Did you know 88% of people believe a strong professional brand is key to career success?
Nearly nine out of ten job seekers claim a well-crafted brand increases their chances of getting a job—a 45% increase from last year. However, establishing this can be a bit challenging for new graduates since they are yet to enter the job market in 2025.
As a fresh grad, what does it take to build a personal brand? Read on to learn why it’s important in the job market and how to establish a solid one.
The Importance of a Personal Brand for Graduates
The job market opens doors to work opportunities for fresh graduates. However, it has become more competitive than ever before. It requires extensive knowledge and skillsets to get hired—much more to thrive and succeed in the workplace.
As such, job seekers, especially new graduates, are experiencing job search fatigue. Three-quarters of them say job hunting is one of the most stressful things in life. The numbers don’t lie:
- The average job applicant submits 162 applications before receiving an offer, securing just one interview for every six applications sent.
As a fresh graduate, how do you rise above job search fatigue? More importantly, how can you get a job and establish your career? Personal branding is key!
Personal branding entails defining who you are as a professional, what field you specialize in, and what value you can bring to the table. Are you a licensed attorney with extensive legal experience and expertise? A professional health professional who has surpassed COVID-19? A multi-faceted freelancer with a wide array of digital skills?
As a graduate, here’s why you should build a solid personal brand:
- Guaranteed professional standout: Your brand does not only set you apart from other graduates and professionals. But it also makes you stand out in a sea of job market competition. It gives you the edge even as a fresh graduate!
- Increased online presence: Your brand lets you take space on the web, whether on search engines, job search portals, or social media. With a boost in web prominence, you get noticed by recruiters.
- Expanded professional network: Your brand allows you to connect with other professionals, even as a fresh graduate. Remember, professional networking is key to work opportunities and career success!
- Enhanced credibility and trust: Solid branding helps establish yourself as a professional, even as a new graduate. A credible brand builds trust by letting you earn the confidence of employers and recruiters.
- Increased job opportunities: Your personal branding’s ultimate goal is to open your doorway to work opportunities. By standing out, boosting your online presence, and expanding your network, more and more jobs await you!
- Long-term professional growth: Personal branding involves developing your professional development plan (PDP) and setting your career roadmap. With these in place, you’ll be properly guided in your career paths while growing professionally.
In the next section, learn how to establish a personal brand this year.
Key Steps for Building a Strong Personal Brand in 2025
Establishing a personal brand can be challenging for graduates since they have less work and life experience. However, there are certain things they can highlight to build their brand image and professional reputation. These can open doorways to career opportunities and professional growth.
As a fresh graduate, here’s how to build a strong personal brand this year:
1. Start with self-assessment: Get to know yourself!
Before you dive into creating a personal brand, assess yourself first. As a fresh graduate, who are you as a person? What kind of a professional do you aspire to become? What can you bring to the job market table?
Reyansh Mestry, Head of Marketing at TopSource Worldwide, recommends an initial self-assessment for personal branding. “Self-assessment is the first step in building a strong personal brand. Take a moment to reflect—what are your strengths, skills, and passions? Understanding who you are and what you bring to the table will help you craft a brand that truly represents you.”
Mestry shares the key aspects to consider for self-assessment:
- Knowledge and skills: Consider the extensive knowledge you’ve acquired based on your chosen degree or profession. Likewise, factor in your skill sets according to the top skills employers look for these days. Springboard lists the most in-demand soft and hard skills:
- Education and training: What course have you taken, and what relevant training programs have you undergone thus far? Both make up your professional brand as a fresh graduate.
- Expertise and experience: Since you have no real work experience yet, consider your on-the-job training. Also, factor in your field of expertise based on the course you’ve taken.
- Strengths and weaknesses: It’s essential to weigh in your assets and liabilities as a would-be professional. What are you good at, and what are your areas of opportunity?
- Career vision and mission: What are your long-term professional goals and action plans? Create this statement as part of your brand.
