Whatever your reason may be for moving on to greener career pastures, making any career switch is a huge step. But (when done right) can be one of the best things for you. Follow BrandYourself co-founder Patrick Ambron's leap into starting BrandYourself, lessons learned and how you can best position yourself for making your own career leap. *Originally presented at General Assembly 8/14

1. Look Before you leap- Making the career switch -
Patrick Ambron | Co-founder & CEO |brandyourself.com

2. • My background
• making the leap to start brandyourself
• how you can make the leap too

3. how brandyourself
came to be

4. this is pete.
star student. top internship candidate.
BrandYourself co-founder.

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

6. they found pete kistler the criminal

7. same name, two very
different people

8. pete had to fix his
results immediately

9. this guy
Unfortunately, Pete wasn’t:
this guy
or

10. Names are Googled Every Day
HR departments Required to
Google Candidates
we realized this is a big problem for a lot of people

11. we made it our mission to
help everyone put their
best foot forward online

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

13. it started with a lot of building

14. and rebuilding

15. and more rebuilding

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

17. 50 full-time employees
over 300,000 Customers
$5 Million in funding
Inc’s 35 under 35
Where we are now

18. why make the
career switch?

19. 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

20. How to make the
change & get out there

21. freelance
work for
a Startup
build
something

22. Freelance

23. Decide on what you can offer
• writing
• Marketing
• Design
• Project management
• Finance
• programming
• Teaching/Tutoring
• Administrative

24. where to find freelance gigs
*don’t be afraid of offering free services to the right people

25. work for a startup
*yes, we’re hiring!

26. where to find startups

27. build something
*a much larger convo
for another day

28. How to brand Yourself
for the next step

29. Get on Social Media1

30. GET A domain NAME2
YOURNAME.COM
yourname.net
yourname.org

31. Create a Personal Website3
*include your portfolio (show off your skills)

32. start a blog related to your skill
4
*write about things related to your new career

33. 5 USE YOUR REAL NAME
good: Not so good:
@johnsmith @bigj151
*so search engines can find THE content about you

34. A SOLID ONLINE
PERSONAL BRAND WILL
HELP POSITION YOU FOR
YOUR NEW CAREER

35. and help you
make the leap

36. Thanks!
website: brandyourself.com
Email: support@brandyourself.com
Phone: 315-565-1799
need help branding yourself for the next step?

37. <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