My week started off with a delicious cup of coffee and engaging convo with a dear friend of mine who also happens to be a Chief Financial Officer.
He recently decided to leave his job. Which left him with a dilemma …
how to identify himself?
It is an interesting, but not insurmountable, challenge. And coincidentally, I had the same question from another CFO last week. There are probably quite a few Finance Executives who are now in active job search mode wondering the same thing.
If you read my blog regularly, you know I am a big proponent of branding. Understanding how you are perceived by others as it aligns with how you view yourself, and then leveraging those emotional (relational) attributes in talking about how you do what you do is very powerful positioning. And, …
Brand transcends job title.
Your brand is what appears in your Linkedin headline.
Your brand statement is in your email signature line.
Your brand tag is on your business cards.
And when someone hears your name, they see your brand not your job title – or lack thereof.
Your brand also speaks directly to fit-for-culture, which gives you a leg up over the competition in the trickiest part of the hiring process. Being branded also helps to ensure the right-fit companies are the only ones courting you … so you will land in the best environment to continue your record of success.
It is time to stop defining yourself by your job title and begin embracing and living your brand!