2. Establish your online presence: SEO is key!
For the uninitiated, search engine optimization (SEO) helps you become visible and prominent on the Internet. Not only does it boost your online visibility, but it also drives traffic to your website.
To establish your online presence with SEO tactics, here’s what you need to do:
Create your professional website. Start creating a personal website or an online portfolio where you can build your brand. For example, if you’re a fresh grad who has penetrated the gig economy, highlight your freelancing skills on your site. Note: The global gig economy market could grow from $355 billion in 2021 to $1.86 trillion by 2031 at a 16.18% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Optimize for search engines. Once you have your website in place, create relevant and valuable content with keyword integration and link building for SEO purposes. This can help you rank high on the search engine results pages (SERPs)!
Create social media profiles. People live and breathe on social media platforms, so recruiters check them to assess job candidates. When optimizing your profiles, keep your brand in mind not only on LinkedIn but also on other channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube.
Nick Esposito, Founder at NYCServers, suggests employing SEO to establish online visibility for your personal brand. “SEO isn’t just for businesses—it’s a game-changer for personal branding, too. By optimizing your website and social media profiles, you make it easier for recruiters and industry professionals to find you. A strong online presence puts your brand in front of the right people at the right time.”
3. Engage with stakeholders: Introduce yourself!
Building your personal brand on your website and social media is not enough. You also have to engage with various stakeholders to introduce yourself. Whether interacting with fellow graduates, asking questions from industry experts, or working with mentors, you’re letting your brand take center stage.
Jeffrey Zhou, CEO and Founder of Fig Loans, emphasizes the need for stakeholder engagement in personal branding. “Personal branding isn’t just about how you present yourself—it’s also about how you engage with others. Connect with peers, mentors, and industry leaders to build meaningful relationships. The more you engage, the more visible and credible your brand becomes.”
Zhou recommends engaging with the following stakeholders.
- Work with peers and other graduates. Interact professionally with your friends and other graduates on digital platforms. Be wary of your brand, as hiring professionals might see your interactions with others. Note: only 33% felt engaged at work, so recruiters love to hire engaging people.
- Connect with mentors and industry experts. There’s no denying the role of mentorship not only in student success but also in professional growth. That’s why it’s best to work with your mentors and reach out to industry professionals on online platforms. This will help you build your brand right before their eyes!
- Establish your professional network. It’s crucial to build your network as a professional online. You can do this via niche websites, online communities, and social media groups. However, be strategic in presenting yourself so you’ll come across with a positive brand. For instance, write a great recent college graduate LinkedIn headline and communicate with others on the platform.
4. Pursue thought leadership: Share your insights!
Another way to build your brand is to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. This helps boost your authority and credibility—even as a fresh graduate. So, what better way to achieve this than to share your thoughts and ideas as someone navigating the world of employment?
To pursue thought leadership, here’s what you can do:
- Share knowledge and insights. You don’t necessarily have to be an expert in the field, but you can simply share what you’ve learned in school. For example, if you took up education, you can share something about effective teaching methods.
- Engage in public speaking. Sharing your thoughts and ideas with the public is a good idea. However, upload these videos on your social media accounts and personal blogs to spark engagement and establish your brand.
- Stay up-to-date with industry trends. As a fresh graduate, you must familiarize yourself with the ins and outs, particularly the job market trends. With this knowledge, you can present your brand in a way that is aligned with these trends.
Brooke Webber, Head of Marketing at Ninja Patches, underscores the importance of thought leadership in personal branding. “Thought leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about sharing what you know and sparking conversations. Whether it’s through writing, speaking, or engaging online, putting your insights out there helps establish your credibility and strengthens your brand.”
5. Leverage education: Show off academic achievements!
As a fresh graduate, you have no employment experience yet, and your knowledge and skills are not as extensive as those of other professionals. However, your greatest leverage is your education, which reflects what you will be as a professional.
