How to gain visibility as a software developer?

No matter if junior, medior or senior, introverted or extroverted: Every software developer can increase their visibility with different tools and should treat the topic as important. The only question is: how and with what effort? In this blog post, I would like to provide an insight into possible measures, in particular quick wins for increasing visibility. I would also like to highlight their advantages and the mechanisms of human perception that we can make use of.

Motivation

As I haven't actively dealt with the topic of visibility myself enough until now, this article also marks my beginning of tackling the topic in a structured way and take it further. Not only do I want to become more visible as a Software Developer myself, but I also want to grow as a person and motivate others to pay more attention to their own visibility. Every beginning is difficult, but the costs and effort for the first steps are low – and those already have an impact.

The perception of people

But how does people's perception work and how do we take advantage of it? Everyone has experienced it, using the example of branded products and their advertising. Invisible things are not perceived and are therefore hardly known. The more often something is seen, the better known it automatically becomes. For us as software developers, it would therefore be logical to increase our own presence initially from 0 to 1 with a first activity – and that should be the first goal.

We trust familiar brands, products and people much more than unknown ones. When we have to make a decision, we also tend to decide in favour of the familiar. However, it is not only a possible first decision that is positively influenced, but also repetitions of the same decision in the future, e.g. for follow-up projects.

As software developers, we can utilize this principle to draw attention to ourselves and benefit from it in various ways. Just as with branded products, we are constantly increasing the trust of customers and colleagues in us through growing visibility. Trust is the foundation of our undertaking.

Advantages

There are many advantages of personal visibility for a software developer – and those also have a positive effect on the company for which he works. So it's a win-win situation for both.

For the software developer

The advantage for software developers is that they can make a name for themselves in their specialist area and, for example, focus on certain topics with the help of blog posts and talks. This can make a significant contribution to being seen as an expert and contact person for exactly these topics. It also underlines the person's expertise and demonstrates their own initiative. In this way, you create your own brand that other people trust.

In addition, the greater presence also boosts self-confidence and raises the software developer's market value. In some cases, this is how they attract attention by colleagues, customers and companies in the first place – and now, in the best case, positively! The greater presence also increases the trust of their own environment in the software developer. This is particularly beneficial in contact with new potential customers.

For the company

There are also advantages for the software developer's company. A company whose employees are perceived as competent will also be seen as competent itself. For a service provider in particular, it is essential to demonstrate competence in order to be successful in the long term. The company therefore also benefits from greater trust among existing and potential customers, which in turn helps with the acquisition of new customers and projects.

In addition to financial aspects, the company also benefits from a positive image among potential future applicants. The company's attractiveness as an employer grows, because committed and proficient software developers are looking for an employer with an environment in which they can use and develop their skills. And there is no more authentic proof of this than committed employees who are present at relevant events on site or online.

Tools

There is a wide range of tools and channels available to increase visibility, not all of which need to be used, of course. They must be selected according to ones own preferences and skills. Some people prefer to give a talk on their favorite topic in front of an audience, while others prefer to write a blog post on their own or as part of a team. Even if it is not immediately obvious with all actions, all of these tools directly or indirectly support personal visibility.

Below is a list of measures to increase your own visibility:

• Create a personal website
• Develop your own applications
• Contribute to open source projects
• Support non-profit projects
• Write articles for a blog
• Use social media for networking and IT-related contributions
• Coach colleagues and clients
• Contribute to conferences as a participant or speaker
• Participate in Meetups
• Presenting your own company at recruitment events

First steps

As we have seen, there are a lot of tools to increase our visibility. But what helps us the most with the least effort when we are at the very beginning?

My recommendation:

1. Create a personal website with a portfolio
2. Write a blog post on a manageable topic
3. Attend a Meetup or conference and report on it
4. Give an internal talk of your choice

Further steps

After the first steps, there are several ways to generate even more visibility – with greater effort. These are primarily aimed at positioning yourself as an expert regarding a selected topic and making relevant contributions to it.

Possible activities:

1. Regularly publish high-quality and up-to-date articles on a key topic
2. Use social networks such as LinkedIn as a platform to share your own contributions and build relevant contacts
3. Give talks at relevant conferences and meetups
4. Come up with your own formats and make contributions (podcasts, YouTube videos, blog post series, events)
5. Make a guest appearance on an existing format (e.g. SoftwerkerCast Podcast)
6. Convince new applicants at an applicants' event
7. Share knowledge with colleagues and customers as a trainer

Conclusion

Overall, it is very clear how important personal visibility is for software developers in addition to hard and soft skills. It helps both the software developer themselves and the company with valuable advantages such as greater perceived competence, increased trust and more effective customer acquisition. While some tools increase visibility quickly and with little effort, other tools and initiatives require considerably more and regular input. Of course, the level of desired visibility plays a key factor here and logically requires significantly more effort, planning and continuity if the ambition is high.

I recommend that every software developer should engage with the topic of visibility and consider at least some initial small actions. A personal website and occasional initiatives such as a blog post or a conference visit can make a huge difference and get the ball rolling.

Good luck and have fun!