Being Your Best You by Suzanne Scheideker Cook
“The first word in the phrase, personal brand is personal. Now, add an ity to it, drop the brand and that’s what it really means. That’s the secret.”
Whether we are interviewing for an entry level or promotional position, we do everything in our power to stand out from the other candidates. Sometimes though, we tend to get comfortable after we get the position. (Part of this may stem from the fact that most of us spend way more time in the office than we do at home.) Getting too comfortable is a dangerous mindset because it can lead to poor behavior that has serious consequences. As one of my music coaches once told me, “You are auditioning every moment of your life. Often, you just don’t realize it.”
Your comportment and attitude are major factors in how your subordinates, peers, and management team see you and your worth to the organization. In the beginning of The Devil Wears Prada, our heroine shows her disdain for the fashion world by her demeanor and by her style of dress. Consequently, she is not accepted by her peers and flounders at work, which makes her miserable. In one memorable scene, our heroine laughs when the Editor-In-Chief cannot decide what color belt should go with an outfit. Our heroine’s behavior does not win any points from those in the room and she gets put down publicly by the Editor-In-Chief. Our heroine reaches out to the magazine’s Fashion Editor expecting sympathy but instead, gets another dress down. The result is that our heroine realizes the error of her ways and changes her attitude from one of resentment to one of acceptance of any challenge given to her.
You may say, “Well, that’s a movie.” No, this is real life. Due to liability issues, no one is going to tell you that your appearance or attitude is keeping you from promoting or worse, putting your job in jeopardy. Your comportment includes your style, posture, manners, and bearing. Now, ask yourself the following questions:
Who are you?
Who is your audience?
How do you want to be perceived?
Where and how far do you want to go?
An individual who is a champion rodeo rider would answer these questions differently from an individual working in the corporate world. Due to this, a champion rodeo rider would dress differently and have different needs from the corporate business person regarding how he or she should be perceived as well as the steps needed to become a success.
Using the examples of our heroine in The Devil Wears Prada, the champion rodeo rider, and the corporate business person, we all have a mental image as to what represents a pulled-together look for each field. While the looks are different, they clearly identify the wearer with their respective industry. More importantly, they represent how the wearer sees herself or himself.
Your Personal Challenge: How would you answer the questions above? If you asked someone whose opinion you respect how he or she sees you, what would he or she say?
