Self Branding As Software Engineers

Build your personal brand in the direction you want people to perceive you.

Building your image on social media or physically has everything to do with your success in the Tech or Business world. Self Branding is the magnet that attracts you to lasting employment opportunities.

A personal brand is a strategic image that you’ve created about your professional skills. It represents what is unique about you, i.e. your skills, experiences, and personal story. Just as any company builds out its brand, so can any individual develop a brand. Whichever stage you’re in, we all need the daily dose of improvement to become better. Therefore, just like everything else, the best way to learn or improve at something is to develop a clear path or step-by-step guide to what you want to learn.

Here are some tips that can help you create your branding as it did to me.

Define Your Unique Value Proposition: Identify your strengths, expertise, and unique selling points as a software engineer. Determine what sets you apart from others and how you can provide value to potential employers or clients.

Showcase Your Work: Develop a portfolio or a personal website to showcase your projects, code samples, and contributions to open-source projects. Highlight your achievements and the impact of your work to demonstrate your skills and expertise.

Contribute to the Community: Engage with the software engineering community by actively participating in forums, online communities, and social media platforms. Share your knowledge, provide helpful insights, and contribute to discussions. This helps establish your credibility and visibility among peers and industry professionals.

Blogging and Writing: Start a technical blog where you can share your thoughts, insights, and expertise in software engineering. Writing articles or tutorials on relevant topics can help establish you as a thought leader and attract a wider audience.

Speaking at Conferences and Meetups: Seek opportunities to speak at conferences, meetups, or other industry events. Presenting on topics related to your expertise can position you as an authority in your field and expand your network.

Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in software engineering. Continuously invest in learning and acquiring new skills to stay ahead in your field. Share your learnings and experiences with others, demonstrating your commitment to professional growth.

Engage with Peers and Mentors: Connect and network with other software engineers, both within your organization and externally. Build relationships with mentors who can provide guidance and support in your career development.

Build Online Presence: Maintain a professional online presence on platforms like LinkedIn and GitHub. Actively engage in discussions, share relevant content, and connect with industry professionals. Use social media to amplify your brand by sharing your achievements, insights, and contributions. You don’t need to be active on all of the social platforms, though. Since you’re just one person, that can be quite overwhelming and, in turn, highly ineffective. Start with the most popular and relevant channels for your field of expertise, then if you have the time you can also work on other niche channels that serve your interests best (video-focused, design-focused, etc.).

Conclusions:
Jacob Schwartz, head of social partnerships at WeWork, gives us this wisdom, "My quick tip on personal branding is to remember you are your brand, no matter what your current job is, what project you happen to be working on at any one time or whatever the priority happens to be today... always keep in mind the impact you leave on others and remember all we have is our reputation and that's our brand, so be awesome to each other!"

Blake Jamieson, artist at Blake Jamieson LLC, who paints pop art portraits of famous tech and sports heroes reminds us that: “Building a personal brand is much bigger than building a business. The only exit strategy is legacy.”

I hope these few strategies help you accelerate your branding and improve your tech business or your career. Take the first step of just brainstorming what you bring to the table. From there, the whole thing will fall into place. This may be the key to opening up a whole new world of employment, community, and satisfaction.