Talking Yourself Up

Let’s face it: sometimes, you have to impress people.  And while I do not consider myself a braggart, I do consider myself to be a confident, proud individual.  When I meet a new person, I like to make a good first impression.  If I am at a party or social event, and if a person is my age, I don’t spend too much time trying to talk myself up.  I’ll say hi, introduce myself, and possibly share a few details.  Perhaps I will tell this person my rank or my major, but really no details beyond that.  Honestly, there is no reason to try to impress a peer with my credentials.
However, I sometimes find myself in a more sophisticated situation.  In a setting that includes meeting a future employer, an important leader, or–simply put–a person that I want to impress, I will unabashedly talk myself up.
When meeting someone informally, I am Brittany, a freshman Public Affairs major at Ohio State.  But when I meet someone in a more formal setting, I am Brittany Kahn, a first-year Public Affairs major at The Ohio State University.  While my pastimes and extracurriculars are not too important while meeting a peer, I will be sure to let the person I am trying to impress know that I am an active member in several clubs and activities, I balance two jobs, I take 15 credit hours, I volunteer my time to my community, and so on.

Is it bragging? Maybe a little.  It is very difficult to find the balance between talking yourself up and bragging. For example, if I were trying to persuade a civic leader into accepting me as an intern, I would spend my time describing my membership in the John Glenn Learning Community, my major in Public Affairs, and my active role in the Civic Leadership Council.  I would not spend time describing my awards for music and piano: they are not relevant, and mentioning them could possibly come across as bragging.

It’s at this point that I realize that I’ve spent 300 words talking about how awesome I am. I’m not that conceited.  Right guys?  Right?  The point is, I would never bring up my credentials in a social situation unless it is called for.  In college, it is important to be involved, to be active, to do well in classes, and to build up a killer resume.  But at a party, it’s important to chill and be chill.  Find that balance, and you’ll be golden.