Do you dream of doing something different in your career?
Something more meaningful, purposeful and more satisfying?
There are times in everyone’s career that you feel like running away and starting all over again, but when should you actually DO IT?
Many professionals stay in unmotivating and unfulfilling jobs because it’s safe. It takes minimal effort, the bills are getting paid, and it’s relatively easy to blank out and be a zombie for 8 hours a day. There is minimal risk and minimal effort. But there is also minimal reward.
Personally, I’ve re-branded myself four times in my career and I have learned three (3) of the biggest challenges with re-branding and the strategies to overcome those challenges –
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Does re-branding mean a salary decrease?
As a leading career coach, the #1 biggest question I get asked is, “How can I re-brand myself without decreasing my salary?”
Each time I re-branded myself, I received a 15-30% higher paycheck. A client of mine, Matt, also just reinvented his career from being a manager in the TV industry to becoming a manager in the high tech industry, and he received a 15-percent pay increase.
So how can you do it? First, choose a higher paying industry, company or job role. Some industries pay higher than others. For example, healthcare and high tech industries pay more than the media and construction industries. Also, some companies within the same industry pay more than others. Additionally, some job roles pay higher than others. For example, a technical project manager position pays higher than an HR project manager position.
Do your homework and research high paying industries, companies and job roles on sites like GlassDoor.com and Salary.com
2. What if I fail?
Each time I started moving my career in a new direction, I got scared. Fear of failure. Fear of change. Fear of the unknown.
Learn how to set yourself up for success. Use the interviews to learn more about the company’s culture, the manager’s managing style and the co-workers’ challenges. By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to learn if the new job would offer you the right challenges and the right environment where you could thrive. Just because somebody wants to hire you doesn’t mean you should go work for them. If it’s not a good fit, then remove yourself from the interview process.
3. What if I don’t have the right stuff?
Moving into a different career requires different skills. So what if you don’t have ALL the skills required? Step up and invest in yourself.
If you’re seeing that your dream job requires an advanced degree or certification, then get it. If you need some kind of specialized expertise or experience then get it. I joined the Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association to learn about marketing and build my leadership skills which got me the experience to land my first job in marketing.
Invest your time, energy and a little money to get the training, education and experience you need to re-brand yourself. Don’t wait and think that when the perfect job opportunity comes along – then you’ll do it. By then it will be too late. Do it now so that you’re ready when your dream job comes along. No excuses. Just step up and do it.
And finally…
There’s a kind of quiet confidence that we all have down deep inside. A confidence that comes from knowing what we’re capable of doing. When you re-brand yourself into a new job role or a new company, you need to show the hiring manager that you have confidence in yourself and know that you’ll be successful in the job. When it comes to re-branding yourself, it’s not just your talent but your attitude that counts!
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Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker and best-selling author of “The Bounce Back” and “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand. “ Get more tips and strategies on how you can bounce back from a layoff, re-org, bad manager or other career threatening setback in my new book, “The Bounce Back” now available on AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.
