BLOG #1 – Creating a Persona

“Kate” – A friend’s younger sister who is 7 years my junior.

            Kate is 24 and living in Washington, DC having recently moved there from New York City.  She grew up in Boston and just started to work for a new company (her second job since graduating from college).  Kate moved to DC on the suggestion of her cousin who lives in DC with her husband and young daughter.  Kate is an outgoing and attractive girl who recently broke up with her boyfriend in NYC.  She has more of a hipster style than the typical preppy girls who live in her Georgetown neighborhood and she has as many (or more) close male friends as female friends.  She loves live music and knows all the up and coming artists.  She lives with a roommate whom she has known since high school.  She doesn’t own a car or even have a driver’s license.

1. What does she think and feel?

           

At this point in her life, Kate is starting to think more about her career, but she also wants to have fun.  She is single in a new city and believes DC will be a fresh start.  Family is important to Kate.  She is very close with her brother who she left behind in NYC, but she is also very close with her cousin whom she views as an older sister / second mother.  She loves that her relationship with her cousin’s family gives her a sense of home in an unfamiliar city. 

Given that she just started a new job, Kate is preoccupied with making a good impression at work, learning the company culture, and understanding how she fits into it.  She wants to make friends at work and get to know them outside of work.  On the other hand she still wants to have fun in DC and meet cool new people.

She worries about making it to work on time and “leaning how not to fuck up” on the job.  She doesn’t expect this company to be her career and, to a certain extent, feels she needs to “fake it till you make it” at work.  She aspires to learn all she can and then move on to the next challenge.

           

2. What does she see?

Kate lives with her friend from Boston in a small apartment in Georgetown.  She goes out every weekend and often to work happy hours.  She works out every day at a local gym and runs home.  She takes the bus to work (or a cab when she is running late). 

            Other than her roommate, she has one other close friend in DC who went to Georgetown University and has a large social circle.  Social activities outside of work normally revolve around that group in local restaurants and bars that offer a myriad of specials and experiences tailored for her demographic.

            Kate lives and works in the same upscale neighborhood that boasts numerous shopping opportunities and significant temptation for someone living on her budget.  This is a “losing battle” according to her.

3. What does she say and do?

Kate appears to be a very confident individual.  She has her own style and generally does not feel the need to conform.  Others respect her for her individuality and sense of self.  She “spends way too much on clothing” and adopts a “work hard, play hard” attitude.  She likes to party and drinks most weekends.  She smokes pot occasionally among good friends and has not dabbled in anything harder since leaving New York (and her ex).

At work Kate feels the need to “tone down” her personality and sometimes has trouble switching into her “work persona”.   As a result, she feels less confident about how to act in the office.  She admits she is a bit naïve and bit gullible. 

           

4. What does she hear?

Kate listens most to her brother and her cousin.  She speaks to her brother daily and they are more than siblings, they are best friends.  He works in the music industry and she takes most of her cues from him when it comes to style, art, and music.  Kate’s cousin is her career mentor and she has sought advice from her frequently during the first month at her new job.  Her cousin is a very successful working mother and is, in many ways, her template for who she wants to be in ten years.

Kate’s boss is also a good mentor and luckily, laid back in his approach.  He encourages her to ask questions and is very honest with his advice (which sometimes contradicts what might be in the company’s best interest).

           

5. What are her pain points?

Privately, Kate worries about fitting in, about making new friends, about succeeding at work and being respected.  She is unsure of her abilities and unsure of her direction in life.  She is often frustrated by her weak will when it comes to spending more money than she should and freely admits she lives in the here-and-now more than she thinks about the future.  She worries about not taking the ‘real world’ seriously enough.

           

6. What does she hope to gain?

Kate wants her independence and will fight for it.  She would prefer an apartment of her own but can’t afford it.  She needs more money and would much prefer a salary that could cover the lifestyle she is trying to live in DC…this is her #1 obstacle.  Salary is certainly a measure of success for her and, although she feels lucky to have a good job, she feels the same stress about earning a good salary as she did when she was applying to college.

On the other hand, she does NOT want to be a slave to her job right now.  Kate enjoys living life and having fun (which she reminds me is what everyone older than her suggests she do).  In general her goals are more short term (for now).