Branded a Tater
It seems that 2012 I’ll be engaging in the esoteric art of ‘branding’.
On the professional front work is making me take a role in the business side of things. While I don’t have to bring in contracts (so far) I have been in proposal meetings and I have worked out contract solutions despite not being a business guy. My work in the security field is getting out there more and I’m communicating with my peers - and beyond - thanks to LinkedIn. I’ve already had some… interesting… conversations with people in the security, intelligence and operational (read: shooters) fields about subjects like torture and kidnapping. A lot of those folks are new to the internet, and it’ll be easy to build myself up in a certain way, if I want to. I don’t want to defraud anyone, but the issue is selling myself to my advantage.
And it’s an interesting evolution of online identity. As part of my personality makeover back when I chose to match my online identity to my real one. Meaning, I wouldn’t use pseudonyms anymore, not even ‘Covax’*. I was Laszlo, Kovacs, Laz or, when desperate, CallMeLaz. Trying to keep a look on personal info, I still maintained who I was openly. Yes I’m a security guy, yes I’m a geek that loves sci-fi, anime and video games, yes I’m trained on how to handcuff people, yes I makes movies, yes I have (had) a private investigator’s licence. And that’s still my attitude, really. For a bit there I was concerned about adding in the Key Pixel stuff on my linked in profile along with the security consulting stuff but, fuck it, I am who I am. Both sides contribute positively to the world. I mean, sure, at some point there will be things I won’t be able to make movies of - for example if I become involved with a project dealing with narco cartels, I’m not going to be involved an anti-naro movie. It’d just make on about organ pirates in 2107 (:-P) Other than that, I don’t see any conflicts.
In the meantime however, I still need to slick up my image. My original resume was written to help with a carer leading from a supervisory position to a management position. Guard -> Supervisor -> Security Manager -> etc. Nowadays I’m more a consultant, a ‘subject matter expert’. Buried in the Coprs’ computer I’m listed as a Physical Surveyor and at Agriculture I’m a TRA Officer and, unofficially, Intelligence Officer. I’ve been subverting those titles however, listing my title as an Analyst rather than Officer. Officer may sound cooler to the average Joe, but Analyst attracts more attention and seems to garner more respect. An Officer is a static job, while an Analyst is an evolving career.
* Ironically this morning I received an e-mail from a guy wanting permission to use one of my Jedi Academy game modifications. I signed the reply ‘Covax’ for the first time in half a decade.
On the professional front work is making me take a role in the business side of things. While I don’t have to bring in contracts (so far) I have been in proposal meetings and I have worked out contract solutions despite not being a business guy. My work in the security field is getting out there more and I’m communicating with my peers - and beyond - thanks to LinkedIn. I’ve already had some… interesting… conversations with people in the security, intelligence and operational (read: shooters) fields about subjects like torture and kidnapping. A lot of those folks are new to the internet, and it’ll be easy to build myself up in a certain way, if I want to. I don’t want to defraud anyone, but the issue is selling myself to my advantage.
And it’s an interesting evolution of online identity. As part of my personality makeover back when I chose to match my online identity to my real one. Meaning, I wouldn’t use pseudonyms anymore, not even ‘Covax’*. I was Laszlo, Kovacs, Laz or, when desperate, CallMeLaz. Trying to keep a look on personal info, I still maintained who I was openly. Yes I’m a security guy, yes I’m a geek that loves sci-fi, anime and video games, yes I’m trained on how to handcuff people, yes I makes movies, yes I have (had) a private investigator’s licence. And that’s still my attitude, really. For a bit there I was concerned about adding in the Key Pixel stuff on my linked in profile along with the security consulting stuff but, fuck it, I am who I am. Both sides contribute positively to the world. I mean, sure, at some point there will be things I won’t be able to make movies of - for example if I become involved with a project dealing with narco cartels, I’m not going to be involved an anti-naro movie. It’d just make on about organ pirates in 2107 (:-P) Other than that, I don’t see any conflicts.
In the meantime however, I still need to slick up my image. My original resume was written to help with a carer leading from a supervisory position to a management position. Guard -> Supervisor -> Security Manager -> etc. Nowadays I’m more a consultant, a ‘subject matter expert’. Buried in the Coprs’ computer I’m listed as a Physical Surveyor and at Agriculture I’m a TRA Officer and, unofficially, Intelligence Officer. I’ve been subverting those titles however, listing my title as an Analyst rather than Officer. Officer may sound cooler to the average Joe, but Analyst attracts more attention and seems to garner more respect. An Officer is a static job, while an Analyst is an evolving career.
* Ironically this morning I received an e-mail from a guy wanting permission to use one of my Jedi Academy game modifications. I signed the reply ‘Covax’ for the first time in half a decade.