In addition to this blog and LinkedIn, I tweet occasionally and am active on Facebook. My network on each is fairly different. My LinkedIn network reflects my professional connections -- people I have worked with, vendors I know, etc. Facebook is for my actual friends (which is why some people are connections on both). I generally don’t say the same things on Twitter or LinkedIn that I would on Facebook, and don't have them feed each other. Do my high school friends and family care what I think about cloud computing? Does my professional network need to know that I’m having trouble managing my son’s transition into kindergarten?
One of the ways I have tried to keep my personal and professional identities separate is by using different names. When I got married I had been working for long enough that I felt it was important not to change my name. At the same time, I felt it was important for my future family to have the same last name. Since some of my bosses and many of the reporters I worked with had dual identities, it made sense to me to follow their lead. Believe it or not, many people don't pronounce or spell "Kristen" correctly, so I certainly wasn’t going to add "Syrek" to that challenge.
This strategy has worked pretty well. Most of my former colleagues know that Wilson is my maiden name and I use it for work. They aren't surprised to get emails from my home account with my full name or receive a holiday card from the Syreks. They also know how to find me at a hotel when I travel for work (not that anyone calls the front desk anymore). Although it was a little bit confusing when we decided to name our son “Wilson,” most people quickly understood that we didn’t name him Wilson Wilson.
With the growth of social networking and personal branding, this strategy has become a bit of a challenge. Since Facebook is for friends, and I have friends from all parts of my life, my name is listed as “Kristen Wilson Syrek.” LinkedIn was just “Kristen Wilson” until it made sense to connect with my husband’s business colleagues and some of my son’s friends’ parents. Now you’ll see (Syrek) at the end of my name. Does this make it difficult for prospective employers to find me? Does it hurt my personal brand to have a dual identity? What if one of those names is common and the other is unique?
Is there a benefit to combining my names and networks and sharing everything with everyone? Things that happen in my personal life help to shape my professional one. For now I think I will follow my own PR advice -- know thine audience. Publish the right content to the right audience with the right identity. What do you think?
One of the ways I have tried to keep my personal and professional identities separate is by using different names. When I got married I had been working for long enough that I felt it was important not to change my name. At the same time, I felt it was important for my future family to have the same last name. Since some of my bosses and many of the reporters I worked with had dual identities, it made sense to me to follow their lead. Believe it or not, many people don't pronounce or spell "Kristen" correctly, so I certainly wasn’t going to add "Syrek" to that challenge.
This strategy has worked pretty well. Most of my former colleagues know that Wilson is my maiden name and I use it for work. They aren't surprised to get emails from my home account with my full name or receive a holiday card from the Syreks. They also know how to find me at a hotel when I travel for work (not that anyone calls the front desk anymore). Although it was a little bit confusing when we decided to name our son “Wilson,” most people quickly understood that we didn’t name him Wilson Wilson.
With the growth of social networking and personal branding, this strategy has become a bit of a challenge. Since Facebook is for friends, and I have friends from all parts of my life, my name is listed as “Kristen Wilson Syrek.” LinkedIn was just “Kristen Wilson” until it made sense to connect with my husband’s business colleagues and some of my son’s friends’ parents. Now you’ll see (Syrek) at the end of my name. Does this make it difficult for prospective employers to find me? Does it hurt my personal brand to have a dual identity? What if one of those names is common and the other is unique?
Is there a benefit to combining my names and networks and sharing everything with everyone? Things that happen in my personal life help to shape my professional one. For now I think I will follow my own PR advice -- know thine audience. Publish the right content to the right audience with the right identity. What do you think?
Hey girl, I put your blog in my favorites. Looks good! I don't know about personal branding but it all comes down to good character really doesn't it? Take care and Hi! to the family. -Erika
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erika! It really does. Hello to your.
ReplyDeleteI loved this. It really is a good question. If I, as an actor, change my name, does it change the way I am seen or the characters I play? If I had a stronger name, a more "ethnic" name, a funky name? Should I change it to a modern name to appear younger? Actors have been changing their name for years to change their brand.
ReplyDeleteWould Whoopie Goldberg have the same career if she went by Caryn Johnson? And would Michael Landon be the father of the prairie as Eugene Orowitz? And what does that say about Tracey B. Wilson? Good question!