Branding Yourself in I.T. Part 2

In the words of Jay-Z I’m not a businessman, I’m a business man! When it comes to branding you have to realize that everything you do, say, post, like, or share is used to determine the quality and value of your brand. Last week I had the honor of contributing to a blog post by Girard Kavelines who runs TechHouse570 titled Branding Yourself in IT.

In that post I shared my thoughts and opinions on how to brand yourself in the tech industry for career success. Today Girard is returning the favor to share his own valuable advice. I have much respect for Girard because he is always striving to help, support, and encourage others. If you are not following him on Twitter, you should @GKavelines.

Now lets get into the interview!

What is a brand?

Girard: To me a brand is something that's recognizable, something that is synonymous with who you are & what you or your organization or product truly stands for. Once you've established your brand & what it is you want to present & achieve. Your possibilities are endless.

How do you establish your brand & differentiate yourself from everyone else?

Girard: Set the tone for who you are as a person & as a professional. You could have years of experience, certifications, etc. But if you have no way to present that appropriately it's over! Personality is also key, people who are genuine & positive are always the best fits as good candidates for positions. When you've established your brand it’s important to leave everyone with an experience that makes you unforgettable.

What route to take when you're starting your brand?

Girard: Du’an put it best to establish who you are! Anyone can create a logo, gather likes on a post, etc. But at the core of some of the most successful companies, organizations & brands is genuinity. I can't stress that enough people can tell if you're not genuine & it shows. Truly define what you stand for, what change you may want to make in your industry or even what drives you & motivates you to grow yourself & your vision everyday. Your hunger will shine though & make you stand out amongst the rest.

Maintaining a following, finding your target audience & growing it

Girard: Network, network, network! Interact with everyone, introduce yourself, it's not easy for some to put themselves out there. But once you make that first connection the rest will come, socializing is key in being successful in branding. The more people know about you, the more exposure you can get! For me socializing wasn't hard, I got that from my mom haha. But doing it in a way you can elevate yourself & eventually others is one of many factors in being successful.

How can your brand help your confidence & your career?

Girard: It can help tremendously, one of the many things I'm fortunate to be is personable, in IT some would say that's rare! Through my life & career I've grown by helping others & by gaining the trust of every client I've worked with. That's why I was so fortunate to find the IT community, through TechHouse570 I can do what I've always done but on a much larger scale, to be able to offer insight & experience & more importantly help guide the next generation of IT Professionals on their journey. We learn, we fail & go through everything in between but together we’ll get to where we want to be!

Girard is so genuine and I am sure as you read this post you could feel that. His brand speaks for him! And his advice is practical yet for some it may take work. If you desire to network more. Connect him and his community, along with the LabEveryday community. We are all here to help you win! Thank you, Girard, for taking the time to share your insights with us. Keep winning and keep shining!

Peace,