erica geller

While on the subject of a personal brand, I got to wondering about how I would be able to portray myself outside of a social media platform. Just from a first look, an initial handshake, or a passing on the street - how can you make yourself stand out? With the internet and all the platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc., you’re able to showcase anything from your creativity to your humor, your interests to your skills. However, with a quick handshake in a boardroom, none of that is relayed. Everything that is relayed, unfortunately, comes from how you look, dress, and carry yourself.

I realized recently that my wardrobe was very “university student”. Filled with sweatshirts, jeans, and tank tops, I quickly decided that I needed a change. I needed to start changing out my slip-on shoes for pumps, my sweatshirts for blazers, and my tank tops for blouses. Recruiting the help of my mother and my friends, I found many stores that may carry my size, and I went on the hunt.

Through this search, I realized something. Clothing can not only make you look better, or look the part, but it can make you FEEL better, and FEEL the part. With a suit on, some high heels, some nice earrings, I really began to feel like I could go out and conquer the world, instead of just learning about the logistics of it in the classroom every day. The clothing, for some reason suddenly made everything real.

Clothing reflects not only your professionalism, however, but it reflects all those things that you find on social media. It can be an outlet of your personality, your interests, your values. The humor, interests, skills and creativity can all be broadcasted through your clothing choices. This is another reason why clothing is so important.

You can really understand how important of a role clothing makes in choices when you ask about the dress code for a job. (Depending on your personal preference), a workplace that says you can come in jeans and sneakers every day may seem like the best news you’d ever heard. Your personal brand will reflect the work place and the clothing in this respect, but if this is your chosen workplace, it becomes a part of your personal brand.

Social media also reflects how important clothing can be. There are thousands of websites, Twitter accounts, YouTube “gurus”, etc. that specialize in workplace attire, and how to show off who you are and what you strive for through the clothing you choose to put on in the morning.

Now, how does this relate to personal brand, social media, and the professional field? Simple. Your personal brand can be seen in the blink of an eye by your choice of clothing, your attributes that you constantly allude to all over the internet can become exposed. Pretty impressive for a simple blazer or pair of jeans, isn’t it?

Hello!

My name is Erica, and I’m in Centennial College’s Corporate Communications and Public Relations program. Why this blog? Well, all things considered, this blog was created for a school assignment. However, as I began writing and crafting my blog, I realized that this is worth a lot more than just my school assignment. By being able to put my everyday thoughts down into this blog, it helps me sort through everything flowing up there in my brain at all times. With links made to the world of social media, the professional world that I am about yo be thrust into, and the life that I’ve been spending so long preparing myself for, it allows me to settle my thoughts, and understand everything that’s being going on. It allows me to understand how to make connections, and how to justify things I’ve been doing, things I’ve been up to.

All my life, I’ve been interested in public relations. I’ve been interested in the entertainment industry, and how everything works. I knew, and my parents knew, even my high school guidance counsellor knew, that the realm of public relations, or the world of corporate communications, was where I belonged. It was here I could put all my interests on the table, turn it onto a job, and love every minute of it.

Since I’ve made my choice of what I wanted to do in my life, I’ve had so many people ask questions. What is PR? What kind of jobs will you be able to obtain? Even for people who are in the public relations industry, or studying to break into it, this questions is hard to answer. I really enjoyed this video - it may give insight as to what exactly I’m going for in my professional career.

So why should you follow me?

Are you interested in public relations? Corporate communications? Or maybe you’re just interested in the sure-to-be comedic realizations of a girl who doesn’t even seen to know what she’s in for during the rest of her professional life. If you are interested in making links between the real world, and twitter (hey, what may have happened if I met this person in real life instead of on a website, or vice versa?), or if you are interested in just seeing how I am working to piece the puzzle I call my life together, you’ve found the right place.

Interested to find out more? Here are some more places you can find me:

Facebook / Twitter / Linkedin