Professional Braggers
I Suck At Self-Promotion
The Pressure of Personal Branding
There, I said it. I know it’s supposed to be a crucial thing today, but it just feels so unnatural to me.
Why do I have to constantly remind everyone how amazing I am?
Can’t they just figure that out on their own?
Nope, apparently I’ve got to plaster my face all over social media, and shamelessly cheer for my work just to give my gig a little boost.
It’s exhausting. I wish the “building a personal brand” nonsense ever existed.
I admire the heck out of people who can pull it off. Strutting around, acting like they own the place, and somehow everyone just eats it up.
But me, I’m here “Ummm, hi, I made this cool thing? Please validate me?” Smoothness in persona.
Perhaps I’m just stuck in this naive happy-go-lucky mindset where I think the quality of my work should speak for itself. The reality is, that’s just not how it works anymore. No one has the attention span to appreciate quality craftsmanship unless a shiny social media presence vouches for it.
I am, trying my hardest to be this “influencer” everyone keeps telling me I need to be. But that’s not me. Every time I post something, I have this mini existential crisis. I wonder if I’m being “authentic” enough or if I’m just desperately trying to prove that I matter.
The other day, I spent hours crafting the perfect LinkedIn post about my latest project. I must have rewritten that thing a dozen times. How the f*ck do I find the balance between professional prowess and humble charm?
After posting I feel I need a vacation just to recover. Is this really what my life has come to?
I know I’m not alone in this struggle. Aren’t you all nauseous convincing the world that you’re worth paying attention to?
I might start a support group: “Personal Branding Anonymous”
Want to join?
—
Rod
