“Employees should blend into the corporate culture; why bother with personal branding?” This cliché pops up again and again. Worse: in some companies a strong personal brand is read as “soon-to-resign syndrome”. Yet employer brand and employee brand are two sides of the same coin and, when managed well, strengthen each other.
This post is for professionals who love their sector and their company and who want to build a long-range career—not (only) become LinkedIn influencers.
1 | Company brand vs. personal brand: a false debate
A firm owns a logo, a name, touch-points: it already projects a brand whether it admits it or not. Likewise, every employee delivers—through emails, meetings, problem solving—a “micro-brand experience” to colleagues, clients, suppliers.
If a company is the sum of its talents, the company’s reputation inevitably rests on the reputation of those talents.
- The sales rep admired for keen listening,
- The project manager famous for rigour,
- The community manager who humanises the corporate feed…
All shape the overall perception.
2 | Vision & mission: the bridge between the two brands
Whether you are CAC-40 group or freelancer, a strong brand relies on:
- Vision: the world as you wish it to be.
- Mission: the role you play to narrow the gap with reality.
- Unique added value: what you deliver that others don’t.
If you enjoy working for your company, there is probably an overlap between your view of the world and the organisation’s. Spotting that intersection is the first step toward an aligned personal brand.
3 | Core value: your inimitable advantage
Nobody remembers a colleague because she “does the job”. They remember how she does it. Ask yourself:
- Which values do I naturally embody at work?
- How does my style make the experience of team-mates or customers different?
- Which results have I achieved thanks to this style—not despite it?
Your signature must be identifiable and experiential. Example: two controllers produce the same reports, but the one who translates numbers for non-finance teams becomes indispensable.
4 | Communicate clearly, consistently, constantly
Branding is not a single pitch at the annual review; it’s a set of daily signals:
- Your LinkedIn photo & headline
- Email signature, slide templates
- How you greet, run a meeting, react to a crisis
- Even dress style when meeting clients
Key word: coherence. Every touch-point must tell the same story.
Mini “personal Brand ID” exercise
* List your 3 root values (e.g. fairness, curiosity, reliability).
* Describe one concrete behaviour for each.
* Implement them in:
– your assets (slides, docs)
– your interactions (meetings, emails)
– your environment (desk, team rituals)
5 | Growing the brand: nurture, thank, share
Your brand feeds on the experiences you offer managers, peers, partners. The more they benefit from your value, the more they become ambassadors of your reputation—the long tail effect.
- Recognition: thank those who challenge or support you.
- Sharing: spread learning (internal post, talk, mentoring).
- Feedback: regularly ask how your actions are perceived.
Gratitude diffuses toxic competition and reinforces the virtuous circle “your success = my success”.
Resources to go further
- Online masterclass: Personal brand plan in 3 steps
- Free “LinkedIn checklist” – download
Let’s discuss your project!
Free discovery session – 40 min
* Positioning diagnosis
* Your core value identified
* Express tips on CV / LinkedIn