From shaping your personal brand to finding development opportunities, Maria Villela shares her tips on how to make the most of being a One Young World Ambassador.
My LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram accounts all have something in common: they proudly show that I am a One Young World Ambassador. Behind this decision lies several reasons that range from my deep appreciation for being part of this incredible network, to my personal strategy for personal branding at work. I personally have seen very positive results in all those aspects. Here are some reasons you should also take advantage of your OYW Ambassador status:
1) Personal branding
How you present yourself has a great influence over the type of crowd you attract and networking with the right people is important to achieving your goals. Either that is growing a social entrepreneurship or climbing the corporate ladder, you should think of some key characteristics that will make your profile stand out and help people remember you easier. In my opinion, having one of those key elements be the OYW status has been truly beneficial. I have used it to start conversations with our company’s leaders regarding many topics that have advanced my career such as my motivations for getting involved in OYW, the importance of reimagining our corporate social responsibility strategy, and intrapreneurship as a way to develop leadership skills. Overall, what I have seen is that they feel very curious to learn more about the subject. After I meet a business leader and I add them to my LinkedIn network and our intranet network, they will be reminded once again of who I am and see this key aspect about myself highlighted. Add your One Young World ambassador to your LinkedIn account and make your profile stand out from the rest.
Maria shows how to demonstrate your status as an Ambassador on social media.
2) Scholarships, grants, and opportunities
One Young World is a very well-known charity in both the corporate and the NGO worlds. Corporations and organizations all over the world are aware of our reputation as the most important young leadership summit. Recently, I applied for a spot in a communications program and the selection panel was happy to see my OYW Ambassador status in my resume and social media. They were very familiar with our network and knew the type of change agents and leaders that OYW gathers. Furthermore, as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility team of my company, seeing the OYW status in an organization looking to partner with us is also very positive. This year alone, my office partnered with 3 different organizations led by One Young World ambassadors that were looking for grants and volunteers. Based on my personal experience in both ends of the process, mentioning your OYW status while applying for scholarships, grants, and opportunities can only help your case.
3) Find your tribe
I don’t think you ever finish meeting new people during the Summit and we highly encourage you to keep building connections after you come back home. Adding your OYW status to your preferred social media like Twitter or Facebook will help narrow down demographics and foster those strategic relationships with people who care about the same causes you do. Connecting with others in similar fields may help you amplify your impact and bring visibility to the causes for which you are passionate.
Maria with other One Young World Coordinating Ambassadors.
4) Show your support
The road to changing the world might sometimes feel like a lonely journey. However, by showing your support to OYW you are also supporting hundreds of ambassadors trying to affect change in their communities no matter how far or how close they are from you.
5) Sense of community
Not everything is business. Besides helping my OYW family locate my profile among the thousands of “Marias” in the world, I share my One Young World Status to my friends and family via social media because it reinforces our sense of community. As a OYW Ambassador, you are part of a network of 9000+ change agents, young leaders, and disrupters working hard to bring positive change to the world. Among countless people, you were selected to attend a life-changing experience along some of the most admirable innovators of our generation. Either you attended thanks to a scholarship, a corporate sponsorship, or personal investment, you know how hard your journey was to get there. You should be proud of that.
Maria with fellow One Young World Ambassador Tanjila Drishti
In summary, showing off your OYW Ambassador status in your social media can be very beneficial to make your profile stand out, reinforce what is important to you, and connect with other ambassadors and change makers. You are fortunate to be part of a big family of people from all corners of the world trying to effect positive change, so do not be afraid of taking advantage of your OYW Ambassador status.
