Student Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel » Jamie Mitcham

Holiday Wish List for Students

Jamie Mitcham — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:00:08 +0000

It’s that time once again- the hustle and bustle of the holidays is here. Have you started making your holiday wish list yet? In the spirit of consumerism, here are the must-have items for students of all ranks. Make sure you add them to your holiday wish list!

A Wish List for Students

Netbook- Netbooks are great for keeping up with e-mails and assignments on the go. The size makes them convenient to carry to classes and while traveling. If you take notes on your laptop during lectures, I suggest getting a netbook to lighten your load. Here is a list of PC World’s Top 10 Netbooks: http://bit.ly/5j2Y6Y
Portfolio- Get a great portfolio going by saving your best projects, papers and accomplishments in college. Add your resume and package it together in a professional way. Make sure your portfolio has binder rings and a zipper. This ensures you can add pages to your portfolio and don’t lose any of your work. This one is pricey, but it’s a great example: http://bit.ly/8n8xZ9
PokenPULSE- Ditch your memory stick and upgrade to a pokenPULSE. It has 2GB of memory for all of your assignments and allows you to connect with your classmates and professionals in your field because it is a self-proclaimed “social business card.” The best part? It’s only $35. Here is a link to the product: http://www.poken.com/pulse
Skullcandy Titan Headphones- Put some fun into your studying with these great ear bud headphones. Product features include high quality sound and a great bass, superior isolation from outside noise, and cable mounted volume control. Plus, they were featured on HeadRoom’s Ten Best Headphones of 2009 list. Here is a link to check them out: http://bit.ly/7KS917
Compact Digital Camera- Capture your memories in pictures while you are in high school and college. You only get to do each once, and having pictures to back up your experiences is well worth the investment. When I’m heading out the door to do things, I make sure I have four things: phone, wallet, keys, camera. I’m always connected and I never miss a beat. Here is a link to CNET’s Best Budget Digital Camera’s for 2009: http://bit.ly/5ELPd9

What would you add to this student wish list to make your holidays merry and bright?

Author:

Jamie Mitcham is a recent graduate of Oklahoma State University and the current communications coordinator at Casady School in Oklahoma City. Connect with Jamie on Twitter at @JamieMitcham and read the rest of her bio here: studentbranding.com/contributors.

Ask for Help

Jamie Mitcham — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:00:57 +0000

Do you have a subject at school that you’re terrified of? I do. Math. The word alone makes me cringe. During my last year in college, after struggling in math classes since elementary school, I finally learned how to succeed. I asked for help.

Determined to make the best of my senior year of college, with one math class left to take in order to graduate, I decided to change my opinion about math. After class was over the first day, I walked up to my professor and said: “Hi, I’m Jamie. Math terrifies me and I struggle with it. I’m going to need your help this year. I have a positive attitude and I’m willing to learn. What do I need to do to so I may do well in your class?”

The professor looked at me, smiled, and said, “I think you’ll be just fine. Come to class and I’ll do everything I can to help you if you’re not catching on.” She did, too. That class taught me an important lesson: asking for help is OK.

A few things I learned about professors in college

Most teachers aren’t tough just to be tough. They are tough because they are passionate about the subject they teach, and they want you to really understand the material. They leave it up to you to decide if you will go the extra mile in their class and really excel.
They appreciate students who ask for help. When you ask your teachers for help, it shows you care. And to be honest, you should. It’s your education and you will only get out of it what you put into it.
They understand how busy you are. In college, I was member of the OSU Spirit Squad, PRSSA and a variety of other clubs and activities. When the stress got to me, I talked to my professors to find solutions. They usually don’t mind letting you take your tests a few days early if you know you will have a busy week when it is scheduled. They would rather you do well.

A few professors to follow on Twitter

If there was one thing that stood out about OSU it was this: The professors are just as passionate about their students as they are their subjects. Most professors want you to do well- they want to see their students succeed. They also recognize that students’ success is a reflection of their ability to teach.