Learn from Gary Hemming, Owner & Finance Director at ABC Finance. He suggests capitalizing on your educational attainment as a new graduate to establish your brand. “Your education is more than just a degree—it’s the foundation of your brand. Highlight your academic achievements, training, and certifications to show your expertise and dedication. Employers value lifelong learners, so make your knowledge work for you.”
Hemming recommends taking the following crucial steps:
- Showcase your educational attainment. Emphasize what course you’ve taken up or what degree you’ve earned. This will give hiring professionals a glimpse of the field you plan to pursue. You can do this via your LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio.
- Highlight your training and certification. Not only should you cite your educational attainment but also relevant training you’ve undergone and certifications you’ve earned. They add credibility to your brand and compensate for the lack of work experience.
- Share your awards and accolades. Finally, it’s a must to showcase your academic achievements. Not only do they uplift your level of knowledge and skills, but they also speak of your dedication, discipline, and hard work. Hence, a boost for your professional brand!
6. Align personal brand with career trends: Meet halfway!
Building your personal brand is one thing; aligning it with career trends is another. If you want your brand to work for your professional growth and career advancements, you better match it with the job demands.
But what does it take to align your professional brand with available jobs? Here’s how:
- Customize your resume and cover letter. While creating a personal brand on these pieces, you must match it to the job description. Also, optimize it for the applicant tracking systems (ATS) since most employers use this today. Remember, a generic resume and letter are a big no-no!
- Tailor your personal brand to specific roles. This is especially true if you’re applying for a job—submit your resume and cover letter relevant to the available job. However, consider your career roadmap in your personal development plan (PDP) and craft a brand that suits your path!
- Showcase your brand during job interviews. Aside from being confident in your interview, your brand should also exude during this round. How do you present yourself as a professional? Remember, job applicants only get one interview call for every six applications submitted—make the most of it!
Take it from Peter Čuček, Owner at Tuuli. He has his fair share of establishing his brand based on the entrepreneurial path he pursued.
Čuček shares, “Your brand should evolve with career trends—not just reflect who you are, but also where you’re headed. Aligning your brand with industry demands makes you a stronger candidate and opens more opportunities. Stay adaptable, stay relevant, and position yourself for success.”
7. Continuously rebrand: Learn and grow professionally!
A personal brand is ever-changing and ever-evolving. As a fresh graduate, you may stick to a particular brand based on your educational attainment. But you might switch jobs or transition to another career as time passes. Therefore, rebranding yourself professionally makes absolute sense.
John Grant, Founder and CEO at Premier Bidets, highlights the value of personal rebranding for professional growth and career success. “Your personal brand isn’t set in stone—it grows with you. As you gain experience and evolve in your career, rebranding helps you stay relevant and competitive. Keep learning, adapting, and refining your brand to open new doors and opportunities.”
Grant suggests taking the following steps:
Set key metrics and measure branding. Key performance indicators (KPIs) for personal branding include online visibility and website traffic, social media reach and engagements, and job opportunities and career advancements. Measure your branding performance against these set KPIs.
Track performance and adjust strategies. For example, monitor your job applications when finding a job. If you’re having difficulty getting noticed, screened, and hired, improve your brand presentation on your resume and job interviews to increase your chances.
Consider career and professional rebranding. As cited, you might change your job or shift to a new career. Over half of Americans (57.65 %) plan to have major job changes this year. If you’re one of them, consider rebranding yourself as a professional.
Final Words
There’s no denying the value of a personal brand in today’s job market—even for fresh graduates. For one, a solid brand boosts your online presence and professional network. It also makes you stand out in the competition and increases your work opportunities. Ultimately, it helps promote long-term professional growth and career advancement.
As a fresh graduate, follow the crucial steps above for building a strong personal brand in 2025.
Start with self-assessment and professional rebranding thereafter. Boost your online presence, connect with people, consider thought leadership, highlight your education, and match your personal brand with job opportunities. With all these key steps and tips, you’ll establish a solid brand for professional growth and career success!
Graduating this year? Start shopping for diploma and certificate frames—a symbol of academic success for your personal brand. Read our blog for more insights on job opportunities and career development.
