How do you introduce yourself when you are talking to someone? Most people say "I am a ...", then state their job title, "...at XYZ Company". But does that really define who you are?
It is said that most people make a decisive first impression of you within 1 minute (some say as little as 30 seconds). It is based on your looks, dress, and exactly how you define yourself, with the "I am a.." statements above. It is even funny that people even do this at non-techie functions, like at church or family events.
Everything is a "brand" nowadays (I know, many of you are rolling your eyes). Each product you buy is a brand, and companies like Coca Cola spend alot of money on building or maintaining their brand. They don't want to have anything negative or not "on topic" be related to their brand. And so it is with us IT professionals. Most of us have spent alot of time in school, and an even more significant amount of time and money learning new things, taking training or studying for certifications. Why do we do this? Because, unlike most professions, most of our peers have a Bachelor's degree. That is the baseline and all the other stuff, like certifications, distinguishes our individual "brands" in the marketplace.
What does your brand say about you? If you answered in the typical "I am a software developer at XYZ Company", you have not distinguished yourself very well. In addition, you may have given the impression that you are "owned" by that company, or that you are not "looking" or available. And unless you are talking to some geek who is going to ask the next question: "what dev platform do you use?", etc. you are probably not going to wow anyone.
Face it, most of us don't even have alot of control over what development tools we use. At least I have not historically had alot of control over it. The boss chooses the development tools. If the boss is anti-Microsoft, or he has read some story about open source and decreased cost of ownership/ROI, he may choose PHP over ASP.NET. He may even change course right in the mmiddle of your project or tenure. And if you don't like it, you go find another job. (In addition, being a DotNet developer in Kansas averages about $45K, which explains that giant sucking sound...)
With outsourcing being prevalent, I have seen it suggested that an IT person should talk more about the "soft" skills. Like "leader", "project manager". Almost every MBA Class that I have taken asked the age-old question "what is the difference between a manager and a leader?" I personally believe that a manager is a babysitter. A leader, however, often has to work with other teams, may not have almighty authority, and may have to make alliances between teams to get ahead. That is what I do. Therefore, I introduce myself as a "project leader".
I have also seen it suggested to frame these branding statements with "I currently am employed at XYZ Company" instead of "I work at XYZ Company". This also shows that you are open to maybe changing. Remember, 75% of the best jobs result from non-posted opportunities from networking contacts. And if it is not posted you don't have alot of competition.
Other ideas:
Personal Branding for Technology Professionals
Scott