UW-La Crosse’s Creative Imperatives festival opened to the public on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. The theme for this year was “Identity Matters” and held a variety of events that explored different realms of identity in the personal and professional world.

One such event was Professional Identity and Personal Brand held by Dr. Lindsay Steiner in the Center for the Arts building. Steiner commented on what it means to stand out to prospective employers, “Students have so many opportunities to get involved, so self-motivation is needed to stand out. It’s really helpful to expand your skills in as many ways as possible across different areas of study.”

Steiner elaborated, “Starting early in your college career and contacting people doing the type of things or work you are interested in is very important.”

In order to stand out, Steiner explained, “Effective communication, teamwork, adaptability, and questioning the critical deeper thinking component will often send you over the edge.”

Steiner continued, “Talking about yourself and communicating about yourself in a way that is authentic and connects with whoever you are communicating with will get you far. You should make sure you are seen as someone who can work with others and make shared goals happen.”

UW-L junior Riley Stiemsma spoke about the creative imperatives event, “I learned a lot of helpful information about myself and how to create a more unique appearance,” Stiemsma elaborated, “There were things I didn’t realize before about maintaining a professional identity. Lindsay explained to us a lot of the components that make a strong professional identity and how to say it in a way that impressed employers.”

Stiemsma continued, “I learned that pinning down exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are will help you establish yourself in a more appealing way. I’m glad that I attended this event.”

Creating a personal brand was also a topic discussed during this event. Steiner stated, “Develop a digital professional self that even builds you relationships. Social media is a very popular way of communication and you should utilize websites like LinkedIn when looking for a job.”

Professional identity is a topic that a lot of college students are not fully prepared for yet. Events like this one allow students to diversify their knowledge of different ways to expand and develop themselves after graduation. Students that are graduating soon can prepare themselves by attending on-campus events like this one to give themselves an idea of how to stand out in the professional world.