3 Key Strategies for Brand Building During Career Transitions

3 Key Strategies for Brand Building During Career Transitions


Recently, we've seen a wave of layoffs sweeping across various industries, leaving many professionals in a state of transition. Whether it's navigating layoffs, exiting a long-term role, or starting a new venture, the way you manage these transitions can significantly impact your career trajectory.

Just the other day, I had a heartfelt conversation with a former colleague, Emma, who found herself amidst a turbulent phase. She was part of the recent downsizing at a major tech company and reached out for advice on navigating this uncertain time.

1. Proactively Repositioning Yourself

Emma was understandably anxious about her sudden career shift. It wasn’t just about getting laid off… it was much deeper than that. She felt as though her identity was tied to her job, and she didn’t even know who she was anymore, or who she wanted to become.

She also wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue climbing the corporate ladder, which is the path she knew best—but also the very path that pulled her away from her purpose. Or should she become a fractional executive with a portfolio career and become a recognized authority?

I advised her to see the adversity and reinvention as an opportunity for proactive repositioning, regardless of the path she ends up taking, since eventually, she’ll have to make her corporate exit—whether now or later. The beautiful part about repositioning during transitions is that you can transform yourself into the version of yourself you want to be, and accelerate yourself towards your vision of what you ultimately want. You can even grow your influence and build a bigger platform for opportunities during that process. 

Since I’m obsessed with helping others accomplish their dreams, I asked her some questions that helped her realize that she was thinking small, and deprioritizing her dreams. I helped her gain some clarity through our conversation and see a better version of herself through different scenarios. 

This meant diving into her personal vision for herself. I shared a repositioning strategy that was aligned with the “how” to achieve her desired outcomes: make a few hundred G’s per year doing purposeful work, work a healthy 30-40 hours per week, and become a professional speaker. I assessed her LinkedIn profile and website, which had been past-focused and static for years, and focused on positioning her towards where she wants to go.

We talked about transforming her into an expert in her industry and embracing her personal brand. As squirmish as it made her feel, I helped her shift her mindset around “self-promotional” towards “amplifying her value” and truly helping others. She knew it had to happen, and she was the very person stopping herself. She needed to get out of the way.

2. Building Your Thought Leadership Platform

Emma had always been insightful about industry trends, but like many professionals, she hadn’t previously shared her thoughts and insights publicly. She had restrictions on speaking freely in her previous jobs—but now she doesn’t!

Transitional periods are the perfect time to boost personal and professional growth through content creation and nurturing and building connections. It can be hard to be vulnerable, but if you use authenticity with credibility, as Adam Grant states, you will attract your audience, by simply being human.

Letting go of perfectionism is key. It’s like most authorpreneurs (entrepreneurs who write and publish a book as a tool to grow their business) who want to have a polished book before starting their marketing, whereas the biggest advantage to growing one’s platform is when we’re in the process of launching who we are about to become. 

I suggested Emma could significantly improve her visibility and establish herself as a thought leader by starting a LinkedIn newsletter. This could attract new opportunities and strengthen her professional network.

"Share your expertise, comment on industry news, add value to others through your conversations, or even narrate your own journey through this transition," I said.

Opportunities like participating in fireside chats or podcasts, either as a guest or host, or even contributing to LinkedIn collaborative articles, could also expand your reach and establish your voice in the industry.

3. Leveraging Strategic Partnerships

The final piece of advice I gave Emma centered on the power of strategic partnerships. In the business and branding world, strategic partnerships can boost your profile and credibility.

I’m not talking about formal partnerships where you may align on an audience yet offer different services. I mean very simple collaborations where you can volunteer your expertise and just be helpful to others. This could mean working together on joint articles, co-hosting events, or sitting on advisory boards – leading to mutual growth and more opportunities. I encouraged her to network with intention and identify individuals and organizations with aligned goals.

We can learn a lot about ourselves and how we’re currently showing up when we focus on adding value where we can. I talk more in-depth on this in Chapter 3 of my book, Innovation Starts With I.

Transition periods, while challenging, also present unique opportunities for personal and professional growth. By proactively repositioning yourself, building a platform for your voice, and engaging in strategic partnerships, you can turn these times of change into avenues for personal and professional advancement!

Saleem Siddiqui

Humanizing Technology with Gen. AI. Sr. Manager Projects, World Bank Group, (CTS) Washington DC

10mo

The need of the hour. Indeed

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Tushar Hazra, PhD

Business & Technology Executive │ Digital Transformation │ Enterprise Architecture | Cybersecurity | Thought Leadership │ IoT | Cloud Computing | Business Development | P&L | Author | Innovator | Entrepreneur

10mo

As always, nothing less than excellent! You are amazing and awesome! Your strategies apply to a broader audience than it is just to transitioning professionals. Building the thought leadership platform is so important. Strategic partnership is a valuable component of our success, too. In this era, nobody can succeed in isolation. I am glad to see you referring to your book. It is a valuable asset to many executives that I know. I wish you all the success for your passion and persistence to help others. Best wishes to you!

Dorothy Hildebrandt

Senior Director, Corporate Procurement @ Hilton | Board Member | NACD.DC Certified

10mo

Love this, Saleema! Really great insights and take-aways.

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