Most engineers think their next big break will come from solving more Leetcode problems or waiting for their manager to notice them.
But in reality, the biggest career unlock today isn’t just coding skills.
💡 It’s being known for what you do.
That’s what a personal brand on LinkedIn gives you:
Recruiters come to you instead of you chasing them
Your cold DMs actually get replies
You build a trusted reputation inside and outside your company
You get opportunities - jobs, side projects, even income, without applying everywhere
The best part? You don’t need to be loud, viral, or “cringe.” You just need to consistently share the right signals - your work, your lessons, your frameworks.
I’ve seen it firsthand
In 2023, I started posting casually on LinkedIn. A year later, here’s what happened:
18.5M impressions
63,000+ followers
23,000+ newsletter subscribers
Inbound leads from recruiters, founders, and operators
A mentorship program that grew entirely from LinkedIn
All from showing up consistently and applying a few simple frameworks.
3 quick wins you can use this week
Update your LinkedIn headline using this simple formula:
[Role or Result] | [Audience or Niche] | [Proof or Project]
Examples:
Engineering Manager | Helping ICs break into EM roles | ex-Meta
AI Builder | Building tools in public | Newsletter → 10K+ subs
Career Coach for Devs | From ₹30L to ₹1Cr+ | 50+ mentees
This one line shows who you are, who you help, and why you’re credible. It’s the fastest way to make your profile start working for you.
Fix your Featured section
Your LinkedIn profile is like a landing page, and the Featured section is prime real estate most people ignore.
Add 2–3 items that instantly prove your credibility:
Your best-performing post (shows thought leadership)
A link to your newsletter, blog, or portfolio
A screenshot of a win (promotion, testimonial, side project result)
This makes your profile not just informative, but persuasive.
Post a story with a clear takeaway
Stories build trust faster than advice because people relate to you.
Structure it like this:
1–2 lines → What happened (a success, mistake, or challenge)
2–3 lines → What you realized or learned
1 line → The takeaway or a question for your audience
Example:
“I failed 3 FAANG interviews in a row. Then I realized I was answering system design questions with features, not trade-offs. Once I fixed that, I cleared the next two. What’s the biggest interview lesson you’ve learned?”
Stories like this show you’re real, credible, and thoughtful, and they spark engagement.
Why This Matters
Most engineers wait until they need a job to start building visibility. That’s too late.
The best time to build your presence is now, when you don’t urgently need it.
That way, by the time you do, your brand is already compounding.
I’ve packaged everything I know about building a high-trust LinkedIn presence into a digital playbook for engineers and founders.
Inside, you’ll get:
✅ A system to define your niche and content pillars
✅ Step-by-step templates to fix your profile in 30 minutes
✅ Proven post frameworks (so you never run out of ideas)
✅ Growth habits to stay consistent without burning out
✅ Strategies to turn visibility into real opportunities (jobs, clients, income)
This is the same system I used to grow from zero to:
63,000+ LinkedIn followers
23,000+ newsletter subscribers
Inbound job offers, sponsorships, and a thriving mentorship business
👉 If you’ve ever thought, “I should post more on LinkedIn, but I don’t know how or where to start”, this is built for you.
You can use the link below for a 10% discount for newsletter subscribers
Here’s how I can help:
Join my cohort: “2X Your Compensation in Tech”: a live cohort course to help you prepare better and position yourself right for tech interviews. [Check Details Here]
Sponsor this newsletter: Want to reach 23,000+ senior engineers and tech leaders? [See sponsorship options]
Stay in touch
Find me on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Threads, or Bluesky.
Want to request a topic? Just email me at hemant.pandey17@gmail.com
This newsletter is funded by the support of readers like yourself
If you’re not already a paid subscriber, consider upgrading to support the work and unlock full access
Thanks for reading
A brand isn’t something you can build overnight. No matter what, it takes time. If you wait until you desperately need one, it will already be too late and the opportunities in front of you may slip away. Everyone needs a brand. The sooner you start building yours, the brighter your future will become.