Here are three professors from the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at OSU:

@billhandy- Professor Handy gives students the opportunity to gain real world experience in his classes. He also continues to offer his professional support to students once they have graduated. A smart guy, social media wiz and all-around great professor.
@ginajnoble- Professor Noble wants her students to go far. She makes it clear that she will do anything she can to help her students while they are in school and after they graduate. After her capstone class, I was ready to enter the field of public relations.
@bobbikay- Professor Lewis allows students the opportunity to work together as a class to come up with solutions for case studies and beyond. I only had one class with her, but I learned a ton. If you come prepared to her class, the amount of information you can absorb is limitless.

Who are your favorite professors?

Author:

Twitter Tips for High School Students

Jamie Mitcham — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:00:41 +0000

Using Twitter in my college classes seemed normal. When I was asked by a collegue if I could explain Twitter to his senior-level high school class, I was both surprised and excited about the opportunity. Twitter is something that doesn’t seem to be going away and it can be an extremely effective tool for success if utilized correctly. For high school students to have the opportunity to fully embrace this platform and understand it before they got to college seemed like a wonderful opportunity.

After walking the students through the set up process and explaining some of the Twitter “lingo”, we started talking about how they could use Twitter as a class. I suggested they set up a hashtag for their class, which allowed them to all colloraborate in real-time discussion. Below, I will explain how they have used their hashtag and how Twitter inspired them to make their voice as a class even stronger.

Their Class Hashtag: #litcon

Setting up a hashtag for their class has been extremely successful. The hashtag allows for collaboration between classmates and free flowing thoughts and ideas throughout the lecture. The #litcon search is shown in real time throughout their class and it is projected at the front of the classroom where everyone can see it. Sometimes, the teacher will ask the students to tweet on a specific throught or idea and other times, the students tweet on their own throughout lecture when a thought comes to mind. With the #litcon hashtag, the students also share links with each other to their blogs.

The class was so inspired by Twitter and its ability to share information, they decided to create a Twitter account for their class campaign, charity: water | water for schools.

@Casady4H2OPE

Their class Twitter account, @Casady4H2OPE, shares class updates on their campaign status and also provides important facts to support their cause. Although their campaign doesn’t officially launch until December, they are already developing a following so that when their campaign begins, they can use Twitter as an additional resource to help them reach their goal of raising $20K to provide clean drinking water for 1,000 students in Africa.

Class Rules and Regulations

All of the students have their accounts set to private. I recommend this for anyone under the age of 18. They are all following each other and they can see each other’s tweets, but if anyone outside of their classroom wants to follow them, they have to personally accept the follow request. This allows them to use Twitter safely.
During class, they tweet only about class. Students can only tweet about class-related topics and use their class hashtag while they are in class. After class, they are free to tweet about whatever they may like and also further explore the platform.
Certain students are in charge of their class account. Only a few students update their class account, @Casady4H2OPE. If students not in charge of updating the account have a tweet for their class account, the can share it using their class hashtag, #litcon.

So far, Twitter has proved to be a valuable resource for students at Casady. Hopefully, this class will inspire others to use Twitter as a means for educational communication and collaboration. Feel free to follow along their class account, @Casady4H2OPE, to keep up with their campaign or ask them questions about their utilization of Twitter. This group of high school students is truly “in the know.”

Author:

Make a Commitment to Your Personal Brand

Jamie Mitcham — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:49 +0000

Some people have a hard time with commitment. Are you one of those people? If so, it’s time to change. When it comes to your personal brand, take the bull by the horns and make a commitment to build your brand well.

Developing your personal brand takes work. Just like relationships, there will be ups and downs when developing your personal brand. Some days, it will feel like you are making connections and interacting with your network and other days you will struggle simply to find the time to do so. In order for your personal brand to be successful, you have to commit time to it.

