Do you know the color of your career brand?

We never really pay attention until things aren't going the way we planned, or unless they're going fantastically well.

Thankfully, I get to go with option B. This week I start a new role at Twilio, a cloud communications company headquartered in San Francisco. The city is gorgeous, and everyone seems to be catching their breath from the overwhelming potential.

Now, I have been a Texan my whole life, and most of that life has been in Austin. Politically speaking, Austin is a blue dot in the sea of red that is Texas. It was that thought that reminded me about the colors of my career.

Side note, you'll see my AMPT motivators for career change in (here).

Cool blue.

I spent the beginning of my recruiting career at a Texas based RPO firm. I was in charge of many things, not the least of which was the corporate logo blue. Those who worked with me knew I was vigilant about this particular hue and it was a tough one for most vendors to match exactly. Seven years were spent under that blue flag while learning to love recruitment marketing and employer branding. (Advancement + Money)

Bright, bold red.

Then I went to the corporate side of talent acquisition, to manage social recruiting and employer brand for an insurance company. (Advancement) The logo and everything else was red. Even the famous sports team that the company sponsored. Basically the opposite of what I was used to.

I went from being employee number seven, to employee number 61, 407. Now take that anonymity and double it, because I was working remotely. Now that I look back, it didn't make sense for me to tell their story from 1,127 miles away. But I did it through G+ hangouts, calls, Instant Messenger, video shoots, and met some very talented people in the process.

Big Blue.

This was IBM. But not the IBM that you may be thinking of. It was back to recruiting services for me, within the Sourcing Science team of Big Blue RPO.

What could lure me from a big company to a HUGE company?

The chance to work with some of the most advanced sourcing and recruitment marketing strategies that I've ever seen. Plus the chance to work with IBM's Watson. (People + Technology)

This is the sort of company where you retire after a long career. Not just because it's been around for over a hundred years, but because people are treated well and the company is recognized worldwide. I would love the chance to work with that team again someday. In fact, my former boss is hiring my replacement if you're interested.

Back to red.

Why did I leave my security blanket for an exciting startup?

Because the timing was right. The team was right. And I would have the opportunity to build something that will change the perception of sourcing and employer branding. (People + Technology)

Only this time, the personality and the culture seem to more closely jibe with my own natural state of mind. A technology based company that powers the communications API for some of the coolest foundation-shaking apps like UBER, OpenTable and Airbnb. And the company's doing well. Really well.

But in order to tell the real story, this would mean a move from Texas to San Francisco, California. I'm excited for the dizzying changes and ready to wear Twilio red. Ready to help people tell their story. Ready to catch my breath.

What color is your career brand?

• Looking for an Employer Brand Community?
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• Twilio is Hiring - Search open roles

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Bryan Chaney is a global talent sourcing and attraction strategist. Before donning Twilio red and moving to SF, he was a Sourcing Executive at IBM and has most recently led employment branding and social media for corporate recruitment at Aon. Prior to Aon, Bryan worked in recruitment, technology, and marketing, providing him insights into the marketing of hiring, the importance of technology and the buying process that candidates make when applying for jobs. He's an international speaker and trainer on the topic of recruitment and talent branding and loves to travel. The Huffington Post recently named him one of the Top 100 Most Social HR Experts on Twitter. That and FiveBucks will get him a delicious cuppa coffee. Connect with him here.