Look Before You Leap: Tips for Making the Career Switch (by @BrandYourself)

Look Before you leap- Making the career switch -

Patrick Ambron | Co-founder & CEO |brandyourself.com

• My background

• making the leap to start brandyourself

• how you can make the leap too

how brandyourself came to be

this is pete.star student. top internship candidate.

BrandYourself co-founder.

Peter Kistler

when hiring managers googled “pete kistler” they didn’t find the star student…

they found pete kistler the criminal

same name, two very different people

pete had to fix his results immediately

this guy

Unfortunately, Pete wasn’t:

this guy

or

Names are Googled Every DayHR departments Required to

Google Candidates

we realized this is a big problem for a lot of people

we made it our mission to help everyone put their

best foot forward online

?we launched in 2010 at Syracuse university:No marketing Budget, no resources, no clue

it started with a lot of building

and rebuilding

and more rebuilding

Until we launched!(it took a while for our site to look like this)

50 full-time employees over 300,000 Customers

$5 Million in funding Inc’s 35 under 35

Where we are now

why make the career switch?

I’m not learning anything

i hate my job

I want to set my own hours

I want to be part of something bigger

I want to do what I love

i want to be my own boss

I work with “old” people

How to make the change & get out there

freelancework for a Startup

build something

Freelance

Decide on what you can offer

• writing

• Marketing

• Design

• Project management

• Finance

• programming

• Teaching/Tutoring

• Administrative

where to find freelance gigs

*don’t be afraid of offering free services to the right people

work for a startup

*yes, we’re hiring!

where to find startups

build something

*a much larger convo for another day

How to brand Yourself for the next step

Get on Social Media1

GET A domain NAME2YOURNAME.COM yourname.net yourname.org

Create a Personal Website3

*include your portfolio (show off your skills)

start a blog related to your skill4

*write about things related to your new career

5 USE YOUR REAL NAME

good: Not so good:

@johnsmith @bigj151

*so search engines can find THE content about you

A SOLID ONLINE PERSONAL BRAND WILL HELP POSITION YOU FOR

YOUR NEW CAREER

and help you make the leap

Thanks!

website: brandyourself.com

Email: support@brandyourself.com

Phone: 315-565-1799

need help branding yourself for the next step?

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22643961@N00/206770217/">Lumatic</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/help/general/#147">cc</a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/39276305@N08/4455129423/">Christophe Kiciak</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/help/general/#147">cc</a>

Orange pencil

swing leap

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/99750387@N07/9427075940/">mahashaheen</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/help/general/#147">cc</a>

fish bowl leap

photo sources