Never Stop “Dating” Your Personal Brand

When I asked my grandparents how they stayed in love for more than 50 years, they simply replied, “We never stoped dating.” They made a commitment to never let their relationship get boring, and it never did. The same goes with your personal brand. Continuously engage your audience and interact with them. Share fresh ideas and change things up. Engage your audience on more than one platform (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and use the appropriate voice on each network. You have to court your network in the same way you would court a potential suitor.

Balance ”Give” and “Take”

Equally important is giving back to your network what you take from it. Use your network in a positive way and learn from your peers. The more you learn, the more you can give. The most important aspect is to find the correct balance of give and take. I always say that in a relationship, each person should strive to give 110 percent every day because some days one partner won’t be able to give 100 percent. If each person strives to always give 110 percent, when one partner can’t, the difference will be made up. The same goes with the relationship between your personal brand and your network.

Always Kiss Goodnight

At the end of the day, embrace your personal brand. Acknowledge your hard work and be satisfied with it. The influx of knowledge that surrounds you might have you feeling inadequate at times, but understand that your efforts make a difference. Also, make sure you are satisfied with your personal brand before you go to sleep. If there is something bothering you in regards to your personal brand, take the time to fix it. The more you enjoy developing your personal brand, the better it will be.

Your day-to-day relationships go hand in hand with your personal brand. The efforts you are putting into your personal brand should mirror the efforts you would put into a relationship you really care about. The more you “give” to your personal brand, the more success you will have with it. And at the end of the day, don’t break up with your personal brand- marry it.

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Personal Branding Basics: It’s All About Communication

Jamie Mitcham — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:00:00 +0000

When developing a personal brand, it is best to start with the basics and go from there. In this three-part blog series, I have already established two of the three personal branding basics: developing a strong network and managing your online reputation.

In the final post for this series, I will cover the third personal branding basic: communication.

Using communication within your network is key. Communication will strengthen the connections you have already made, as well as help you make future connections outside of your current network. Communication also helps strengthen your online reputation because it gives your personal brand more depth.

Communication, like networking, is something we already do every day. Nonetheless, there are always opportunities to further improve your communication skills.

Here are a few pointers for great communication:

General Tips and Tricks:

Always use proper grammar and double-check your spelling when communicating online. Double check the e-mails and messages you send to other people, regardless of who they are. The way you communicate via e-mail says a great deal about your professionalism. Avoid using too many exclamation points, particularly when writing to professors or professional contacts.
Don’t just be a one-way communicator. It is important for you to “give back” to your network and share others’ ideas with the rest of your network in case someone else can help or give great feedback. Equally important is responding to others who reach out to you with ideas or for advice. You never know who will swoop in to help you out in the future!
Think of communication as a tool. You have to use it the right way for it to work. Make sure you communicate your points and don’t add too much fluff. Make a case with your writing and use it to showcase your strengths. Strong writing skills are an asset that any company would want to have in a future employee.

Personal Branding Basics: Let’s Review

It’s all about networking
It’s all about managing your online reputation
It’s all about communication

Starting with the basics is the only way to develop the rest of your personal brand successfully. It is important to keep in mind that you cannot build the perfect brand overnight; it takes time to develop something great. Having patience goes a long way when it comes to developing your personal brand. Don’t be afraid to make a few mistakes along the way and never lose sight of who you are. After all, no one is better at being you than you!

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Personal Branding Basics: It’s All About Managing Your Online Reputation

Jamie Mitcham — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:12 +0000

In the first post I wrote for studentbranding.com, I noted that the best way to develop your personal brand is to start with the basics. As I continue this three part blog series, I will go over the specifics of these personal branding basics.

The first post highlighted the importance of networking when it comes to your personal brand. This post will cover the second personal branding basic: the ability to manage your reputation on the Web.

Managing your reputation is something you do every day when you are with your friends, family, teachers and professors. Depending on the person you are talking to, you may say different things or behave in slightly different ways. You want to appear cool to your friends and smart to your teachers and professors. We often do not think consciously about our shifting behaviors; it is just a natural byproduct of being around different types of people.

