To a lot of people, “personal branding” sounds like loud self-promotion, awkward posts, and pretending you’re an expert when you’re still figuring things out.
And the “LinkedIn Lunatics” out there (if you haven’t already, go check that subreddit) clearly aren’t helping make the case for personal branding done well.
But it is possible to do it well. Proper personal branding simply means documenting what you learn or sharing what you know in public.
It’s a great way of building a reputation at scale, while also getting feedback and help from your audience (if you’re still in the learning phase).
And since we’re talking about reputation, you should also know that it starts developing WAAAAY before an interview.
Personal branding is simply the reputation you build for yourself through skills, actions, and your digital footprint.
In everyday life, this shows up as:
- What’s in your LinkedIn headline and summary
- The way you talk about yourself and your work experience
- What you share and comment on
- The projects you highlight
You already have a brand. Everybody does. Whether it’s intentional or not, that’s a different story.
Whenever I bring this topic up in coaching, there are 3 objections I always get, and here’s what my take is on each:
“Won’t this be too cringey?”
Only if you confuse branding with bragging.
I agree that personal branding and the entire internet can *absolutely* feel cringe, but only when it’s performative. You don’t need exaggerated success stories, motivational quotes, or wisdom sharing.
It’s enough if you:
- Share what you’re learning
- Talk honestly about projects you worked on
- Ask smart questions
- Explain challenges and what you did to solve them
- Highlight progress
That’s not cringe.
When employers see someone who can communicate clearly, reflect on experiences, and speak about their goals, they don’t think “attention-seeker.” They think “professional and motivated”.
“I don’t have time for this.”
You don’t need to post every day or build an audience.You just want to be consistent.
- Update your LinkedIn profile a few times a year.
- Engage thoughtfully once a week.
- From time to time, share something useful or reflective.
Small actions, repeated over time, will give you visibility but won’t feel like a major project.
“I don’t know where to start or how to stand out.”
I’m sure you’re already following people who you feel show up with integrity and look authentic.
That’s because their personal brand isn’t built around their job titles and technical skills only, but reflects their values (and values drive behavior, and behavior builds trust).
Ask yourself: What matters to me at work? Do I value collaboration, learning, fairness, reliability, impact, creativity, stability?
- If you value learning > Share what you’re studying and improving.
- If you value integrity > Give credit to teammates and talk honestly about challenges.
- If you value responsibility > Highlight follow-through and ownership.
This is how employers start to see you as a professional with character.
Let’s make this practical.
Here’s a simple personal branding framework to get started:
Step 1: Pick your direction
Ask yourself:
- What roles am I targeting right now?
- What skills am I actively building?
- What industries and companies interest me the most?
Getting clear on this will become the anchor for everything else.
Step 2: Be specific
Most early-career candidates blend together because they sound the same. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of “motivated self-starters” and “strong communicators” and you scrolled past their profiles — and employers do, too.
Aim for something more focused. Instead of “open to opportunities”, try: “Entry-level data analyst focused on marketing datasets”.
Step 3: Align your online presence with your direction
Once you know what you’re working toward, make sure your profile supports it. When a recruiter lands on your profile, they should immediately understand what you’re aiming for and why you’re a serious candidate.
If you’re aiming toward a certain role, make it painfully obvious.
For example, if you want to break into advertising, come up with a catchy banner. If you’re looking for a writing gig, give your posts some clear hooks. If you’re aiming for a data role, add a fun percentage in your headline (e.g. Probably in the top 10% of data engineers out there).
Step 4: Build a success inventory as you go
One of my favorite tips (and also of the most underrated career habits): Create a simple document, notes app, or spreadsheet where you’ll save:
- Projects you worked on
- Metrics or outcomes
- Feedback from managers or professors
- Challenges you solved
- Skills you practiced
This will become fuel for your LinkedIn posts, interview answers, resume updates, and portfolio content. You’ll get better at talking about your experience with confidence, and you’ll have evidence to show you’re “hardworking”, “motivated”, or a “great problem solver”.
Step 5: Show up lightly but consistently
Once or twice a month, share or engage in a way that reflects your direction and values.
Here’s what hiring teams actually see when you do these small things:
- You share a lesson from a project → Recruiters see: Someone who reflects on their work, understands outcomes, and can communicate clearly — a key skill in almost every role.
- You comment thoughtfully on an industry post → Recruiters see: Curiosity, true interest in your field, and a candidate who stays informed instead of passively scrolling.
- You post about a course or certification you completed → Recruiters see: Initiative, self-motivation, and someone who invests in learning on their own.
- You reflect on something you learned at work (even a mistake) → Recruiters see: Coachability, self-awareness, and emotional maturity (traits hiring managers care about more than “perfect” resumes).
- You highlight a team project and credit others → Recruiters see: Collaboration skills and integrity, not ego.
- You share a small win or milestone → Recruiters see: A healthy way to acknowledge success and someone who is actively building experience.
Remember: Your main goal is to make it easy for hiring teams to understand what you’re interested in, what you’re learning, and what direction your career is going. That’s it.
