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Personal Brand: Stop Trying to Fit In
By Grace Boyle
Teacher fired for Facebook photo on personal profile. ESPN blocks all social networks from employees. Interviewee publicly tweets about bad interview and clearly doesn’t get the job.
Today, (on the internet) nothing goes unnoticed. Your words, thoughts, ideas and opinions are public. This is why personal branding isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a representation of you are and can prove to be detrimental or beneficial for your career, connections and life path.
Personal Branding – Fear Tactic
Ironically, I have a slight bone to pick with personal branding. It feels like we are taught or encouraged to “try” to create a brand or be someone you’re not. I sense a fear tactic in articles I read about personal branding in which we must restrict our real thoughts or actions. We tend to forget that corporate businesses policies won’t match up with a startup, a non-profit, a social media company, etc. Each are different and each encourage something unique to their industry.
Still I ask, how can someone else tell me how to be me?
I have created a personal brand (it’s a work in progress, I’m perpetuating me and my ‘brand’ even as I type here). However, I feel like it wasn’t a struggle to create. It is a journey. I found tools that push my brand but just like in life, we all use censorship to some extent. Me offline is still me online. I don’t hide anything. I’m simply me.
Match Your Brand
There are certain positions or industry’s that I may not be the right fit for. I’m okay with that. The work/life blur is blurring.
If an employer has a problem with a belief or action that I’ve taken (and chose to be public about; blog, tweet, etc.) then I would probably not want to work with them. I would want my employer to trust my judgment and visa versa. It’s not about being pretentious and there are certain things that I prefer to not talk about publicly online. This not only protects me, but my employer, friends and family.
Some people talk about their sex and dating life, taking drug tests, etc. That’s their voice and I don’t think they should be reprimanded. How can someone’s tweets or words be completely analogous to the work they will produce for a company? If their words makes an employer uncomfortable and the match doesn’t seem right, then both parties can move on. When hiring a new employee, you not only consider their skill set and experience, but also how they fit into the company culture.
We need a mix of bizarre, honest, respectful and reserved. This is my belief, but so far, I’ve had good luck in being me and being honest. I have friends that are discouraged from being them where they work. Their opinion isn’t respected. They are asked to restrain and withhold personal personality. This isn’t about idealism, it’s about being yourself and remembering who you are. It’s no coincidence that when you can find a company that can embrace and respect you there’s a level of equality and beneficial growth for everyone.
Honesty is the best policy. You know yourself. The frauds will be sniffed out (if not now, eventually) so embrace. Decide what you want to be known for, act like yourself and understand that round pegs don’t fit in square holes for a reason.
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December 3, 2009 5:24 pm
Great post! I needed a post like this today as I deal with some minor social media drama of my own. Thanks!
December 3, 2009 5:27 pm
@Wendy Thank you! At the end of the day, it's just social media. We're all trying to get through life, one step at a time and just as we make mistakes offline, there will be mistakes online. I try not to sweat the small stuff and in the end, being yourself (100% you) is most important.
I hope that whatever the small 'drama' may be, that it's sorted out and you remember how wonderful you are :)
December 3, 2009 6:49 pm
To quote a smart person that I respect a lot: Great minds think alike.
Nice job, Grace.
December 3, 2009 7:00 pm
@Carlos Well, it's true :) Thanks, Carlos.
December 7, 2009 9:07 am
Good post. Authenticity is key: be who you are. If you create a "personal brand" that isn't really you, it will be discovered anyway, especially if you've been hired because of an online persona you've created. You can't go wrong by "owning" who you are and putting that out there.
You're absolutely right that you probably don't want to work for an organization that doesn't like your profile. The other side of that coin is that you cannot expect many potential employers to consider you seriously if your online brand says "college party kid."
December 7, 2009 9:07 am
Good post. Authenticity is key: be who you are. If you create a "personal brand" that isn't really you, it will be discovered anyway, especially if you've been hired because of an online persona you've created. You can't go wrong by "owning" who you are and putting that out there.
You're absolutely right that you probably don't want to work for an organization that doesn't like your profile. The other side of that coin is that you cannot expect many potential employers to consider you seriously if your online brand says "college party kid."
December 7, 2009 10:31 am
Grace, I think this is in tune with how many of us think. True, you need to be smart. Like @Robin said, "college party kid" will only get you so far. But, on the other hand, that may be the perfect brand The Onion or CollegeHumor.com may be looking for. Hopefully, we'll all meet in the middle somewhere. Good post!
December 7, 2009 11:39 am
@Robin You're right. I also understand the flip side, where you want to portray yourself in a positive light but if you're a college party kid, you probably shouldn't be applying to jobs openly that would clearly look down upon that. It's all about finding the right fit and also putting your best foot forward. However, with that being said, I often see people be completely fake to their personality just to impress an employer. That is where my problem lies with personal branding and authenticity...
@Emily Perfect turn with your answer. I don't have to "hide" that I enjoy having drinks with my friends and have fun nights out on weekends to my co-workers. Our environment is different and our company does happy hour monthly and keeps beer in our office. All of that, has nothing to do with our work ethic and the kind of work we actually complete.
Robin and Emily thank you for sharing!
December 7, 2009 4:40 pm
Well written. I've actually just started to open my personal Facebook page to more of the people I know professionally and honestly, it's been freeing. What WAS I so worried about? The line between personal and professional is blurring further everyday and as long as you comport yourself with reasonable manners and have the common sense to keep private the things you would in real life, it seems that there is little to fear. Bravo for the reality check!
December 7, 2009 4:45 pm
@Danielle Ah, I did that in this last year as well. My entire family is on it (young and old), professors, bosses, etc. It's just an extension of who I am. A reality check is great. I do know some people (largely students) who post pretty outrageous photos (that I think should just be private) and I don't think they realize it could affect them, but if they DO realize, then more power to them. Be yourself, as long as you recognize people will love it and some will dislike it. I'm happy to hear you're feeling the freedom. Thanks for sharing :)
December 8, 2009 11:34 am
Grace,
what a wonderful post. It was very refreshing and I think you gave us lots to think about.
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