Tech; own your own brand — why (pt.1)
I’m fortunate for lots of things, but it was only in the second decade of my career in the tech industry did I truly start to appreciate my unique surname could also become my brand.
Regardless of what you do, who you work for and how you feel about your name “out there” .. the single biggest piece of advice I could ever offer anyone considering doing anything in technology is to own your personal brand. Its usually around this time that the standard rebuttals of ;
- I don’t want to be out there for all to see
- I like to keep work/life separate
- I don’t need that for my sub-industry (Technology sub-disciplines)
.. rear their head.. and.. these are all valid stances that I not only understand, but, in many cases, subscribe to myself. Indeed, it is for these very reasons above that I have spent the good part of 20 years ensuring that I control my identity, persona and brand online.
I have done this not because I have delusions of grandeur, its because if I don’t .. someone else might and that “might” is enough for me to consider and model what that might mean to myself as a professional if it did occur.
I firmly believe that any professional (and for those in the InfoSec space that counts x2) should genuinely reconsider and if you still don’t agree.. well.. that’s your right, perhaps cancel any insurance you might have, don’t check both ways when your cross the street and throw any other precaution’s you may take day-to-day to the wind.
If you are still reading, then you have decided you agree or, at a minimum, don’t yet disagree.
Over the next few posts I will look to state my case as to;
- Why — why you should and examples whereby it has been beneficial for myself
- What — what exactly could constitute as owning your brand
- How — some things that you should do right now
- How (pt.2) — some things you should consider doing
