Being Unique vs. Being Applicable
My career path is one that favors creativity and expression, though the importance of working in a team to deliver what is required and then some also lends itself to being uniform (or, generic) in meaningful ways.
The balance between being generic and specialized is one that anthropologist Ilana Gershon explores in her work, Down and Out in the New Economy. Gershon’s overall point when it comes to this topic is that matters of specialization are, well, specialized, depending on what ‘genre’ they pertain to.
Genres vary, and Gershon points out that they’re crucial for job seekers. It’s important to know, for example, where you’ll be sending your resume to — what the atmosphere of the workplace is right, how the higher-ups prefer to be addressed, what they’re looking for, etc. Of particular note is when one job seeker put a Star Wars quote in their resume — a fatal mistake for some- but the specific place the resume was going to loved it and the risk paid off (Gershon 84). For Gershon, all of these and much more should be factors in determining how individual you should come across.
Gershon puts it better: “Trying to create a personal brand: You want to be able to show that you understand the genres and can produce something that can be compared to all other instances of its genre. At the same time, you want to be distinctive and also indicate that you are unlike all the others” (85).
Focusing on myself, I feel that my outgoing personality and strong creative drive are factors that differentiate me from other applicants to a particular job. I tend to be very involved in things I enjoy doing, and even more so if those things invoke my passions.
I am similar to other applicants in that my level of writing is versatile and professional when needed, yet takes on its own personal flare when not. Additionally, I am able to work well in a group and even feel that I benefit personally when given the opportunity to do so. Less positively, I feel that I could use a lot more experience in the workplace in general, to put me at least on-par with other applicants.
Showing off my strengths and working on my weaknesses, again, would be directly influenced by the type of position I am seeking. If I were seeking a position at a place that favored individual creativity, I would be sure to show that I have that creativity in my resume and, also important, in my business cards, as Gershon talks about at length (63). My LinkedIn profile also serves as a space for me to show my creative side — Gershon makes note that resumes are for specific audiences, while LinkedIn profiles are much broader (69–70).
Returning to Gershon, it’s all a matter of being appropriate; understanding the rules of formalities and abiding by them, yet taking risks to stand out. “You simply have to violate the rules in the right fashion,” she says (62). It’s very important to keep in mind when building your resume and establishing a professional presence.
