use goKen you to adopt, refer and pay for them?


The Anatomy of a Brand is…

•  Awareness: people know it & what its good for

•  Referrers: people say good things about it

•  Track record: kept promises

•  Point of View: how its meaningfully different

•  Solu8on: set of problems its good for solving both logically & emoBonally


Career Brander’s Tools

•  Network: who you know and who knows you

•  Solu8ons: what you have to offer

•  Marke8ng Collateral: Cover LeKer, Resume, Por]olio, Bibliography

•  Social Media: F2F meeBngs, phone & online you use to benefit and acBvate your network


Career Brander’s Skills/Habits

•  PaBent Persistence

•  Flexibility & CreaBvity: FT/Contract/Consult

•  Offering, more than asking for, value: referrals, advice, point of view, job leads, encouragement, etc.

•  Follow-‐up/through


Career Brander’s Results

•  Reservoir of goodwill

•  Thought leadership

•  An “activated” referral network

•  Demand for solutions in exchange for attention, referrals and compensation


Common Misses I Often See

•  Cover leKers that express soluBon & point of view •  Chronological, versus soluBons, oriented resumes •  Excluded non-‐paid experience •  No job/problem-‐relevant value proposiBon •  NeglecBng law of reciprocity by asking more than offering

•  Asking for jobs more than for referrals •  Being unduly modest and deprecaBng •  Being a networking impostor: “I am just not good at networking”


Next Suggested Steps

•  Forgive self for what not done •  Acknowledge what is done •  Inventory resources you have at hand & what you must develop

•  Devise your value proposiBon •  AcBvate your referral network •  Get visible with your offered value


Taking Further Action •  Discuss coaching at [email protected] •  Read my blog at www.wiseworking.com •  Follow me online:

–  TwiKer: @wiseworking –  Facebook: www.facebook.com/wiseworking

•  See my related Diigo links:

–  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/personal_branding –  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/resume_check –  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/interviewing –  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/wiseworking_value_speak –  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/Books_that_saved_my_career –  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/career_planning –  hKps://www.diigo.com/user/cadelarge/career_sponsorship
