I once coached a very smart, talented Big Pharma VP who had a top-tier pedigree – Ivy League education, including a medical degree and an MBA; work experience at brand-name, Fortune 500 companies; and a current senior role that spanned over a dozen countries and a team of several hundred.
But he was at a company of tens of thousands so was just one of many VP’s, and while brand-name schools and employers lent him strong credibility, other colleagues had similar pedigrees. This VP wanted to break out from one of many senior executives to a top job – CEO – and he wanted to move from Big Pharma to a start-up.
His brand said senior executive at a big company, and there’s nothing wrong with that, except he didn’t want that. How could his brand appeal to start-ups? How could he differentiate himself enough to reach the top job?
He didn’t even think of himself as having a brand till we started working together. Even if you don’t know you have a brand or what your brand is, you still project one. My client didn’t like that his brand was so big company, middle of the road, but you start where you are, even if you don’t like it. He wished his brand were different because he wanted to attract different opportunities.
So we changed his brand. We changed who knew him and saw him, how he was known and perceived and therefore what opportunities he was considered for. He actually got three offers for the top spot at three very different start-ups. He successfully rebranded himself and pivoted his career as a happy result.
If you’re making a big career move – a promotion, a change in role or industry – you will need to rebrand. Shepherding my clients through a rebranding process is what I do as their coach, harnessing years of experience at the decision table for promotions, hiring and other key career moves.
If you want 1:1 customized support from an insider who has evaluated thousands of brands and knows what appeals to decision-makers, check out 1:1 coaching with me.
