On Friday, 24th April 2020, the Make It Right Movement (MIRM) hosted an engaging session on Personal Branding which saw over 50 students and staff attend.
Mr. Brian Lariche, MIRM’s Head of Community Development and speaker for the session, highlighted the importance of personal branding – “First impressions are only made once, and bad ones are difficult to rectify”.
In today’s competitive world, personality plays a vital role in securing employment, and not merely the best paper qualifications. “Personal branding makes you distinct from others and helps you create a bigger influence with a global reach”, he added.
Mr. Brian encouraged students to reflect on five critical questions: “(1) What do I want to achieve; (2) How do I want to be perceived; (3) Understand yourself and be authentic; (4) Develop your knowledge constantly and (5) Google yourself to determine the information available to others”.
As perception, passion and purpose are key elements that shape a distinct identity/brand, participants were given worthy tips on creating a good first impression, in particular wardrobe management, body language and voice control.
As for voice control, he said, “your voice should be moderate, not too soft or too fast. Vocal fillers such as, ‘uh’, ‘errr’, ‘you know’, and ‘umm’ should be avoided as it gives the impression that you are searching for the right words to say and can be distracting”.
“Good body language/behaviour means having a good posture (don’t slouch), be an attentive to the speaker and a good listener”, he stressed.
Another important aspect of body language is emotional intelligence – “self-awareness, empathy, and self-motivation makes a lasting impression”.
In response to a question from the viewers, Mr. Brian reminded participants to “avoid being overwhelmed just for the sake of trying new things or exploring new skills, and find a good support system”.
