Personal branding is hardly a recent phenomenon.  

In the past, people knew professionals for their skills through word-of- mouth. The age-old phrase ‘your reputation precedes you’ was indeed the quintessence of personal branding. But today, we must consciously craft our digital footprint on the internet to improve our chances of professional success, let alone achieving fame.  

While professionals in domains such as academics, arts, medicine and law have adapted themselves to this need, the techies however are oblivious. Considering the current technological disruptions caused by AI and automation, this inaction has far-reaching consequences on tech careers.  What are these negative effects? And how can techies weather this storm by building a digital footprint? Here are some answers.

Adverse effects of AI & automation on tech careers

Digital, AI and automation technologies have altered the fundamental meaning of ‘knowledge’ in the tech profession -its shelf life, its constituents, and its assessment- requiring techies to adopt a novel approach to achieve professional success. 

Let’s explore.

1. The shelf-life of technical expertise has severely diminished

Every year, the world’s largest technology vendors conduct their mega- event, an annual ritual where they announce a host of new services – increasingly powered by AI and automation- culling the old and giving life to the new. 

What gets culled alongside is the value of the expertise built by millions of tech professionals worldwide. On that day, their expertise attains half-life, destined to deteriorate at a faster pace from then onwards. They now have an upgraded technology to master, a new ghost to chase!

This pace of change is alarming. The ‘once in a decade’ occurrence is now happening at a much shorter time.  

Techies who do not prove their expertise within this ‘short window’ stand to lose from months of hard work. Superior technology effectively nullifies their past knowledge.

2. Transferable skills are as important as technical skills.

Employers have realized that even for a core tech job, tech skills alone are not enough. 

Since AI-based technology now handles the mundane aspects of the job, techies are compelled to exhibit higher-order cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, empathy, collaboration etc. as shown by McKinsey research on the importance of transferable skills.

Unfortunately, proving proficiency in transferable skills is not as simple as displaying a technical certification. The absence of a clear-cut approach to demonstrate transferable skills has pushed techies into further disarray.

3. Personal brand is the new professional avatar.

Recruiters today are struggling to identify candidates with the right technical skills. And now, with changing business demands, they are grappling with a bigger mandate – identify talent with the right authenticity, cultural fitment, and clout to become brand ambassadors. Exhausted recruiters have turned to HR tech vendors for help.  

These specialists use AI-based tools to scan the internet for a candidate’s digital footprint and provide recruiters with a scorecard. This score effectively sums up a candidate’s reputation, level of influence and network value –similar to the credit score used by financial institutions. 

Techies, who, as of date, have not invested in building a niche for themselves and an audience to corroborate their ideas online are at a considerable disadvantage compared to those who do.

Given the huge ask, how can the techies weather the storm and scale up to this new demand?

Transforming tech careers with stories

Most techies I have worked with are unaware that they are a warehouse of stories.

Unlike other domains where professionals have to wait many years before seeing meaningful change, techies witness the results of their actions much faster. 

Whether the change is large scale -bringing diagnostics results to patients faster, solving supply chain issues, improving crop yield in farming communities etc.- or whether it is at a personal level -improving fitness, better sleep, saving money etc. – techies are at the forefront of change. 

And every change is an inspiration for a story!

Storytelling skills for the future

Even great stories have a poor impact without the right skills to narrate them – verbal or written.

While it is interesting to note that McKinsey has listed storytelling as one of the key skills for the workforce of the future , it is my observation that the current training methods are not geared up for the needs of the technical profession. For example, the age-old ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces” type of training -which is one of the methods advocated even today- has little relevance for techies.

Hence by adopting the ‘right’ storytelling approach, techies can blend their technical skills and transferable skills in their narratives, consistently demonstrate their technical prowess (irrespective of the technology), and also build an online following who recognizes them for their knowledge and values.

And that’s a recipe for success!

As much as techies want to be high-fliers, they might not be able to pilot a jet at Top Gun. But with a steady stream of quality digital footprint, no matter where they go, techies might just receive the warm welcome given to Capt. Pete ‘Maverick’ by Adm. Simpson, “Your reputation precedes you!”.

This blog was originally published by the author on Forbes.