Personal Branding for Students

I hope you can hear me. This construction guys hit me. Wait till I have to be on a phone call or zoom to make the most noise. Lovely. But I hope everything is clear. Today we're talking about personal branding for students. But firstly, it's Friday. So how was your week? Do you have people in your life that you ask, how was your week? That's a good thing too. That's a useful thing. Usually I say it's good to have an accountability buddy. That's what we call them. Like for goal setting. Whenever I teach goal setting or when we're talking about procrastination or where else do we use accountability buddies? It's helpful, like when you're going to the gym, you have a gym buddy. Or if you want to join a book club or a networking event, I always say go with a buddy. It helps have another person. It helps if you're anxious, it helps to motivate you. It helps to remind you, it helps to encourage you. It makes it more fun and entertaining, whatever hard thing you're trying to do. I remember the first gym buddy I had years ago. I hated going to the gym. And every day I prayed something would happen to her. I'd be like, oh, God, I hope she's stuck at school. Maybe it's snowing and she won't want to go. Maybe she's sick. No, she'd always show up. I hated going to the gym. After like a month. I was like, girl, I can't do this. I hate this and it's making me hate you. But it's helpful to have a buddy. It helped her. She really stuck to going to the gym and from those years ago, she's like a gym person. I gave up after a month and went back to my old ways. But she stayed and became a gym person and now she goes to gym all the time, even by herself. You never know how a body will help you. So once a week meet someone who you ask, how is your week going? And they ask you, how is your week going? And you tell each other the truth. I'm struggling with this. This was great. This happened at work, this happened in family. It's really helpful to have that in your life. I have that I did on a Wednesday with my friend, but it's not Friday. But still we see each other every Wednesday and we go for yoga and then we go for dinner and then we like go through each other's lives. It's like our catch up session and we get some good exercise and some peace involved in it. So it's a good thing. So small routines and things like that that you build into your life, they really make a difference. You know, you think it's something relaxing or something that's silly or, like girls night or fellowship or something that you do every week with other people, but you're checking in on each other. You're making sure each other is okay. Life is hard, yo. It's hard. And I feel like we're living in hard times. I. I feel like maybe because I go on Twitter a lot, we. We love to complain with the millennials about all the crisis and, like, pandemics and depressions and financial crisis and all these things we've lived through. Our parents live through war, so, you know, can't really complain, like a couple of wars. But I feel like we're living in a. It's a hard time because of all the hard things that happen generally in human life. But because of the Internet, we're all so much more connected. So I feel like it's so much easier to feel the pain other people are going through through, like, not just seeing it on the news, but seeing their stories or hearing their things. This last week was really hard with the Roe versus Wade in America. My God, that was painful. Like, it kept coming up in my newsfeed, and I'm like, I'm not American, but it was painful. Like, as a woman, it hurts. And I feel like these things are going to trickle down and affect everyone else. It just sucks to see the world go backwards. So I feel like we go through so much more because we're going through other people's things all the time, too, because they're in our news feeds, you know, which is also a good thing because you also get to share the joy and the happy things. I'm sure everyone's newsfeed is also full of weddings and babies and birthdays and promotions and know, nice celebration, which is really sweet. So you enjoy those kinds of things as well. I like that. I like when I get LinkedIn notifications that someone got a new job that makes me happy. And if there are people, like, I know, normal, it's like, congratulations. Sometimes it's someone you know and you know they've wanted this job or they've been trying or they've been complaining about their job. And I'm like, oh, my God, you got a new job. It's exciting. So it's good to keep in touch with people, you know, it's an important thing. Actually something I was talking about to a friend this week. Whether you're introverted or extroverted, we still need human beings. Introverted doesn't mean you hate people. It just means it drains you a bit to be around people. But you still enjoy the experience. You still know lots of people. One of my introvert friends was at a party with me last weekend, and he knew everyone. I was like, who are all these people? They all keep coming, say hi to you. You keep telling me you're an introvert. He's like, yeah, I don't like big groups, but I can deal with one on one. And I have good relationships when it's one on one. I was like, okay, that makes more sense. I'm not introverted, so I don't understand, but I feel like it still helps to have people. No man is an island. So you need people and you need to connect with other people. So if you're doing these weekly reviews, like, how was your Friday? Every Friday, when I tell you to, I hope it's helping you, but also share it with a friend or go through it with a friend. I know it's kind of personal at first. It's hard to, like, share your things that you're struggling with or your goals or things that you can do better. But when you get used to it, you realize it's. It's not that it's not personal, but it's not something to be embarrassed of whether you're achieving things or not achieving things, whether you're struggling with something or