Tooting Your Own Horn

Part of my Sunday has been spent working on an article for the NEWH Atlanta magazine. I was given the assignment of writing an article about a particular Atlanta based design firm and a hotel project they completed in San Diego, CA. As I jotted down notes on the audio recording I took when interviewing one of the owners and read the press releases about the hotel, I began to think about just how much these designers/firms talk about themselves and their work. My own boss has a tendency to relate any topic of conversation to past projects or a unique solution he came up with. It's frustrating to his employees because he prominently uses "I" instead of "we". But does it frustrate the other people involved in the conversation? Do they see it as bragging or marketing?

Where should a designer draw the lines between pride, ego-stroking, bragging, self-promotion, and sharing experiences? How do you know when tooting your own horn is getting too loud?

Creating the correct dynamic for self promotion is very important to me right now. While I am trying to establish myself as a capable designer and I have gained more hands on experience than most first year designers, I know that I am far from being able to find solutions for all of the issues that arise in a project's scope of work. Like I said in my last post, I have a learning curve, but I know that I have the ability to pick up skills quickly. I know that I will one day be a competent, efficient, effective designer. Skills like confident public speaking and being comfortable meeting new people have always come naturally to me, but expressing how and why I am a step above has not.

Basically, I don't have the gene that makes me toot my own horn voluntarily.

Growing up I was taught to be humble, don't beg for compliments, you shouldn't have to tell people how awesome you are because it will show on its own. I was taught to always give credit to the group because "if you ever see a turtle on a fencepost, you know he did not get there by himself!" This makes things like defining skills, composing a coverletter and resume, and answering questions about my work difficult. I don't want the content of my coverletter to read like an Oscars acceptance speech.

"First of all, I would like to thank The Academy... (pause for effect).. And I would like to thank my dad for helping me move furniture in my room so often as a child and HGTV for giving Candace Olsen a show. Thank you to all of my professors and classmates, especially when I had not slept in days and looked like the walking dead and they still acted like I had good ideas even though I was speaking gibberish..."

How absurd!

So my challenge for the upcoming opportunities is to get into a "moi mode" and come up with some really great self-selling points. I feel that with my current position and hang ups, it might be most advantageous me to toot my horn in a way that will show how I will benefit other designers, projects, and efficiency in a firm.

Here goes...

TOOT TOOT!!