It’s that time of the year again – sorority recruitment. With the chaos of finding matching outfits, getting girls to clap, sing and bounce simultaneously and constantly talking to girls for what seems like eternity, I only now have stopped to think that we, too, are branding ourselves. This post won’t be on how a sorority can brand itself (believe me, I wouldn’t even want to read something like that) I have learned a couple things through this recruitment process that I feel can improve a personal brand.
- Be Memorable: As I mentioned above, during recruitment girls are in constant conversation for almost 8 hours a day. I’m obviously not going to remember every single girl that I talk to. The ones I do remember? The memorable ones. We had out-of-the-box conversations that really catered to what I wanted to talk about, not to what I wanted to hear. Too many times I feel like professionals are trying to please everyone and their personal brand is generic and not trying to be out-of-the-box. I think a way to build a great personal brand and have it remembered is by being different and memorable.
Sorority Recruitment Picture
- Remember That You Represent Your Personal Brand Everywhere You Go – You Never Know Who You’re Going To Run Into: Some days I don’t feel like getting out of bed, let alone getting actually dressed and doing my hair. Those days that I wish sweats and a messy bun are an acceptable outfit to wear to class, I have to stop and remember that wherever I am, I’m representing myself. If a professor sees me constantly in sweats and seeming like I don’t care about my appearance, he’s going to think I’m lazy and don’t care about being in the class. This goes the same for the way I act and the way I speak. If you brand yourself as a professional, act like it. At this period in my young adult life, I am constantly meeting new people that could be my potential employers. If they’re walking behind me one day and I’m acting like a moron, I just blew a potential opportunity.
- Brag: This last point might seem cocky, but in reality, maybe being a little cocky isn’t such a bad thing. If you helped a company land their huge new client, work that accomplishment into your personal brand. If you raised a large amount of money to donate to charity, use your personal brand to tell others that you’re philanthropic. Instead of saying “I’m successful” start saying “I’m successful because…” You’re giving people examples of why you’re so great instead of just using a generic statement.
I know I’ve been on a hiatus for a while due to moving back to school and starting recruitment, but have no fear! I’ll soon be back to posting regular bi-weekly posts on my thoughts about branding. Thanks all for your support and have a happy Wednesday!
brunetteonbranding.wordpress.com 