Personal Branding for Tech Professionals
Tips for busy Tech people on building their brand
Personal branding is a buzzword that you hear everywhere you go. Nowadays, companies need to have a social media presence and a brand image to promote their products. You, too, need to build a brand if you want to grow your network and get lucrative job opportunities. Do you have to do it? No, but if you are a tech professional looking for better job opportunities and promotions or want to become a tech expert or a start-up entrepreneur, this article is a must-read for you!
In my last role, I worked in a Tech College as a Career Success Specialist and focused on helping junior developers to get jobs in their fields. Why does that matter to you? I spent a lot of time researching how candidates can land their next gig and coached them to elevate their branding. I will share why it is valuable to have a personal brand and how to get started quickly.
Why Do You Need a Personal Brand?
- Recruiters will easily find you and distinguish you from many other IT specialists. More than 95% of recruiters search for talent on LinkedIn, and they will look up your profile.
- Your Personal Brand will help you network better because people will understand who you are, what you do, and how they can interact with you. It is easier to connect with like-minded people.
- Make the right impression. People you meet at networking events, at work, at lunches and conferences will all form some opinion about you. Taking control of your brand will help you make a positive and lasting impression on others and get referrals, promotions, and other interesting proposals.
Myths and common misconceptions:
- You don’t need to be a blogger to have a personal brand.
- You don’t need to post daily on a social media platform (Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)
- You don’t need to be charismatic, beautiful, or genius to build your brand. Be authentic.
- You don’t need to have 1k+ followers.
- You are not egoistic and self-obsessed (unless you keep posting your selfies)
How to do it?
There are many ways to build your brand. Some of you might already have been doing it! Maybe people who know you see you as smart, geeky, and a go-to person to fix anything? You can take it to the next level, so recruiters know not only that you are a PHP developer but that you’re also an open-source contributor or a get sh*t done kind of gal developer? Continue reading for simple and free methods!
Social Media
The first step is to identify which social media platform you will use. I highly recommend using at least one that is most relevant to your profession and the opportunities you want.
For example, you are a UX designer with a profile and a portfolio on Dribble? You could still tremendously benefit from having a profile on Instagram to share your work and connect with non-designer folk who could collaborate with you.
If you are a software engineer, needless to say, you should clean up your Github and invest a bit more time in it. Nowadays, more recruiters use Github to recruit top-notch talent, and if you haven’t committed yours in a while, it’s time to brush off the dust!
If you are a freelance developer, maybe Instagram is your jam because you kind of find gigs from companies and agencies, or perhaps you are more into Upwork? I suggest having at least one social media account which supports your professional brand.
Sharing, liking, and commenting on others’ LinkedIn posts are easy but not as effective. Sharing your work on Upwork, Dribble, Fiverr, Github, and other websites is a more effective way to get ‘social proof’ from colleagues in your field.
LinkedIn is the most important platform for any professionals. It has changed a lot since the past few years, and it’s now more of a social media platform than just a networking platform. It also has LinkedIn Learning and stories. Some like this, some don’t. The fact is it’s still the #1 sourcing platform for recruiters and headhunters, so you must continue updating your LinkedIn at the very least with new engagements, work status updates.
Make sure you have the following:
- A professional headshot. It doesn’t need to be shot by a professional photographer. Phones make high-quality pictures nowadays. Use white or monotonous background so that it doesn’t distract the eye. Smile :) (research shows that people who are smiling on their pictures are more likely to get an interview!)
- A cover photo. Along with your headshot, it is the first thing people see on your LinkedIn. It should reflect your brand (Who you are, what you do, personality traits). For example, if you are a software engineer — a computer screen with code on it will work. If you are a UX designer, then using a personal picture of wireframes or brainstorming sessions looks cool! Some people opt for quotes.
- A Headline. It signals the world who you are and allows you to position yourself. Don’t just say “Software Engineer.” Create a one-liner that highlights your area of expertise. For example, “Software Developer | I build e-commerce and web solutions from scratch” sounds more specific and will immediately signal to people your unique skills.
- A profile summary. It is not your resume. Tell a short story and highlight things you want people to know about you. Did you launch a marketing campaign for several geographic regions? That could be awesome. Were you a chef before becoming a developer? Tell your story!! Are you volunteering for a non-profit organization dear to your heart? Include that! All these are unique and contribute to your personal and professional brand.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, where you think you are going, what job or career you have had or think you should have. You are not too late, and you’re not too early.” — Bill Burnett, Designing Your Life
Github
Post all your relevant projects and update your repositories as regularly as you can. Recruiters won’t understand your code’s quality, but they’ll be checking for obvious red flags or green flags. If you have few followers, that is already a good sign. If you have several repositories, that is another good sign. If you don’t have your bio, picture, and profile looks empty; why are you even sharing it? It doesn’t add any value, and it doesn’t communicate to others your brand.
