How to Build Your Personal Brand as an IT Professional

Featured Article by Jelena, Independent Technology Writer

There has been a long associated “geek image” amongst IT professionals for a long time, but nowadays this is changing as the worlds of IT and digital marketing collide. In popular culture, shows such as the “IT Crowd” glorified this image of dressing like a “geek” or having dysfunctional social skills. On the positive, they have always been portrayed as experts in their field.

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However, if you want to be successful in business and entrepreneurship today, or want to collaborate on new and interesting projects, you may want to invest some effort into creating your own personal brand.

Indeed, the reality is such that the market demands we become the best versions of ourselves. Of course, you’re still expected to perform exceptionally in your chosen field, but establishing a personal brand can really take you more places. Therefore, let’s take a look how to accomplish this goal.

Identify yourself

It’s essential that you’re able to recognize and define the clients’ needs. But what about your own? Just like starting any project, ask yourself what it is that you wish to achieve. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Define your short and long-term goals as this is the starting point in defining yourself as a brand.

Who are your clients?

When you get a clear idea of who you are, it’s time to do the same for your customers. Spend some time analyzing what kinds of people are interested in your services and what their final goal is. Try to understand what lies behind their requests and use this information to adjust your offer accordingly. It’s a sure path to success.

Use social media

One can complain about the effect of social media on our working lives, or you could choose to realise its potential impact and use it to your enhance professional advantage. However, it’s not enough to simply post an image or a line or two once in a while. If you’re building your own personal brand, it’s a good idea to brush up on your social media and marketing skills. This can be done on a professional level with courses offered by educational institutions such as edX in the US or Open Colleges in Australia, for example. You can learn plenty of tricks of the trade which will boost your social media presence and your overall image.

Smart socializing

What use is having a personal brand if no one has heard of you? You are your own brand, so make sure to promote yourself by going to various events, attending conferences, and going to meet-ups. Let your voice be heard! Start creating a network and provoking interest. You’re also able to meet some of the major influencers in your field because many big players in the business are always present at these events.

Stay up to date

Building your personal brand is ongoing work because you will need to stay on top of everything, especially in a dynamic industry like tech. It’s not advisable to rest on your laurels. You need to be introduced to the latest changes in your field of expertise because that is what makes the people trust you and develop respect for your company’s brand and personal image.

Create a LinkedIn profile

This is often one of the first things to appear in a Google search when a potential client or employer types your name. Along with your website, this is the first impression you are giving people so it’s vital that you keep it updated. A LinkedIn account is a must-have for all high flyers. You can expect to be approached on a daily basis if you have completed your profile right, since the network is very much used by data researchers and recruiters.

Perhaps this may seem like a lot to take in, but don’t worry. Take it one step at a time, and be consistent. Even the biggest brands don’t succeed overnight, there’s a lot of small steps to becoming an influencer in your field. That’s because the whole process is time-consuming, but it can certainly pay off in the long run. So when is the best time to begin? Well, there’s no time like present, so start building your brand right this moment!