There’s a saying that says: people do not fall in love with corporations, they fall in love with personalities. Elon Musk, Neil Gunther, Antonio Neri – to name a few – have built strong personal, and corporate, reputations in the tech industry. Their impact goes beyond simply technical talent; they stand out by having built a strong personal brand. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO and Founder shares: “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” This is just one reason why it’s effective to create an image for your strong personal brand that resonates with people when marketed effectively.
Creating an Image
Building a strong image takes time and effort. It’s more than just a one-night code-a-thon. It's a marathon and pacing yourself is the best way to approach the journey. It’s a bit like building your personal tech empire, brick by digital brick. Throughout the process, believe in yourself and allow yourself to share your unique personality, values, and passions. Your unique humor or coding quirks become your signature moves! This does require high self-awareness.
The best place to start is by thinking about the different skills and personality traits that make you stand out. Your contributions, experiences, and passions differentiate you within the crowded tech landscape. Personal differences are superpowers and when pieced together, create an image of who you are. Take the time to assess yourself and your values, goals, and motivators.
Marketing Your Brand
Once you’ve created an image of yourself, the best way to market your brand is to engage with a target audience on relevant platforms. Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram. These can be the stages to step onto — or rather, online worlds to login to — to present yourself. There are multiple ways to strategically support and promote your personal brand.
First, harness the power of social media with an updated profile with a compelling bio helps strangers get a first glimpse of your brand – like a trailer for a new movie! Show off your projects and highlight your achievements. Some individuals create website profiles through tools such as Wix to showcase portfolios. All of these efforts are helpful when it comes to the job searching journey — for individuals and recruiters alike!
A great way to amplify a brand is by interacting online. Connect with co-workers' online platforms like LinkedIn. Consider the “endorsement feature on LinkedIn as a way to further highlight your skills. If you follow different companies on LinkedIn, the algorithm will add more relevant topics companies share, while showing others what types of companies or industries you are interested in. If you want to venture into sharing or interacting on posts that you find interesting, go for it! Or, use your knowledge and create valuable content to share. Most LinkedIn users connect on professional content, but more and more users are sharing personal updates as well.
Gretchen Olwig, our Senior Director of Talent Engagement, shares:
“One of the best ways to build your personal brand is through posting on LinkedIn consistently. It can be difficult to continue to have engaging content, so try and post things that are more than just about the tech space. I love when I see someone who I follow post something personal. For example, they just came back from maternity leave, or they include photos in their posts. It helps you feel more connected and engaged with that person – having a human aspect involved.”
By being active online with your digital footprint, relationships with other influential individuals can be built and new connections made. Networking away from the screen by attending industry events, conferences, or meetups is also crucial when it comes to creating a personal brand in the tech space. Better yet, circle back on LinkedIn to share your networking experience with photos and recap messaging takeaways. We, as humans, are highly social creatures. While modern technology is fast and easy, according to the Washington Post, research shows time and time again there’s simply no substitute for meeting face-to-face.
Continuous learning is a great way to further build your personal brand by upskilling and reskilling; Stay updated on industry trends. Use that knowledge to adapt your strategy accordingly. You are constantly upgrading your software to stay ahead of the competition; likewise, upgrade your knowledge with the same mindset approach. Tech heroes are built! Are you ready to grab your keyboard, channel your inner tech power, and start forging your personal brand? Go ahead and market your differences in the digital world.
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