Hello,
So, I’ve been talking about all of this personal branding
stuff, but is it really applicable in the real world? What types of situations
might personal branding apply to? Well, I would like to talk about an event
briefly to illustrate how personal branding can really be a valuable tool.
On Saturday, April 26th, I attended the 2014 New
England and Canadian Maritimes Regional Meeting of the American Academy of
Religion (program -check out page six). I was there primarily to give a presentation regarding a summer
research project, but I was also there to network. Before I went, I was unaware
of what to expect. However, I wanted to be as prepared as possible so that I
would give a good impression. So, I wore a suit and tie, I brought business
cards, and, of course, I practiced my presentation many times.
I woke up at 6:00am that morning and arrived at Boston
College for the conference at 8:45am. The first round of papers started at
9:00am, and I heard two interesting papers – one regarding inculturation, the
other regarding the Eucharist. It was nice to get a feel for how the sessions
worked, and now I felt more confident about my presentation at 1:15pm.
The rest of the conference continued with the keynote
address, which was a presentation by a professor, and then it was time for
lunch. Lunch was followed by the business meeting and then the rest of the day
consisted of presentations. I left at around 6:00pm – it was a long day.
Despite it being a long day, I think it was well worth it.
The first two connections that I made were with two Boston College graduate
students. One of them happened to be friends with a friend of mine from Saint
Michael’s, while the other was presenting at the same session as me. Then
during lunch I sat with the convener of my session and she was very interested
in my study. We talked at length about my findings and the relevance that they
held for the ecumenical landscape. One of the other connections I made was with
the same professor that gave the keynote address. She happened to be on the
committee which reviewed the submissions, and she let me know that I was the
only undergraduate at the conference – pretty cool. We exchanged business cards
and moved on.
Even though I only connected with a few people, I think I
marketed myself well. I set myself apart in a positive way because of three
distinct differentiations. First, I dressed up. Many of the graduate students
there dressed respectively, but I was the only one in a suit and tie. Second, I
was the only undergraduate there – I took a risk by submitting my paper and it
certainly worked out. Finally, I attended for the entire day. Many of the
presenters would arrive for their presentation and then leave. I made sure to
attend for the entire day and actively participate in the other sessions by
asking questions of the other presenters. The conference was a great chance to brand myself. I hope
that you will identify ways to do the same. I think a good place to start would
be to look into different events in your field for the next academic year – you
never know where different connections will lead you. Take me for instance – I
ended up studying religion and going to a religion conference through a
business professor. Anything can happen!
Best always,
Tim
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