This is the wrap-up to my original "run" of Stereotype-fu columns. I'm sure there will be more, but I've covered most of my intended materials.
I'm going to close with a piece of advice near and dear to my heart: Being Stereotype Evolved.
personal branding
Stereotype-fu: Choose your stereotype!
This is going to be the first in an ongoing series of columns on what I call "Stereotype Fu" – the art of using stereotypes to your advantage in your career.
A lot of us fannish and geeky types end up stereotyped – as we well know. Trekkies, fanboys, lifeless gamers, nerds, fangirls, etc. We're use to it, and often a little afraid of it – we're used to being viewed negatively due to simple associations, even when the stereotypes are not totally negative (or negative at all).
BOOKS could be written about why this happens. My simple summary is that on the neutral side people like to find ways to classify things easy, and on the negative side some people need a group to look down on (and that drags into issues of the culture at large).
However, when we're starting businesses, interviewing for jobs, at work, etc. we have to deal with them.
I want to talk about using them to your advantage.
Fans And Brands
As anyone may have guessed, I'm a fan of the whole personal branding thing. I'm no Dan Schawbel (hey, who IS except, well, Dan Schawbel), but I feel it's overall a positive thing -it's about establishing and communicating identity and building a presence. Sometimes it can get overdone (especially when one treats it like PRODUCT branding), but I feel it's a good thing overall – it makes people aware of themselves and how they present themselves.
And if you're a fanboy, fangirl, geek, nerd, etc. guess what, you are probably FAR better at it than you realize, because fandom socializing in the online days has massive elements of personal branding.
So guess what – you're probably pretty good at it.