winning at something. I think it's good to practice sharing because, you know, there. The science studies about health say that that longevity and how long you live. Yeah. Is based not only on, like, your physical health, but on the relationships. You have people who have deeper and more deeper relationships, like many relationships with people in their lives live longer. Human beings are not designed to be alone. You know, babies die if you don't, like, love and kiss them and hug them and care about them. Not just that you have to feed them. It's called failure to thrive. If babies whose parents die or, like, are in bad situations, if the nurses and people around them don't take care of them, well, they die because you need love and you need that attention as human beings. And I think that's what it is. Like, you know, when old couples die, like, the husband dies or the wife dies, and then the other one dies really soon, like in a few months, within a year, because they were so used to being together all the time. It's really, like, heartbreaking. But that's what it shows human connections. You need other people even when you're going through hard times, even when you're going through good times. And I feel like in our culture, we're used to just hiding things. So if you practice sharing your difficult things and practice sharing the good things, it's better for you. It makes your relationships more authentic, and you can be there for each other. I'm not saying share the whole world with the whole world, but cultivate relationships. So if you have relationships with people who you can tell I'm having a tough time right now, that's a good thing. Even if you don't want them to help or to fix it, at least they'll be caring for you. They can do something nice for you, or they can not give you the extra work that they were going to give you, you know? And then you can also share good things. So many people keep quiet about the good things. I have a cousin who keeps getting promoted at work, and he never lets us have a party for him. I'm like, but it's exciting. We want to celebrate you. He's always like, no, no, it's no big deal. You have to share and enjoy the good moments, too. You know, people work hard. It's nothing to be ashamed of or nothing to. I feel like we don't let each other celebrate these things or make a big deal out of them. Even when, like, me and my girlfriends or my cousins are like, oh, my God. And we make noise. My dad is like, are you making so much noise? I'm not the first person to do that, become, you know, So I feel like it's in our culture not to make a big deal about small things, but life is short and life is precious. So appreciate the people you have in your life. Say how much you love them or thank them for what they do for you. Appreciate the moments that you get. And it also helps to share the hard things and be there for each other because life is hard enough. Don't make it harder. Not what I expected to talk about today, but here it is. Share how was your week? Share it with someone. Find someone this week. Make that be your homework this weekend. How was your week? And listen to them when they answer. You know, listen to them. Not to say, oh, mine did this, or, oh, that's so funny, this happened to me. Listen and be present and actually hear what they're saying. Does this make you feel like that? What I'm hearing is, this happened. Is that right? You know, bounce it back, reflect. Let people, you know, get through it because it also helps to talk through some of this stuff. If you look at all your weekly, like, reviews, sometimes you're repeating the same thing over and over and you're not realizing, why aren't I overcoming this obstacle? Why can't I get over this hurdle? It helps to talk it through. Sometimes you just need to explain it to someone and for your own mind, it will break it down logically and you'll see the gap and you'll realize, this is what I need to do to make this happen. So it's helpful. Go through things with someone. What did you succeed at this week? What do you think you need to improve at? How are people responding to your communication? How are they responding to your instructions? How do you feel you're doing as a team leader? For the first time? You know, you know what's going on in your people's lives. Ask them about it. See how they're doing with it, how they feel about it, what they think about it, how they want to take this forward in the future. Do they enjoy it? Are they having a good time? Do they think, this is something I want to do more? Are they struggling with something? Is there anything you can do? Sometimes it helps. Rather than to dive in and say, this is what you should do, be like, how can I be supportive to you? What would be useful? You know, small things. It's worth a try. So, personal branding for students. Excuse me. This is a fun one because I feel like I talk about this a lot. These topics have started to overlap in my brain, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself. Personal branding for students is an important one because you start to make your reputation when you are young. And when I say students, I don't mean you have to be a university student. I think even when you're younger than that, even when you're not a student, I feel like it means generally when you're young, it's something you should be proactive about because your reputation will just happen to you if you don't happen to it first. If you're not intentional about it and proactive, people will just know you the way they know you and make assumptions about you. So you want to think about what kind of impression you're making on people when they meet you for the first time. What will they go away thinking about you? Will they even remember you? That's the first struggle, huh? Let's first make sure we're memorable. Last night I was at a cocktail event and my friend, my sister, comes up to me. She's like, oh, my God, your friend didn't even have business cards. How. That's not