Me, Myself, and My Brand
It seems like getting a job and promoting yourself go hand in hand in the professional world today. Employers view self-branding almost as if it were a skill, and in some cases it really is. Ilana Gershon described this idea saying, “Figuring out your personal brand involves deciding on the three or four words that capture your essence, that describe what personal-branding aficionados will call your authentic self” (24).
Personally, when I think of four things that make me who I am, and make me a person that employers would want to hire, it comes down to confidence, hustle, positivity, and adaptability. My career path lies in the world of media, and after I graduate, I will either start my working as a sports journalist, or as a social media manager.
My four terms of self-branding all fit perfectly in the mold of these two potential jobs. My confidence allows me to trust all the different ideas I have when it comes to writing or posting content. My past experiences have provided me with the ability to fully believe in anything I produce in my field. Throughout the course of my life I have had a desire to be productive, a desire to always want more from myself. Gershon says, “you are not supposed to be hardworking only when you are in a workplace where you like your co workers a lot and you have a task to do that you find fascinating” (27). I have the ability to hustle and complete any task that I am given no matter what the situation may be. The third piece to my puzzle is positivity. I believe positivity is the key to living a happy, and healthy, life. Gershon’s piece quoted, “what caught his eye was that she was one of the most positive people he had ever met” (24). People constantly say this about me, and I owe this to struggles I faced, and conquered, that made me into the man I am today. The fourth and final term for my personal brand is adaptability. I have grown up an athlete, and through countless years of playing sports have experienced countless hours of being critiqued by coaches. Being a Division 1 athlete has given me the ability to be responsible in order to handle high pressured situations.
There is a slight difference between who I am and what my brand is, but I pride myself in the attributes that define me. Gershon wrote, “people need to brand themselves because career trajectories are no longer clear-cut vertical paths” (32). I believe that no matter what career my life may lead, the four words that describe me will set me on the right path to be a fantastic employee for any business.