Instagram, Twitter, and others
You don’t need to be a Kim K of Instagram. If you are not into this, but you realize the value of having a professional brand, here is an easy tip. If you go to a conference, you listen to some cool tech people, drink your free coffee, meet a couple of devs, then post a picture! It doesn’t even have to be your face! Take a picture of the speakers or stage, caption the conference name or something you’ve learned from one of the speakers, maybe even add a hashtag. Bam! Now you went from a simple developer to the one who goes to conferences! The key is to do it consistently. You cannot just post one picture and forget about it. When you do it regularly, that is when people notice, appreciate and value your brand.
Other worthy destinations for start-up folks such as Product Managers and entrepreneurs are Product Hunt, Medium, Quora, and Clubhouse (it’s becoming popular after Elon Musk’s interview!)
Youtube
Youtube is a whole beast of its own, but you can establish your brand as a developer by reviewing technologies, teaching others new languages or tools. You have to make video content and invest a lot of time into this.
Events and Speaking Engagements
There are three ways to build your brand by participating in events. You can come as a guest, speaker, or third — for even more active people, as an organizer or a host. It is fun, and it requires a genuine interest in the event’s topic. They could range from small Meet-up gatherings to large-scale conferences. Whatever is your jam. If you prefer more tight-knit, intimate communities where you can discuss a specific topic, then start by attending tech meet-ups like AI geeks, AISC, and more. In my opinion, the more narrow the subject, the better. By speaking at events, you will build a brand of an expert in your topic. That is an excellent way of attracting opportunities and connecting with like-minded professionals. Hosting events will elevate your brand as an organizer, community builder, and leader. If you are interested in becoming a Manager or CTO, then organizing events could help you earn a promotion. Organizing or speaking at events might not be the best choice for introverts. Still, even introverts can benefit by attending events, taking pictures, or sharing their thoughts about how it went online.
Teaching/Coaching/Mentoring
COVID-19 has made it even more possible and popular to teach anything online via workshops, online platforms, and courses. If you know how to create beautiful front-end applications, then why not share the knowledge? Not everyone is a great teacher, but teaching is a great way to learn more, grow, and share your experience with others. By building a teacher or mentor brand, you will also attract many opportunities like contracts or consultations. For example, if you are volunteering at Canada Learning Code or Ladies Learning Code, you could ask your mentee to give you a review on LinkedIn or write a post about your experience. Soon others will notice and ask you for a mentorship session!
You can build your brand by writing articles or even just sharing posts that you like! It could be videos, articles, images. Anything that speaks to you and you think others might also enjoy or find useful.
What if I am an introvert?
That is okay: many introverts are bloggers. They do cool things and share their content on social media or tweet! There is a vast dev community on Twitter. You don’t need to be extroverted or charismatic to be on social media. Be yourself. Share what you love or what you know with others!. We all have these preconceived notions about active people on social media and think we should be like them. It limits us from showing who we are, benefiting from the world’s interconnectedness, and adding value to our careers. You can build your brand by writing articles or even just sharing posts that you like! It could be videos, articles, images. Anything that speaks to you and you think others might also enjoy or find useful. That way, you don’t have to go out there and expose yourself immediately. You can consistently curate some relevant content until you feel comfortable enough to start engaging more openly with your audience.
How do I keep my personal and professional brand? Should I have separate social media accounts?
This was a common question that career shifters and junior developers asked me at Juno College of Technology. You need to think about your current brand and what kind of brand you want to have as a developer. Do the two complement each other? Do they go well with each other? If yes, then why not keep it all together, which will add even more uniqueness and richness to your personality. For example, you are into photography, and you are also a developer. I would keep it together. Let’s say you are a Database Administrator by day and a fashionista on Instagram by night. It might not be an ideal mix. Therefore, I would separate them into different accounts/brands. Delete all irrelevant content such as old pictures from college, anything that is not appropriate. Common sense is also that people share more work-related content on LinkedIn, but on Instagram or Twitter, it is okay to post other things like your ski trip or family dinners.
Conclusion
I hope all these tips will help you to get started. Nowadays, it is not enough to have a profile on LinkedIn for your brand. If you are a busy professional, you only need to pick one or two things and do them consistently. Don’t be afraid to share your expertise with others. Bring out your hobbies and interests. Even if you think that your knowledge is apparent, it will benefit someone, and you will find your “tribe.” And the best thing is that it is all free and will help you stand out from the crowd! You’ve got this!
Further Literature
Personal Branding for Dummies by Susan Chritton
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future by Dorie Clark
Designing Your Life by Bull Burnett and Dave Evans
Influence by Robert Cialdini
