“Please attempt to only be 30% of who you really are” is the lesson of Social Media Mullet, today’s article from Jessica Miller-Merrell on Brand-Yourself.com. ”Business in the front and party in the back” is the basic premise, that your social media profiles should consist of 70% business interaction and 30% personal. She cites Tiger Woods as an example.
Let me ask you a question. Does the fact that Tiger was aiming for holes that weren’t on the course make him a less-proficient golfer? If I’m hiring him to speak on marriage, maybe I pause. If I’m hiring him to play golf (what he does), then that’s not a problem.
In today’s workplace, would you rather be an interchangeable cog, whose only real differentiation from someone else is how much you charge per year? Or would you rather be the piece so unique and intricate that your misshapen ass barely fits into the machine?
Jessica will be the first to point out that you can be passionate and professional and unique while using social media. Common sense dictates that unless you’re applying for a job as a dancer, stripper, or porn star, you don’t publish naked pictures online… and let’s assume for the most part that aside from the occasional stupid mistake, most people are “within reason”.
If you’re muting your personality to the point where 70% of your interactions are “strictly business related”, you’re not being the real you, now are you?
What happens if you only present 30% of yourself when you’re 100% douchebag? (bad for the company) Or 100% pure awesome? (bad for your job search)
Either way you are a liar, you’re ruining the economy and you’re an idiot. And you’re going to keep being a liar until you’re 100% you – the only you there is.
Tiger is a good example of personal branding gone wrong. He does what he loves, no qualms about it. Occasionally, he f*cks up. Personal Branding made it worse – he couldn’t be professional “Tiger” and honest, truthful “Tiger” at the same time. He’s still Gandhi on the golf course. Some day, he’ll remember who he is and that you can’t be sane and two people at once.
Your professional self is your personal self, one in the same, one person, growing over time.
What kind of company would want to hire someone they knew only 30% about? What kind of company would penalize you for having a complete, unabashed social media presence if you were a wizard at your profession? Why do we reward people who want to work for a company that only wants 30% of us?
Personal Branding makes you a Liar – The Tiger Woods Story
Let me ask you a question. Does the fact that Tiger was aiming for holes that weren’t on the course make him a less-proficient golfer? If I’m hiring him to speak on marriage, maybe I pause. If I’m hiring him to play golf (what he does), then that’s not a problem.
In today’s workplace, would you rather be an interchangeable cog, whose only real differentiation from someone else is how much you charge per year? Or would you rather be the piece so unique and intricate that your misshapen ass barely fits into the machine?
Jessica will be the first to point out that you can be passionate and professional and unique while using social media. Common sense dictates that unless you’re applying for a job as a dancer, stripper, or porn star, you don’t publish naked pictures online… and let’s assume for the most part that aside from the occasional stupid mistake, most people are “within reason”.
If you’re muting your personality to the point where 70% of your interactions are “strictly business related”, you’re not being the real you, now are you?
What happens if you only present 30% of yourself when you’re 100% douchebag? (bad for the company) Or 100% pure awesome? (bad for your job search)
Either way you are a liar, you’re ruining the economy and you’re an idiot. And you’re going to keep being a liar until you’re 100% you – the only you there is.
Your professional self is your personal self, one in the same, one person, growing over time.
What kind of company would want to hire someone they knew only 30% about? What kind of company would penalize you for having a complete, unabashed social media presence if you were a wizard at your profession? Why do we reward people who want to work for a company that only wants 30% of us?