Just this week, I got an e-mail which stated I didn’t get the job as a Drama Library Assistant for my school. Last week, I promoted my Historical Fencing Club at the annual Activities Fair amongst hundreds of people and multiple interesting clubs. Finally, I’m planning to apply to International Studies this quarter or next, and thus started to write a piece about my goals and background and how will that apply to the major.

This bears some resemblances in high school, in which I applied for jobs during the summer before college, promoted Fencing Club during the annual Clubs’ Fair in the fall, and applied for colleges across the country through promoting what I can contribute to the campus through my skills, interests, and personality.

And all of these scenarios, combined with the casual conversations about joining a club, going to a meeting, or posting positive parts of ourselves on social media, is all a bit of self-promotion.

To be honest, I am, like a bunch of people, not a fan of advertisements. I have AdBlock on my Chrome browser, I am averse to promotion for everything from the new iPhone to law services on television. The election shows the multiple candidates presenting an image of a better United States, yet with the same glitz and glamour and insults at everyone else. I never thought of marketing as a profession; I’m still not interested in and am even hostile to it.

But it’s not only just a jeer towards everyone else nor a lament before I get to watch some of my favorite shows online. Nor is it just because I know social media is just a window into another person’s soul. It’s because I try to be honest with other people and ensure that they aren’t getting a person who, as they say, “a rose without a thorn”. Just like thorns which mmakeroses a bit more dangerous, yet also more alluring, I believe we should be open with our faults.

However, it’s just as important to “put your best foot forward”--to show that you and you alone can do the job, publish that book, lead that club better than everyone else would. And that you’re positive and persistent and pretty much as perfect as perfect gets. I don’t do that as much--I’m a relatively humble person who says “sorry” a lot and goes at 80% strength most of the time.

A bit contradictory? Yes--but the ultimate thing I suggest is to do as good of work as you can in any field, whether it’s in creative writing, physics, computer programming, or even marketing. And then you could promote yourself and beyond using either harmless self-promotion...or even more boisterous self-promotion. No matter what, people would then believe what they are getting, and you would build your own life on a stable foundation.