With the incredible volatility in many global industries today, it is more important than ever for those in a career transition to articulate their most compelling professional attributes. I see this need every day as the energy industry restructures, sending many exemplary executives into the job market, whether they are ready or not.

Most of the executives I work with are mid-and senior-level. They are typically incredibly high performers, sometimes in disbelief that they are job searching for the first time in years, even decades.

While I can see the incredible talent in these people, they are uniformly uncomfortable or even unable to compellingly articulate their personal brand or value proposition. They are so uncomfortable, in fact, that they sometimes feel ashamed. They cannot move forward until they accept their vulnerability and articulate it. Only then can the career transition begin in earnest.

If you or someone you know is in this position, please remember the following critical aspects of a strong personal brand:

1. Revisit and sharpen your elevator pitch.

Whether you are introducing yourself in an elevator (literally), at a professional function or even socializing at a family get-together, your one-minute “elevator pitch” is an important opportunity for you to present your personal brand in a memorable way. The goal is that the person receiving your message should remember you long after the conversation takes place.

People are highly unlikely to remember specifics about what you’ve done professionally. Your elevator pitch should tell people who you are, not what you’ve done. For example, “I am a relationship-builder and a problem-solver. I am able to sell our product to customers who hate sales pitches because they trust my product.”

If you can authentically articulate who you are and how that solves a problem, you have a memorable elevator pitch.

2. Articulate your transferable skills.

The expertise you developed, perhaps in a single industry over many years, is comprised of many skills that can be transferred to another industry. Succinctly describing those transferable skills is important; doing the work to identify those transferable skills and demonstrate their importance is the hard work.

Do it with a trusted friend or a coach. It’s often much easier for an objective observer to tease these skills out of you. You are usually too close to see it for yourself. For example, if you are a very strong relationship builder, articulate exactly why that matters: “My ability to build strong relationships results in a long-term, loyal, profitable customer base.” This transferable skill is valuable in many roles and in many industries.

3. Differentiate yourself by using measurable results.

You have great transferable skills, but why are yours better than the other person’s interested in this particular role? Specifics matter here; give as many examples as possible.

I like the PAR format: problem, action, result. It’s even more compelling when the result is measurable. For example, “My ability to develop X new customer relationships in the first six months added $Y to our top-line revenue.”

I recently worked with a senior-level energy executive. A consistently high revenue producer, he was downsized last fall with his entire sales team. When we spoke in October, he had yet to begin networking. After speaking with him twice, he trusted me enough to admit that he was stuck; he hadn't even called his golf buddies because he didn't think he could answer the inevitable questions, including “Hey what happened?” and “What are you going to do? Aren’t you afraid?”

This person’s ability to give words to his vulnerability allowed us to craft an authentic response to the questions he was dreading but knew were coming. We used our initial time together to role-play responses to these types of questions until he was comfortable that his answers were authentic and not stemming from shame. He then prioritized the list of his networking contacts, placing at the top of that list the people he knew and trusted the most.

He then began to network. I paraphrase, but during his informational interviews, he said something like, “Through no fault of my own, I was downsized. I’ve never been in this position, and it feels really frightening. But I believe I can use this opportunity to find a great role in a different career. Will you help me?  Here’s how I add value, the skills I bring, and the results I contributed in my last position.”

His message was incredibly well-received because he was honest and was able to brand himself effectively! As a result, this person was able to transition into a high-level sales role in a new industry in a little over 90 days – a terrific outcome. I speak to him about every two weeks, and he couldn’t be happier. He’s getting integrated quickly, feels like a valuable member of his new team, and knows he’s found the right seat for him.

The three most critical questions on the minds of hiring managers.

To me, the lesson is that if you can do the three things discussed above, you answer the three most critical questions on the minds of hiring managers. They are:

1. How can this person solve my problem?

2. Can I integrate them quickly into my team so that they are adding value on Day 1?

3. Can they fill the position better than the other people I am considering for this role?

If so, you have a higher probability of landing your next job in a completely new industry.

Originally published on Forbes Coaches Council.