Release date: August 6, 2024

In episode 61, Chris and Emma were joined by Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton, a professional identity researcher and the leading expert on hybrid professional identity. Sarabeth is based in Boulder, Colorado, and author of More Than My Title: The Power of Hybrid Professionals in a Workplace of Experts and Generalists.

Understanding and articulating your professional identity is essential for achieving fulfillment and success in the workplace. Sarabeth emphasized the significance of understanding and articulating your professional identity beyond job titles. She stressed the importance of recognizing ourselves in our work, independent of the tasks we perform.

We delved into Sarabeth’s concept of hybrid professional identity, where individuals bring together diverse skills and experiences to create something new. She shared how being a hybrid professional can lead to disruption and innovation in the workplace, challenging traditional norms and boundaries. We learned about the need to explore the intersection of multiple professional identities to truly define and showcase your unique value in the workplace.

Sarabeth’s work helps people articulate their unique values and contributions in the workplace. Through exercises and frameworks, she assists individuals in exploring their skills, experiences, and preferences to create a comprehensive understanding of their professional identities. This process enables individuals to enhance self-awareness, communicate strengths effectively, and navigate career transitions or advancements with confidence and clarity.

Sarabeth shared that professionals with hybrid identities often face challenges in traditional work environments where they are expected to fit into specific roles. This can result in feeling misunderstood, undervalued, or limited in expressing their full potential. We discussed the importance of career belonging, where individuals seek to align their values, skills, and aspirations with their work environment. We learned the importance of understanding where you fit and belong in your career journey, whether to yourself, others, or a larger purpose.

Bio: Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton is a professional identity researcher and the leading expert on hybrid professional identity.  She was featured in Forbes, is a TEDx speaker and is the author of More Than My Title: The Power of Hybrid Professionals in a Workforce of Experts and Generalists. Sarabeth calls herself a Creative Disruptor because she works at the intersection of being an artist, researcher, educator, and designer. It took an identity crisis for her to realize she actually integrates these identities together and that’s where her unique value lies.

Through groundbreaking research, Sarabeth developed a one-of-a-kind approach that takes personal branding and career development to a whole new level. Today, she helps professionals, many of them gifted adults, to discover and articulate their professional identity and unique value in the workforce. As a result, her clients feel more seen, empowered and confident in who they are in their work.

Sarabeth obtained her PhD from the University of Denver, and has degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Rhode Island School of Design. She resides in Boulder, Colorado with her young son, golden retriever, and husband, who is also a hybrid professional.

Links from this episode

Sarabeth’s website: More Than My Title

Her book More Than My Title on Amazon

Find Sarabeth on:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

We mentioned Gifted Unleashed Episode 33, featuring Nadja Cereghetti and guest Chris Wells.