If I asked your colleagues and clients to describe you in three words, what would they say?
That answer is your personal brand, whether you’ve built it intentionally or not.
In today’s market, this isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s part of how opportunities find you:
- One recent survey found that 70% of employers say a candidate’s digital personal brand is more important than their resume.
- 44% of employers have made hiring decisions based on a candidate’s personal branding content, and 54% have rejected applicants they couldn’t find online. If they can’t find you, you don’t exist.
In other words, your digital presence and your day-to-day behaviour are part of your “interview” long before you ever meet someone.
Personal Brand ≠ Self-Promotion
Many technical professionals hear “personal brand” and think: “I don’t want to brag or play games on social media.” Good. That’s not what this is about.
Your personal brand is simply the consistent experience people have of you:
- What you’re known for
- How you show up
- How people feel after interacting with you
Think of it this way – your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. So, let’s make sure what’s being stated is accurate and helpful, and controlled by you!
3 Questions to Clarify Your Brand
- What do I want to be known for? Think problems you love solving: “making complex concepts clear,” “turning vague client ideas into concrete plans,” “calm in a crisis.”
- What do I want to be known for how I do it? Words like: “prepared,” “responsive,” “curious,” “direct but respectful,” “follow-through.”
- What proof do I already have? Feedback from clients, performance reviews, thank-you emails, repeat business, people who seek you out for specific advice.
You’re not inventing something fake—you’re naming and amplifying what’s already true.
Where Does Your Brand Actually Show Up?
Your brand isn’t just your LinkedIn headshot. It shows up in:
- The tone of your emails
- How you behave when projects slip or clients are upset
- Whether you listen before you provide solutions.
- Your willingness to share credit and take responsibility
A Simple Personal Brand Audit
This week, do a quick audit:
1. Google yourself.
- Do your results look like the person you described above?
- Is there anything missing—or anything you’ve outgrown?
2. Review your LinkedIn profile.
- Does your headline say what you do and for whom?
- Does your “About” section tell a story or just list duties?
3. Ask two trusted colleagues:
- “When you think of working with me at my best, what three words come to mind?”
- Capture what you discover. You’ll likely see a pattern—your current brand story—whether you’ve ever named it or not.
Your Action Step for This Month
Choose one small upgrade to your personal brand:
- Rewrite your LinkedIn headline to reflect what you actually want to be known for.
- Reach out to one client and ask for a short testimonial or recommendation.
- Start posting once a week about a challenge your clients face and how you think about solving it.
You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. One intentional action, repeated over the next 52 weeks, changes how people experience you.
What’s one word you’d like people to use about you a year from now that they might not use today, and what will you start doing to earn it?
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