Sunday 22 November 2015
Problems with Freelancing and Online Personal Brands
Hi class! With all this snowfall I'm sure many of you are dreading a morning commute to work. Luckily we discussed how freelancing is becoming a more popular career choice, and the article “The Rise of the Projective City" by Luc Boltanski and Eve Chiapello, explains why. The structure of our social life has changed from wage-earning, permanent positions to reticular temporary connections. As a freelancer, your schedule is flexible and allows you the freedom to work in different industries. The negative aspect of this of course is the uncertainty of income and not having the full time employment benefits such as insurance etc. This article below discusses how to be a successful freelancer. It emphasizes the importance of yourself as a brand, which Boltanski and Chiapello accentuate, by using numerous social media platforms. The blogger says: "If you combine a strong digital brand with meeting people in person, you’ll make yourself: Easy to find, Easy to remember and Good to know." Although it is arguably important to make yourself a brand online if you are planning to use social media professionally, these three things are eerily similar to being a brand commodity. A brand's goal is to be recognizable, easy to access/purchase and has a reputation of high quality. Are we simply commodifying ourselves by branding ourselves online? How soon will it be before there will be websites to compare candidates side by side, as you can on websites such as Apple with their computer models? Although this article discusses that it is important to make personal connections outside media, do you think people are neglecting personal contact more in terms of employment and applying to jobs?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Depending on the industry an individual is involved in, commodifing himself or herself by branding ourselves online is important. An industry that is client facing and incorporates building a brand, individuals’ should commodify themselves as it is a significant aspect within building an identity and persona. I believe that websites that compared candidates are possible; LinkedIn is already a platform, which displays users ‘brand’ and work history in which you can compare individuals to one another. It is important to meet people outside of media, a personal contact is beneficial in terms of employment because they are able to encourage and help you through the steps of getting the desired position. That connection might also have connections in the same industry, which can lead you to obtaining a position. Moreover, it is important to build both a personal brand and connections to develop an identity and promote yourself to get the desired job.
ReplyDeleteHi Julia, I think that when we brand ourselves online we are in part commodifying ourselves. when I think of a commodity, the first thing that comes to mind is something that is for purchase. When you build your brand online, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, you are positioning yourself as talent who can be 'bought' (by way of salary). I think it's really important for us to think more actively about non-physical commodities such as thought leadership as driving forces of the modern business world.
ReplyDelete