professional. What kind of adult is he? I'm like, girl, you think that guy needs business cards? You think anyone here is going to forget him? He's such a memorable person. He's such a good networker. He probably ran out of business cards. But he makes a very strong impression on people in a very good way because he's very good at networking and he's cultivated it over the years. You know, you'll always remember his name. He'll remember your name, he'll remember what you did. You remember what he did. He'll make a joke about something. He'll connect with you in such a good way. Like, it's. He, I think has a natural skill, but he's also, like, really honed it over the years. So you have to. I'm going too fast. Think about who you are as a person, right? You don't have to be naturally extroverted or naturally like people or have anything to say. I think when you're young, you, firstly, most of the time don't have a job to say, I do this. And you don't really know how to introduce yourself. So something we use in business is an elevator pitch. Like, you should be able to explain your business in one minute to someone. If you had the opportunity to meet someone at a party, on an event, or in an elevator, you have to be able to tell them your business, right? But even as a person, you should have an elevator pitch. So that's the homework for the students. For the young people, how do you introduce yourself in a way that is clear, concise, and memorable in one minute. It's helpful to give your name, of course. Please don't say you were born in this village and you come from this place where you're going to this school. No one wants to know that ever. I don't know why. We teach people to say that. I'm in meetings and they're like, I was born in this village and then I went to this school. I'm like, how is that ever relevant ever? I don't understand that. That's a Ugandan thing I've never really grasped. Anyway, so you want to give your name in a clear, audible way. Come on, ladies. Audible. People have to be able to hear you. You need to be able to say something about you and the sector that you're in. If you don't work, say that, I'm looking for a job in finance or I'm looking For a job in banking. I work in compliance. I'm passionate about insurance. I'm fascinated by M and E. I want to work in oil and gas. Say something that's sector specific so that the person can file you in their mind. Please remember adults who are way older than you have met thousands more people than you. So their minds have a filing system. So you want to be remembered as, okay, that's the student in oil and gas at something else. Why should they remember you? What is interesting about you or useful or what can you offer? Are you looking for an internship? Do you need a mentor? Don't say I need a mentor, but think about. You have to think about it like a win win situation. What do you want and what can you give them? Why should they remember you? Why do you want this person to know you know, what can they possibly offer you or be there for you or suggest to you? You know, say something that can connect the two of you. Like you're both at the same event. Say something about the event. Say something about the speaker. Don't talk about the weather. You know, something, not small talk. Don't talk about politics either. Something that is relevant, you know, My friend who's a good networker always finds a way to make a joke about something that's happened like there, that you've all experienced. Because to connect with other people, you've gone through this bonding experience attending this conference, whether it was fun or it was boring, or the guest speaker was really great, or they said something really controversial. Say something that will help you connect to each other. Right? And make sure that they're going to remember you. Remember their name. Say their name. Oh, Bob, lovely to meet you. So interesting. Oh, yes. You work at this company. I've been to your offices, actually. Such bright colors, like all the arts on the walls. Very memorable. I don't know, say something, figure. Find something. And the more you practice this, the better you get at it. The more things you like, connect with and understand. You'd be shocked at how many things you have in common with other people. Even people who are completely different from you. Different countries, different contexts, different industry. There's always something you can find you have in common and that bonds you. And then you remember each other. Then you also need to follow up. So when I'm talking to young people about networking and reputation, make sure you have an elevator pitch. Make sure your social media is not going to embarrass you. Please. Yes. It's funny that you fell asleep when you were drunk and your friends drew on your face or they made a thing around you, or there's this exciting dance you guys did. If our future employer is going to see that and be like, oh, remove it. You can send that stuff to your friends on WhatsApp. And even then, you really should. I think after a certain age, the fewer people that have embarrassing things of you, the better. It's safer for you. But that's another point. Your social media reflects who you are. Someone Googles your name today, what is going to come up? Think about that. And the third thing is have your own filing system. Personally, I love LinkedIn. It makes life so much easier for me. But if you're gonna collect business cards, if you're gonna meet people, you have to have a system where you follow up and say thank you or it was great to meet you. Send an email, say, oh, you remember you said you're gonna recommend me a book about this. You want to introduce me to this and this person, stuff like that, you know, because it's good for them to remember you. And it also shows that you are someone who is action oriented. You're actually a doer. You're not just another person who talks at parties. If you follow up and say, thank you so much for introducing me to this personal.