Personal Branding

I associate the word brand with high-end companies, such as apple, that sell products all over the world. I didn't know how important personal branding was until I completed, 'The Brand YOU, your guide to YOUnique Personal Branding' sessions on LinkedIn by Tim Ward. The sessions consisted of eight units which translated into a step by step guide; a format that was easy to follow and understand. The videos were short, straight to the point and entertaining. Although the videos contain useful content, the background music was distracting. In some clips, the volume of the music made it hard to hear the speaker. Overall, the sessions highlighted the importance of a reputation. I need to showcase my principles and talents appropriately to attract clients and employers. The interior design industry offers a range of opportunities from working for established companies to freelance work; I must be able to sell myself. Why should someone hire Ellie Molloy, what makes me perfect for the job?

Once I had watched these sessions, I went on to view the 'Business branding' masterclass, delivered by DAR studio. The clips explained the graphical side of advertising a business. They stressed the importance of a good logo and how the best consider colour, imagery and font. These videos made me think about my current logo and how I can develop it further. However, there was also a similar issue with the volume of music in the clips. It was almost impossible to hear what the presenters were saying. Although the 'Business Branding' session was informative, I found 'The Brand YOU, your guide to YOUnique Personal Branding' course to be more helpful as Tim covered a range of constructive topics. I have a lot to think about after these sessions. Considering the advice of these professionals, I plan to develop my logo and social media pages to showcase my abilities.

Today, we had a Q&A session from the curators of the LinkedIn courses, Tim Ward and Paul Little. I prepared two questions to ask in the meeting. The first question was, "should we shape our projects to studios we want to apply to?". The response was yes as we should all apply to firms in which our values align. An employer is more likely to choose an appropriate candidate who would fit into their environment. However, they said I should still try and stand out amongst the other candidates. My work shouldn't be a replica of the companies.

The LinkedIn courses did not discuss how to handle interviews. I understand that this is something we will combat when we graduate. However, I think it's necessary to think about preparing for interviews and how to present yourself during them. Consequently, the next question I asked was, "Do you have any general advice for interviews, and how should we prepare for them?". The presenters accidentally missed my question, but after a nudge from my classmate, Tim suggested that we prepared by reading the job description and researching the company. He also advised bringing a hard copy of our CV's and portfolios to the interview. Paul sent in a link to our universities Careers and Enterprise department and informed us that you could book 1:1 appointments with staff members to help you prepare for interviews.

These courses were valuable, and it was a privilege to be able to direct questions at the curator's in our session today. Now I understand the advantage of personal branding and will attempt to implement these skills to advertise myself in the best way possible.