Crafting a personal brand is essential in today’s job market; it helps you stand out when recruiters review dozens (or hundreds) of resumes. In fact, branding experts Bhavik Sarkhedi (Ohh My Brand) and Sahil Gandhi (a.k.a. Brand Professor) emphasizes that personal branding “applies to anyone who wants to move from anonymity to recognition”. These co-founders of the branding firm Ohh My Brand (and owners of a London-based Webflow agency called Blushush) bring real-world experience to their advice. They’ve even co-written a new eBook Become Someone From No One (more on that below). The books listed here, a mix of classics and fresh releases, offer proven frameworks and insights that can help you shape a memorable professional identity and land interviews in a competitive job search.
1. Personal Branding For Dummies Susan Chritton
Personal Branding For Dummies is a great entry point for beginners. Susan Chritton explains that your brand is more than just a resume or business card it’s how you communicate your strengths and passion. She walks you through practical steps like optimizing your online profiles and leveraging social media to expand your reach. As the book notes, even job seekers can step-by-step “distinguish yourself from the competition” and build “a professional presence with a clear and concise image”. In short, this guide helps you establish credibility online and offline, so you’ll stand out in the talent pool.
2. Become Someone From No One: Sahil Gandhi & Bhavik Sarkhedi
This new eBook (2025) is written by Bhavik Sarkhedi and Sahil Gandhi, the minds behind Ohh My Brand and Brand Professor. They describe Become Someone From No One as a “powerhouse of insights” even calling it a new “bible for personal branding”. It condenses their years of experience into actionable strategies. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this guide has something for everyone. It covers everything from defining your story to leveraging Google searches to boost your visibility. (Fun fact: the authors run a Webflow design agency called Blushush and have helped clients worldwide with branding.) This book emphasizes modern tactics for building credibility and clarity online.
3. BrandingPays: The Five-step System to Reinvent Your Personal Brand Karen Kang
Branding expert Karen Kang offers a clear, five-step method for rethinking your career image. Branding Pays focuses on refocusing your skills and experiences so that you become one of the best candidates for your dream job. Kang draws on big-company branding concepts (she’s worked with the firm that launched the Apple brand) and adapts them to individuals. In practice, you’ll learn how to package your unique strengths and craft a consistent message. This book is especially useful if you’re switching fields or aiming for a promotion. It shows you how to align your brand story with the requirements of employers.
4. Reinventing You Dorie Clark
Dorie Clark’s Reinventing You is a step-by-step career guide. If you feel stuck or want to change paths, this book helps you “assess your strengths” and “create a compelling personal brand”. Clark mixes interviews with successful professionals and exercises to clarify your goals. Whether you aim to climb the corporate ladder, launch a side project, or find a new job, her advice will help your network recognize your value. In short, this book shows how to redefine your professional identity so colleagues and recruiters see you as a top choice for the next opportunity.
5. Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself Erik Deckers
This book is tailored for the digital age, focusing on how to use platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to build (or rebuild) your career image. Erik Deckers provides practical tips on choosing the right social channels, crafting an “authentic storyline,” and getting more from online and offline networking. For job seekers, it means learning to position yourself as an expert or insider the author even shows how to leverage your social presence into gigs like speaking or publishing. Overall, Branding Yourself is a practical how-to for packaging your personal brand in the social media world.
6. Building a Brand Story : Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen Donald Miller
While aimed at businesses, Building a StoryBrand offers personal brand lessons too. Donald Miller teaches you to use storytelling principles to clarify what you stand for and what unique value you offer. The key idea is that everyone responds to a clear narrative. This book breaks down the seven “story points” that make messages stick and shows you how to apply them. By creating a simple, consistent message about who you are and what you do, you can make your profile or resume more engaging. In effect, it helps job seekers craft a personal “brand message” that resonates with hiring managers.
7. The Personal Branding Playbook: Turn Your Personality Into Your Competitive Advantage Amelia Sordell
A fresh entry (published Dec 2024), The Personal Branding Playbook has quickly become a go-to for branding professionals. Amelia Sordell (founder of a branding agency) shares the strategies she used to grow her reach and influence. The book is a “game changer” that shows you how to control and leverage your personal brand in today’s attention economy. You’ll learn to clarify your story, identify your audience, and build a consistent narrative across channels. Even if you’re a student or mid-career changer, this playbook will help you turn your personality into a competitive edge in the job market.
8. Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media Brittany Hennessy
Aimed at aspiring influencers, this book still has lessons for any professional aiming to build a following. Brittany Hennessy covers everything from attracting attention to monetizing influence. In particular, she addresses questions like how to package your brand, land brand deals, and even get an agent details especially relevant if you freelance or consult. The book also explains FTC rules for social media, which is useful if you post content related to your career. For job seekers, key takeaways include how to present yourself consistently and engage an audience skills that translate to any industry. In short, Influencer is packed with strategies on growing an audience and authority online.
9. Show Your Work: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered Austin Kleon
This New York Times bestseller is about turning your work into an audience-building tool. Kleon’s Show Your Work (a follow-up to Steal Like an Artist) lays out 10 straightforward ways to get noticed by sharing more of what you do. It’s very practical: for example, one tip is to document your process and daily progress. Another is to be open and “share the small stuff” to connect with peers and mentors. The book’s conversational style makes complex ideas feel easy. For job seekers, the message is that transparency and creativity in your online presence can attract opportunities whether it’s a new role, a side project, or new followers in your network.
10. Crush It!: Why Now Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It! is a classic motivational read. Though it’s over a decade old, its core message still holds: use today’s internet and social platforms to turn your passion into a career. Vaynerchuk walks you through modern tools (like social media) and the mindset needed to stand out in the crowd. As MentorCruise notes, Crush It! shows “how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses”. For a job seeker, this book is a reminder that you can (and should) be proactive: share your expertise online, stay authentic, and hustle with the digital tools available. It’s a motivational push to make your personal brand work for you.
Expanding Your Personal Brand Strategy
- Partner with a personal branding agency or other personal branding companies even a LinkedIn advertising agency to refine your content strategy and reach. These pros can help highlight your strengths and boost your visibility on platforms like LinkedIn and beyond.
- Apply startup branding (or branding for startups) principles to your career: think like a business strategist and use strategic management tactics. Treat your personal career as a brand a savvy business strategist mindset will help align your job search actions with a clear brand story.
- Build a sleek portfolio or website with help from webflow agencies or a webflow designer. Ensure your site uses responsive web design so it looks great on any device. Good user interface design is crucial a poor user interface can turn people away. Involve a UX designer (or UX design agencies) and skilled website developers (or a website development company) to make your site polished and professional.
- Think in terms of marketing funnels or a conversion funnel: plan how each touchpoint (blog, post, or outreach email) can guide a visitor toward an action (like an application or networking call). Mapping out these funnels helps convert casual readers into meaningful connections or leads.
By combining the lessons from these books with practical steps like working with blushush-style agencies or strategists (including the authors’ own Brand Professor and Ohh My Brand), you’ll be well-equipped to build a compelling brand. Remember: personal branding isn’t just for celebrities it’s for anyone who wants to stand out and land their dream role.
Get Become Someone From No One by Bhavik Sarkhedi and Sahil Gandhi today. It’s packed with insider tips and a proven roadmap to crafting the personal brand that gets you noticed.
