Membangun Personal Branding Secara Mandiri: Praktik Pembelajaran dan Strategi Pekerja Informal di Sektor Ekonomi Kreatif

Abstract

Abstract

The rapid growth of the digital platform-based creative economy has led to an increasing number of workers engaging in informal work and independently constructing their professional identities. In this context, personal branding has become a crucial strategy for gaining client trust and sustaining employment opportunities. This study aims to analyze the personal branding strategies of informal workers and the heutagogical learning practices that shape these strategies within the digital platform ecosystem. This research employed a qualitative approach using a phenomenological framework involving nine informal workers in the creative economy sector who operate through the Fiverr platform. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations of participants’ digital profiles and analyzed using manual thematic analysis. The findings reveal that informal workers develop personal branding independently through the construction of digital portfolios, strategies to obtain initial projects, and the management of professional communication with clients. The study also shows that these strategies are formed through an adaptive cycle of self-determined learning, consisting of experimentation in work practices, observation of other workers’ practices, and reflection on client feedback. This research contributes to the field of informal education by demonstrating that the construction of personal branding in the platform economy emerges from experience-based heutagogical learning processes that enable informal workers to develop professional capabilities independently.

Abstrak

Perkembangan ekonomi kreatif berbasis platform digital mendorong semakin banyak pekerja yang bekerja secara informal dan membangun identitas profesional mereka secara mandiri. Dalam konteks ini, personal branding menjadi strategi penting untuk memperoleh kepercayaan klien dan mempertahankan keberlanjutan pekerjaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis strategi personal branding pekerja informal serta praktik pembelajaran berbasis heutagogi yang membentuk strategi tersebut dalam ekosistem platform digital. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan jenis fenomenologi pada  sembilan pekerja informal di sektor ekonomi kreatif yang bekerja melalui platform Fiverr. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam dan observasi profil digital partisipan, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik secara manual. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pekerja informal membangun personal branding secara mandiri melalui pengembangan portofolio digital, strategi memperoleh proyek awal, serta pengelolaan komunikasi profesional dengan klien. Temuan penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa strategi tersebut terbentuk melalui siklus pembelajaran berbasis self-determined learning yang meliputi eksperimen dalam praktik kerja, observasi terhadap praktik pekerja lain, serta refleksi terhadap umpan balik klien. Penelitian ini berkontribusi pada pengembangan kajian pendidikan informal dengan menunjukkan bahwa konstruksi personal branding dalam ekonomi platform merupakan hasil dari proses pembelajaran heutagogis berbasis pengalaman yang memungkinkan pekerja informal mengembangkan kapabilitas profesional secara mandiri.