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In today’s corporate world, people are hired and fired on a daily basis. There is a transient nature to this ever-evolving process; I may be here today but could be gone tomorrow. People attempt to stitch together the semblance of a career while trying to maintain the perception of loyalty to their current employers. We often remain vigilant to the next position possibility, and the reasons are numerous, but often these reasons are rooted in consistent themes: an opportunity came along that I just cannot pass on; I have a desire for more money, and I deserve it; my manager is simply unrealistic, unreasonable, and unbearable – it is just time to go! Regardless of these valid motivations, one consistent reality remains unchanged; we are each CEO of our own company: Me, Inc.
In a sense, we are all just free agents in an ever-changing job market paradigm. But as free agents we each carry certain notable attributes along with us, many of which are intangible. It’s incumbent upon each of us to ask ourselves: What do I want my brand to be? What are the qualities of my brand that differentiate me from my competition? Everything matters: our educational level attained, our ability to communicate in verbal and written form, our choice of wardrobe, and our ability to work and play well with others.
We have sufficient control over most of these. What we do not have control over is the manner in which they are perceived, and perception – in marketing – is everything. The best approach to mitigate this reality is to contemplatively observe and critically analyze each segment of our brand: Me, Inc. More than likely we are stronger in certain areas than in others, and can strengthen our shortcomings to become a more formidable brand overall.
Utilizing LinkedIn or writing a blog are channels to market oneself and assist in constructing a solid foundation for the mosaic that composes who we are as individuals. Gaining new expertise, developing new capabilities, increasing our colleague set, and constantly reinventing ourselves as a brand are critical in the process of brand strengthening. The sooner we begin viewing ourselves as individual brands, the better positioned we will become in reaching success in whichever career path we find ourselves on.
John Brigantino is a graduate student in the Master of Science in Business Management & Leadership Program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. He enjoys writing, non-fiction books, traveling and the many cultural and leisure experiences Manhattan has to offer.
As we continue to discuss ways to strengthen your personal brand online, proper attention needs to be given to the importance of blogging. If the idea of starting a blog, or contributing to an existing one, sounds like an attractive idea it can become the centerpiece of your online presence.
Content is Key
More important than a fancy design is the text, photos, or other content you’ll be delivering. You can dress it up any way you like, but the most important thing is engaging your audience. Find a topic that you’re interested in presenting and can hopefully provide new insights. The last thing anyone wants to see is a lazily produced product that is never updated. So if you’re excited about your content, it will become that much more appealing to prospective readers.
Pick a Platform
If you’re starting a blog from scratch, your second big decision after deciding on your theme, is to pick a blogging platform. There are a variety of popular and free sites that will host your blog for you and offer a variety of benefits.
WordPress – When we were deciding on a platform for the SPS Community Blog, WordPress emerged as the clear frontrunner. It is the most fully featured free blogging platform, and offers the most options in terms of customization, content control, and reporting. The drawback is that it isn’t the easiest site to familiarize yourself. Especially when compared to some of its competators. Still, it’s far from rocket science, and once you get the hang of all the WordPress dashboard has to offer you’ll find a wealth or resources to improve your blogging.
Blogger – It’s impossible to talk about something tech related and not expect Google to be a key part of the conversation. Blogger is Google’s blogging platform and it boasts an easy to use interface that only affords a minimal amount of customization.
Tumblr – The new kid on the block, Tumblr is known as a “microblogging” site. It focuses on shorter updates, with an emphasis on photographs and creative layouts. This is a funky and fun platform that’s ideal for artists.
No Need to Reinvent the Wheel
Another great way to get your name and content out is by joining a preexisting blog. Find something in your area of interest, and reach out to them about becoming a contributor. There’s strength in numbers, and it also adds a certain sense of legitimacy to your content that you would otherwise have to work to gain on your own.
I’m happy to answer any and all questions on getting started as a blogger, and invite all SPS students and alumni to try it out by contributing to this very blog. Feel free to contact me at shawn.abraham@mail.cuny.edu with any questions. I look forward to reading your future posts!
Shawn Abraham is SPS’ Virtual Campus Manager, which means he gets to have a lot of fun building an online community for the school. He also has a lot of fun reading books about zombies. These two things rarely intersect.
