Rud 3: Professional Brand

A few years ago I decided to link as much as I could under 'walker abroad.' I felt it encompassed my view on the world: I was abroad in search of knowledge. I was walking down many avenues but these avenues were unnamed and unlimited. I was Walker Abroad. It's not quite the statement of a superhero but it'll do!

I use this photo of Lake Bohinj in Slovenia because I think it fits in well with 'Walker Abroad.' Part of the lake is unclear because the sun is shining on it. The rest of the lake and the mountains are clear because I'm underneath a canopy and I've a good view of them.

I know I could use a photo of me and I use this one for conferences but I've deliberately chosen not to use it for anything else.


I've done a few 23 Things and each time I get to the LinkedIn Thing or challenge as it becomes my participation in the project grinds to a spectacular halt. I don't know what mind block I have with LinkedIn but I am a reluctant participant. I chose to create an About.Me account as a way to counteract this mind block. I definitely found it more fun to populate as the constant scrolling with LinkedIn is tiring. I liked its layout and the way it was less serious than LinkedIn. Perhaps they're supposed to be viewed in the same way - this is one's professional brand after all - but I didn't perceive it as so. This is why on About.Me I describe myself as an 'Information Rockstar.'

I started this post in July and over the last six months I've returned to both LinkedIn and About.Me to update various parts of it. I still haven't written the summary part of LinkedIn. While I am an information professional with ten years experience in libraries I still find it difficult to get the core of what is is that I do.

For the moment I'm going to stick with Chris Hadfield's philosophy for how to view the world & myself: "Think like an astronaut."