advice

What T-Shirts Teach Us About Personal Branding

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Ever know people who have a collection of T-shirts?  People who wear them constantly?  Chances are those shirts say a lot about their personalities.  If you’re a person fond of his/her t-shirts, you know they say a lot about you (or just realized they did now that I’ve got you thinking about it).

T-shirts are actually a great way to easily understand that important, elusive, yet over-discussed topic of personal branding.

Think about t-shirts.  The purchase says something about you.  The contents say something about you.  Where you wear it, when you wear it, all say something about you.

A t-shirt is a giant signal saying “this is me!”

Which in many ways is what personal branding is about – making a statement about yourself.  T-shirts are the same thing, just informal and at times with obscure LOL-cat derived humor.

So look at people you know who are t-shirt fanatics.  Look at yourself for that matter.

What do they communicate about themselves – and do they communicate it in a good way, a bad way, or a neutral way?

When do they communicate it, and what can it teach you about timing?

What other other things are “t-shirt like” in that they’re common things that tell people about who someone is?

Ask how you – and others – may react to various t-shirts you’ve seen.  How did you judge people?

These little moments of analysis teach you a lot about how t-shirts are, really, personal branding.

Now, how can you apply that knowledge to things beyond your latest teefury purchase?  Well, just ask what you learned, and then ask what it teaches you about making the right impression and communicating the right side of you . . .

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

Just Go Buy A Copy Of Make Magazine Already

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I would like to very strongly recommend you give a look at Make Magazine (http://makezine.com/).

I have a friend who’s into Maker culture.  He also is the reason I now lust for a 3D printer, and he got me to go to Maker Faire (http://makerfaire.com/).  One of my interests now is to examine the connections and possible connections between geek and maker culture.

In that spirit, trust me, go buy a copy of this and take a look at it and see if it’s you.

Essentially it’s a collection of projects, reviews, and interesting stories by Makers doing what they do – making, repairing, and molding stuff at home.  It’s science, imagination, engineering, cooking, and double-reverse Mythbusters fused together in what is essentially a publication of applied home mad science.  Decorative LEDs, books on fermentation, furniture from PVC, it’s all there.

Why you should check it out?

  • Well it’s pretty cool.
  • It’s pure geek culture, even if Maker culture is both geeky and it’s own distinct thing.
  • There are a lot of things you probably have not heard about that you bloody well should as a geek.  Programmers should know about systems like the Arduino.  Cosplayers can find amazing tools and gizmos.  Science geeks will just pass out with pleasure.
  • It’a an examination of an evolving culture – finding out about the Makers has taught me a lot about an evolving “literati” culture.
  • It’s a way to understand how people leverage and spread knowledge, and modern knowledge.  Just notice how a guy can make a toy with his understanding 3D modeling and a 3D printer, upload it to a site, then everyone can make it.  Now multiply that . . .

Now my “make” is books and cooking, not Quadracopters or coffee makers that turn on via the internet.  But it’s still valuable for me (and exposes me to a lot of fascinating tech).  Give it a shot.

And, yes, I plan to explore Geek/Maker/Career intersections more.  You’ve been warned.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

 

 

Steve’s 2012 Job Search Roundup

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When Steve lost his job, he jumped into the job search and tried to apply all the advice he’d been giving – and learned a lot in the 3 weeks it took to find a job.  Here’s the entire list of articles:

  • Relocation and Regional Issues – Where you are and where you look matters, and regions can vary radically in how your search works, or doesn’t.
  • Resumes – Steve discovers resumes are even more important than he thought (which is saying something), and discusses their value.
  • Job Search Boards –  Job Search boards do pay off – if you use them right, under the right circumstances.
  • Networking – It’s not just networking, it’s the Networking attitude that makes a difference.
  • A Blitz Works – Slow and steady may win the race, but an all out rush may win you the job search.
  • Be Your (Best) Self – It’s important to be yourself, while showing your good side.
  • Empathy – Empathy is the key to connecting in your job search.
  • It’s A Campaign – It’s a comprehensive campaign to win the job – learn how to wage it.
  • Miscellaneous Findings – A grab-bag of observations that may help you out!

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/