Managing your reputation online is just as important as managing your in-person reputation. When interacting on the Web, you are networking with all of these audiences at once. It is necessary to portray yourself in a positive light online because you never know who might be looking at your Facebook profile or Twitter page. Your online reputation is something you can- and should- take control over.

High School Students

Follow this rule: If you wouldn’t want your mom to see it, don’t post it online. When you post pictures, status updates and wall posts online they instantly become endorsed by you. When you begin filling out college applications, make sure there is nothing online that will come back to haunt you. Research shows that 61% of colleges are currently involved with social networking sites, a statistic that will surely increase with time.

College Students

Beware of anything online with your name on it. The pictures and comments you post online should be fully represented by you both personally and professionally. Sure, the toga party was a blast- but are the pictures worth losing a future internship or job over? Keep them in a safe place at home and watch for the pictures people “tag” of you on Facebook. Privacy settings are your friend across all social networks. Use them!

Other options to consider:

Profile pictures: Many times, your profile picture is the first impression people have of you. Make sure you chose a profile picture that stays true to who you are while also remaining professional.

Profile information: The information on your profile is your personal real estate to manage and call your own. Make sure you utilize the space you have to come across as interesting, professional and personable. On Twitter, make sure the bio line tells the reader the most important piece of information about you.

One Last thing…

Google yourself. Type your name into Google and conduct a search for yourself. Do you like everything you see? If not, make sure you are taking the necessary steps to change or edit the information in your control. Like I stated above, controlling your reputation online is just as important as controlling your reputation in real life.

Author:

Personal Branding Basics: It’s all about networking

Jamie Mitcham — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:00:16 +0000

The best way to develop your personal brand is to start with the basics. In my first three introductory posts for studentbranding.com, I will give one significant reason you should be developing a brand for yourself no matter the stage you’re at as a student.

The first reason personal branding is so important to your future success is simple, it’s a little thing called networking. Sure, it sounds simple and it is something you do every day, but I will challenge you to take your networking online to create contacts that are outside of your teachers, colleagues and professors.

Listed below are networking opportunities that can take you to the next level in your life and your career.

High School Students

Don’t think personal branding is important for you yet? Think again. What is the college that you are dying to get into? Got it? Here’s what you need to do: Become an ambassador for the college before you even get accepted. Develop a blog and write content about the college. It can be about their academics, their sports program, anything. Just show that you care and you’re keeping up with them. Then, take your blog one step further and share it with the college and people who go there. It’s easier than you think. Most colleges and universities have Facebook pages and Twitter pages. Interact with the community you find and bam! You’re already a giant steps ahead of other applicants.

College Students

Creating an online identity will help you interact with people working in the field you’re studying. I suggest creating a Twitter account and finding relevant people in your field to “follow” on Twitter. Once you’re following the thought leaders in your field, you will have a peek into their insights and also gain the ability to interact and share with them. Developing these online connections will no doubt help you land your first job, second job, and so forth after graduation.

Graduate Students

By now you’ve been through the motions of college and now it’s time to get focused. You have a degree under your belt and you’re going one step further in continuing your education. Take the knowledge you have learned along the way and archive it through blog posts that relate to your major and the future career you’re dreaming of. Promote your blog to your professors and colleagues and create an online conversation through it. This will show your leadership and intellect while also opening the door to conversations with future employers.

I personally hold firm in the time-tested belief that at the end of the day, it’s all about who you know. When you are ready to take the next step in your life make sure you have a positive network supporting you. Networking online is indeed free, but I would much rather say it is priceless.

Related Links:

Colleges on Twitter: http://twitter.com/higheredu
Colleges on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/higheredu
Book: Networking for Dummies: http://www.amazon.com/Networking-Dummies-Sixth-Doug-Lowe/dp/0764516779

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