Summary

The article discusses the advantages of attending a prestigious institution like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and emphasizes the importance of personal branding as a means to achieve similar opportunities regardless of one's alma mater.

Abstract

The author, an IIT graduate, reflects on the privileges afforded to IITians in India, including better career opportunities, higher salaries, and easier access to startup funding. Despite the hard work and sacrifices made by IIT students, the author acknowledges that the IIT brand itself is a significant factor in opening doors. However, the article argues that individuals from non-prestigious institutions can also succeed by building a strong personal brand. The author encourages readers to overcome fears of judgment and to actively share their journeys, thoughts, and dreams on social media platforms to create their own magnetic brand, which can lead to increased opportunities, confidence, and networking possibilities.

Opinions

The IIT label is seen as a "magic label" that provides an unfair advantage in the job market and career progression.
Non-IITians often complain about the preferential treatment given to IITians, suggesting a sense of inequality in opportunities.
The author believes that personal branding is a powerful tool that can outshine even the most prestigious educational labels.
Fear of judgment and self-doubt are common concerns when it comes to personal branding, but they should not deter individuals from promoting themselves.
Building a personal brand can lead to a significant increase in opportunities, self-confidence, and access to influential people.
The author suggests that self-promotion and branding are essential in today's world, as no one else will do it for you.

I Went to One of the Best Colleges and Here’s Why It Doesn’t Matter

1 million students write the exam, <1% get selected

I went to the best engineering college in India. The coveted Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Every year around a million students write the entrance exam called IIT-JEE to secure a seat in an IIT. Less than 1% of them get a seat.

IITs are the Harvard of India. Having the IIT tag on your resume is considered huge. It’s proof that you’re intelligent and smart.

People who go to IITs get better opportunities in their careers than those who don’t — better job offers, fatter paychecks, and even startup funding falling into their laps.

I’m not saying whether it’s right to give preference to IITians or not. I’m just sharing the reality as it is.

People who are not able to make it often complain about how we get an unfair advantage almost everywhere. So much so that if we achieve something big in our career coming out of an IIT, it’s said that we had it easy.

I’m sure it’s the same for people graduating from Harvard or Stanford.

But I’m tired of hearing these complaints now.

Have you ever paused to think why do we get better opportunities?

Sure, we burned the midnight oil to crack those exams. We sacrificed going out and having fun in high school because we were preparing diligently. Many of us stayed away from home in quite uncomfortable rooms eating bad canteen food to get good coaching in a different city.

But that doesn’t qualify us for better, right? So, what’s the real game-changer here?

It’s the BRAND.

Being an IITian doesn’t automatically make us a genius. We don’t possess some superhuman skill. Heck, we’re not always the smartest in the room.

So, what’s the secret sauce then?

The IIT label. The magic label that opens doors.

Now, here’s the fun part.

You can create your own label too. You can craft a personal brand so magnetic that it outshines a whole army of IITians.

Instead of cribbing about the unfair life of a non-IITian, channel that energy into building a brand that doesn’t need a fancy logo to turn heads.

It’s crazy how 98% of people still do not understand the necessity of building their personal brand.

I have spoken to 60+ people in the last 1.5 months to help them build their brand and the most common concern they have is the fear of judgment.

How can I share my achievements? I don’t want to come across as narcissistic.
I’m scared of sharing my thoughts on a public platform.
People know much more than me on a topic. What can I write?

I also had these concerns when I started. But over time, I’ve realized that:

Very few people have the time to think about me.
And those who do, either like me (my tribe) or dislike me (not my target audience).

None of this is as bad as having no one know me.

Since I started building my brand 7 months ago, I have doubled my social media following from 3300 to 7000+, created 3 new streams of income just by writing on LinkedIn, and spoken to so many folks who are way ahead in the journey than me.

If you ever want to feel

how having 10x more opportunities feel like,
how having confidence in your abilities feels like,
how having access to people you think are out of reach feels like,

you HAVE to build your brand.

Share your journey. Share your thoughts. Share your dreams.

You’ll be surprised to see how many of them want to learn from you.

Promote yourself online. No one else is going to do it for you.

So, for once and for all, stop the cribbing and start the branding.