On October 11, 2018, I attended SA Beverly’s professional workshop on personal branding. I learned about the different ways of branding yourself, including through a resume, on employment websites like LinkedIn and Handshake, and with a personal pitch. For example, I learned that a curriculum vitae is different from a standard resume because it is mainly used in research and education fields and is expected to be longer than a page. Also, I learned that I should take about two to three weeks before sending follow up emails to recruiters who I meet at a career fair. This gives the recruiters sufficient time to work through the chaos of career fairs and organize themselves.
Until I started college, I thought that personal branding was silly; the idea of needing to essentially “sell” yourself seemed ridiculous and not genuine, and I shied away from and largely disregarded the concept of personal branding. However, I now recognize the importance of differentiating and effectively marketing yourself. Personal branding is actually a way of allowing my personality and unique experiences to shine through amidst all of the black and white numbers. When I was a child in elementary or middle school, I used to Google myself with my friends and giggle as images of complete strangers popped up on the screen. Back then, I never considered that employers would actually search for me through Google. SA Beverly recommended that I take the time to Google myself every so often and see what pops up. Likewise, she stressed the value of keeping professional websites constantly updated to demonstrate proactivity and diligence. Googling myself no longer seems to be a big joke.
Especially as a business student, the need to take initiative and put myself out there seems more crucial than ever before. Small details can appear inconsequential at first but can completely alter how someone perceives you. As I begin to apply for internships that could affect my professional development and future livelihood, I will do my best to keep these intricacies in mind.
From reading this post, I learned that personal brand is important in any industry. People should be mindful about what they post on social media because the recruiter and the boss can find it easily. A teacher in high school told me that if you do not want your parents to see that post, don’t post it on social media.
I too have problems with “selling” myself; it feels like I’m trying to fit the mold of whatever job or internship or program I’m trying to get into instead of just being myself. This might sound a little childish, but I somewhat resent the fact that I can’t be the same person that I am at home or with my friends at work or during interviews. I suppose the idea of a personal brand is putting your best foot forward and presenting the qualities of yourself that are beneficial to others.