ashleighutchinson

[ashleighutchinson]

At first, I was not a fan of group work and despised constantly having to get in groups to complete assignments. I’ve been to college before (for photography) and everything was individually done- no group work, so it was extremely aggravating. Over time, I have gotten used to working in groups and learning how to deal with different personalities while completing a project. Unfortunately, most groups I’ve been stuck with in the past year and a half have been slacker type people who aren’t too concerned about high grades, writing quality content, or learning/having fun from doing these big group projects. I have had to pull a lot of weight, re-do a lot of work and learn how to just be assertive and tell people what I need from them. I am 24, so I am a little older than most people in the program (gag) and sometimes they expect me to handle, organize, and lead everything because I am older and trying to get things done accordingly. I don’t like people assuming I can fill this role, but I have been forced too, which has actually developed my skills a lot. I have also had to work with people who are on a high horse who treat others poorly because they think their work isn’t up to par with theirs. I am a sensitive person and I don’t like people being mean to me for no reason or treating me like I’m below them. Again, with dealing with different personality types, I had to learn to get over this and just work with them until the job was done.

I feel like I am starting to develop a more positive outlook on group work because I am more confident working with people I don’t know, explaining what I want to accomplish, bouncing ideas off one another, and working as a team. For term projects, I have been in charge of the more creative sides of things like creating posters, websites, blogs, content, etc. I believe this is a great skill that I bring to the table every time and many people notice this great skill I have. I am great at communicating with others effectively to get things accomplished and scheduling what needs to be done.

[ashleighutchinson]

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The once you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie Oral presentations have always been a burden for me growing up.  Speeches were not my forte and I would prefer to avoid them at all costs if I could. However, oral presentation skills are a vital part of my future career in the marketing industry and a fantastic skill to master. Over the past year, I was been learning new skills in my communications courses to implement into my daily interactions. Learning how to speak to unfamiliar faces, using hand gestures, and listening inattentively are a few valuable skills I’ve learned to help my communication come across as professional.  

Although I get nervous speaking to people, I have much more confidence speaking to a group of people rather than an individual. I am much less nervous as I can get in front of a group or class and speak publicly, however, I am still getting used to speaking from the heart instead of trying to memorize content or reading from slides. I find that I babble a bit, and the “Uh’s” and “Um’s” come out when I start to speak without a reference. I am slowly working towards tackling this, and my oral presentation skills will be much better! I have my own personal issues with anxiety, it is hard to cover come mental health issues. I have been trying to overcome my own issues by going to see a councillor to help overcome my social anxieties. I have also read some books about communicating on my own time and have been trying to make new friends. In the marketing industry, I will need to learn to work as a team, listen to others, and pitch ideas to clients and co-workers. Oral presentation skills are a vital part of the future of my career and I am learning more and more every day!

[ashleighutchinson]

You can always turn a negative into a positive! Over the years I gained hard and soft skills in many industries. There are weaknesses I see in myself, but I can always turn around to see the positive in that. Here are a few soft skills that are a little weak, but I have turned around into positive statements about myself!

I am quite introverted and it can affect networking and business setting. I would like to work on this and become more of an extroverted person when I graduate and enter the workplace. Although I am quite reserved, I am a good listener as I can obtain and process information notably.

As many millennials are, I am a good multi-tasker.  this can be a burden when I need to put more focus on a specific project. Learning how to do one thing at a time is beneficial. I can get several tasks done at once and focus on more than one project. However,  I like to see this as a strength and a weakness.

I would like to approve upon doing important projects on my own. I get a little anxiety about not meeting the standards of others and letting people down. It creates a set back for me as I would rather work in a team. although I still feel uncomfortable doing an important project alone, I am a great team member and love working together to complete a project! I love bouncing ideas off of other people, using out different skills to work on different parts of the project, learn from one another, and build something together. despite being introverted one-on-one with people, I am fantastic at leading teams and directing where we need to go.

Seeing the good in yourself is the only way to build your confidence and build yourself to be the successful businessman/woman you want to be.

[ashleighutchinson]

WHAT IS MY BRAND?

Hello there! My name is Ashleigh Hutchinson, I am 24 years old and currently studying marketing at Durham College School of Business, IT & Management. I am hardworking, creative, and passionate about art in all its forms. I enjoy taking on projects and working with lots of people because I love learning new things. Over the years, I have marketed several local concerts via social media and print. Having a diploma in photography from Humber College, I have used my artistic abilities to help build the brands of young bands by creating high quality images of their groups to be used for advertising. Besides working with musicians, I have photographed and created content for local restaurant Hulk Hoagies Cheesesteaks, which has grown their social media following exponentially. I am hoping to use my education from marketing and Photography to gain meaningful employment in the future. I am consistently learning new skills, expanding on ideas, and attending marketing workshops. The future is bright!