Everybody remembers their first.
Your first college roommate is a very special relationship. With all the fear and anxiety that surround going to college coupled to the fact that you’re going to be living with another basket-case going through the same thing is overwhelming. And everybody remembers the first time they got their initial room assignments and the first thing they did with the information…FACEBOOK.
You instantly run to your computer and plug in the name to see what you can gather about this new cell-mate.
Often these initial impressions are completely false and manufactured, for better or worse. I’m my experience, guy try to look more macho than they are and girls try to look for sexy and saintly. Regardless, it doesn’t matter whether it’s fact or fiction because if that’s the only information available, then it’s all people have to form an opinion with.
***
Who you are doesn’t matter.
What matters is how you are perceived. As the saying goes, perception is reality. Nowhere is this more true than in the business world.
You may think that you’re a great writer or networker or communicator, but how to other people know that? Just because it says so on your resume doesn’t make it true. People are going to inevitably Google your name and when they do, you want to make sure that the first thing that pops up isn’t you drunkenly dancing on a table or passed out with Sharpie on your face.
By building your online presence you actively take control of how you are presented to the world. You may be an incredible, compassionate person, but if all that people see when they look you up is you dancing on a table then it doesn’t matter.
So what is a Personal Brand? I share Michael Ellsberg’s simple definition, a personal brand is what people think of when you’re name pops up, in a conversation or online.
With this in mind, what niche can you occupy? How can you highlight your Personal Competitive Advantage? How do you express to potential clients or employers that you have these skills that you’re desperately trying to display? Well, by displaying them.
A common procrastination technique held by many people when first starting out if the ‘I Just Need to Learn a Little More’ Paralysis Syndrome. It feels like you don’t know enough yet to teach people and don’t want to look like an idiot for the whole world to see, so you procrastinate by doing the non-essentials: reading more books and articles, designing a website till it’s perfect, making business cards. Those don’t get you recognized, they just give you an outlet for spinning your wheels and never really accomplishing anything worth noting.
So how can you remedy this affliction? By understanding that if even you only know 1% more than somebody, then you still have something to teach them. It may not be a lot, but you can help them improve. So stop letting the things you learn go to waste by keeping them in your head. Learn as you go and share your journey. You don’t need to be the world’s foremost expert (at first), you just need to get started.
Here are a few resume points and ways that you can show and not tell:
Hard Worker
What’s in your portfolio? What projects have you worked on that you’re proud of? Find a way to showcase these achievements in an accessible way to potential clients or employers.
Passionate Writer
Start a blog where you can journal about your personal and professional experiences, about your passions and interests or things that you find unique or thought-provoking.
Excellent Communication Skills
Interview people for said blog or host a podcast where you chat with experts in your given field (or for starters, anyone in your field!). Show that you know how to interact with people and ask interesting questions.
***
You need to discover where you shine. What your skillset is and what skills you want to cultivate and develop. Some are easier than others but if you have the desire and the drive to become proficient at something than that will be enough to carry you through the inevitable dip, as posited by Seth Godin.
As you go through this journey learning a skill or ability, let people know, showcase your learning to the world. There are two keys to having a solid online presence, the first to appear as an authority on a particular topic, the second is actually being an authority and delivering quality.
Your first college roommate is a very special relationship. With all the fear and anxiety that surround going to college coupled to the fact that you’re going to be living with another basket-case going through the same thing is overwhelming. And everybody remembers the first time they got their initial room assignments and the first thing they did with the information…FACEBOOK.
You instantly run to your computer and plug in the name to see what you can gather about this new cell-mate.
Often these initial impressions are completely false and manufactured, for better or worse. I’m my experience, guy try to look more macho than they are and girls try to look for sexy and saintly. Regardless, it doesn’t matter whether it’s fact or fiction because if that’s the only information available, then it’s all people have to form an opinion with.
***
Who you are doesn’t matter.
What matters is how you are perceived. As the saying goes, perception is reality. Nowhere is this more true than in the business world.
You may think that you’re a great writer or networker or communicator, but how to other people know that? Just because it says so on your resume doesn’t make it true. People are going to inevitably Google your name and when they do, you want to make sure that the first thing that pops up isn’t you drunkenly dancing on a table or passed out with Sharpie on your face.
By building your online presence you actively take control of how you are presented to the world. You may be an incredible, compassionate person, but if all that people see when they look you up is you dancing on a table then it doesn’t matter.
So what is a Personal Brand? I share Michael Ellsberg’s simple definition, a personal brand is what people think of when you’re name pops up, in a conversation or online.
With this in mind, what niche can you occupy? How can you highlight your Personal Competitive Advantage? How do you express to potential clients or employers that you have these skills that you’re desperately trying to display? Well, by displaying them.
A common procrastination technique held by many people when first starting out if the ‘I Just Need to Learn a Little More’ Paralysis Syndrome. It feels like you don’t know enough yet to teach people and don’t want to look like an idiot for the whole world to see, so you procrastinate by doing the non-essentials: reading more books and articles, designing a website till it’s perfect, making business cards. Those don’t get you recognized, they just give you an outlet for spinning your wheels and never really accomplishing anything worth noting.
So how can you remedy this affliction? By understanding that if even you only know 1% more than somebody, then you still have something to teach them. It may not be a lot, but you can help them improve. So stop letting the things you learn go to waste by keeping them in your head. Learn as you go and share your journey. You don’t need to be the world’s foremost expert (at first), you just need to get started.
Here are a few resume points and ways that you can show and not tell:
Hard Worker
What’s in your portfolio? What projects have you worked on that you’re proud of? Find a way to showcase these achievements in an accessible way to potential clients or employers.
Passionate Writer
Start a blog where you can journal about your personal and professional experiences, about your passions and interests or things that you find unique or thought-provoking.
Excellent Communication Skills
Interview people for said blog or host a podcast where you chat with experts in your given field (or for starters, anyone in your field!). Show that you know how to interact with people and ask interesting questions.
***
You need to discover where you shine. What your skillset is and what skills you want to cultivate and develop. Some are easier than others but if you have the desire and the drive to become proficient at something than that will be enough to carry you through the inevitable dip, as posited by Seth Godin.
As you go through this journey learning a skill or ability, let people know, showcase your learning to the world. There are two keys to having a solid online presence, the first to appear as an authority on a particular topic, the second is actually being an authority and delivering quality.