“If you could be anyone, who would you be?”
The recent International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Maritime Canada‘s “Pitching & Personal Branding” workshop started with this broad question.
As expected, the prompt led to a variety of answers. Some of these answers were serious, such as people describing the honourable traits of their mentors; and some were less serious, but equally as valid, such as Chrissy Teigen for being “unapologetically herself.”
This led to a discussion about what exactly a personal brand is. From how you write emails with exclamation points to how you enter a room and act in casual moments with friends or family, everything you do is a part of your personal brand.
The idea that everything you do is a part of your brand becomes somewhat frightening when you try to describe your own personal brand. Luckily, the next part of the night guided participants to write and practice their own elevator pitch to learn how to improve their personal brand description.
IABC Maritime Canada hosts monthly events for their members and students alike to network and develop their skills. Chances are, if you’re in the public relations field, you’ve heard about the importance of networking many times. Learning from people who are already in the industry and taking away these lessons will help launch you into a successful public relations career.
This workshop’s theme was one of the utmost importance in your career, and ultimately in life. It is less about who would you be if you could be anybody, and more about the question – who are you?
For more information about the IABC and their upcoming events, contact IABC MSVU Student Representative Lauryn Landry at lauryn.landry1@msvu.ca
Madison Mills, Editor
