Techtribe's Blogging Challenge

A few weeks ago, Techtribe organized a "Nationwide Blogging Challenge" with 3 topics to select from. The winner for each category can choose either an iPod or Xbox-360, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th winners will receive an autographed copy of "How Innovators Connect".

The topics for the contest include...

• How has networking helped your career?
• What makes you unique / How does your personal brand differ?
• What innovation do you believe will help India?

I picked the one that revolves around our personal brand (2nd topic in the list), as it involves some degree of introspection in the process. Today morning, I was delighted to receive an email that announced the results of the contest. My article was chosen to be the top winner in its category.

Writing about self is always fun, and even better is to get rewarded. Once again, my sincere thanks to Techtribe and the selection panel for counting upon my article.

Check out my article: My Personal Brand at Techtribe, or you can read it here...

My Personal Brand
Posted by Seshu Karthick (Cosmican) on 20 Mar 2007

Sensing a personal brand usually starts from within. We subconsciously agree that everyone of us is unique. Its only when we consciously realize that we can accomplish a task or excel others in a particular domain, the notion of self-confidence arises. My own personal brand starts with acknowledging the roots of self-confidence, which is to identify the object of passion. I am passionate about Computer Science, and thats my strength. Since childhood, I've been a good software programmer, and often the first one in my class to get the program working. Having gained insight on what my passion is, I established my personal brand as "An exceptionally good programmer".

We can regard one's personal brand as the brand of a company (with size one). Integrity, Excellence, and the Can-do Attitude are the highlights of my brand. Personal Integrity is one thing I always treasure, and shall never trade it for anything. I firmly believe in honesty, candidness, and living life with a set of strong principles.

In showing excellence, I prefer to differ from the rest. So, I aced a couple of SUN certification exams, and proved my ability to write high quality industry-standard Java code. This gave me an edge over other buddies in getting internships, and the job of my choice. Recently, I developed a few web-applications using latest development techniques, just to catch up with the buzz in the industry. I feel unique in my ability since none of my friends have accomplished what I did. This tendency of mine to stand-out from the rest is now an integral part of my personality. Thankfully, it got me far away from the "Me too" model of existence. Probably thats why I bought a German car when all my friends preferred Japanese.

The attitude at which we perceive things plays a crucial role in determining what is in store for us. My Can-do attitude includes the positive aspects of being headstrong and relentless.

The word "Headstrong", when perceived in positive light is one of my favorite words. It describes my own personal mindset and inner confidence. I believe that a wavering mind can not make big decisions, and eventually can never make it big in life. So, I make a decision once, but make it with confidence and sufficient analysis. I get advice from all, and decide on my own with the help of cumulative intelligence. It further facilitates me to have a backup plan-B for every action/decision I take. This is a crucial part of my success-story.

Being relentless is yet another quality I am blessed with. Without this energy, I would not have gone out of my way to possess certifications, create amateur web-applications, and keep up the pace with technology. I practically follow the wise words "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached". My graduate degree is an exemplification of my relentless attitude towards gaining expertise in Computer Science. In simple words, I just love what I do, and do what I love with tremendous energy.

The last piece of the puzzle is my tendency to always be on a lookout for improvement. I take up suggestions and opinions from others, and consider them for my betterment in a total egoless fashion. Usually when ego makes friendship with self-confidence, the result is very unpleasant... its called over-confidence. Having understood this concept, I am able to ward it off with humbleness and acceptance.