I was just a name, a resume, an interesting read from time to time on LinkedIn, until my current employer read – Slack.
I thought only the cool kids in a fancy college judged what brands you wore, or rich teens in a party would look you up and down and put you in a category based on what brands you were wearing. We were automatically rejected and put in the social group where we belonged, among the unbranded. When I failed to even go to an acceptably branded master’s college, I knew, my professional life much like my social life, is going to be mediocre at best.
Shakespeare once said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”. He may have been on to something in a metaverse which can be controlled artificially, but in the real world, if you did not carry a tag of a known university or a good organisation, you would be that rose that was left to wither. As a Recruiter, I know that I have many a times rejected candidates whose resume did not have the brand names we were looking for. How many top organisation do you see fighting over candidates from nameless colleges and companies? Why every Indian parent with a child who gets 98% in their boards, even today, sacrifice everything to get them the best coaching for IIT-JEE and NEET? It’s only in my late 30’s did I realised, Brand Matters.
When I looked at an opening in Google, Facebook, Salesforce etc, I would not even bother applying. I knew they must have built their AI to reject any “brand-less” companies and university in the resume stage itself, so why bother! So when I got a call to join Slack, I was shocked. Now, let me tell you, this was the sheer power of connections and the right way to use a social media platform like LinkedIn. I won’t go into that today, but may soon someday on this blog. Slack just happened to me, it was like a reward for all the 10 years of hard work, perseverance and putting up with many difficult people and situations. We all reach our destination eventually, but the only difference is the ones with a brand name get there faster. It took me 10 years to get a call that changed my course of professional life. My family members, friends, ex-colleagues suddenly looked at me with respect. What I said, mattered! I was now someone who was taken seriously as a professional recruiter. It is sad, that I needed a brand, to determine how good I am at my work, or be judged by a name on my resume, but that is a true fact. In Slack I was surrounded by brilliant people from Google, Netflix, Microsoft and soon I realised I was maybe the only one without a brand. But truly, I was never made to feel that way. Immediately, Slack became even more special. They saw the value I brought in with my 10 years of experience. The Ivy Leagues pass out, IITians, BITs grads, Google and Microsoft tagged employee listened to me intently and heard my opinions. They could build fantastic products, but I could bring in fantastic people to build their team.
I am grateful for getting an opportunity to work for a wonderful company and brand as Slack. I am even more grateful for getting an opportunity to work with some brilliant minds and human beings in the process. But I am most grateful for my not so branded colleges, companies and places I have worked, who moulded me into the professional that I am today.
Walk of Faith 