Authentic or Artificial? Personal Branding and LinkedIn Optimization in the AI Era
Personal brand is more than a listing of experiences and accomplishments; it is the narrative that communicates the unique value one offers to others and that also shapes how others perceive them. In an era where AI can generate professional content in seconds, the need and value of authenticity has never been greater. If everyone can produce a polished headline or generic professional narrative, how do they stand out without sounding artificial?
This interactive workshop will guide participants in developing and expressing an authentic personal brand by clearly articulating their unique value proposition and professional story. The session will also include a demonstration to translate that narrative into an authentic LinkedIn presence. Rather than letting AI dilute individuality, participants will learn how to leverage AI as a tool to elevate and enhance their personal brand, story, and search visibility.
Participants will engage in short exercises, profile audits, and live feedback opportunities designed to help them refine their professional online presence in real time. Attendees will leave with an actionable framework for building a personal brand through intentional profile design, authentic engagement, and ethical use of AI tools to enhance visibility, credibility, and professional impact.
Bio:
Beth E. Michalec, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Corporate Communication at Penn State Lehigh Valley where she develops and teaches courses centered on strategic integrated marketing communications, storybranding, crisis communication, and digital and social media marketing. She also teaches courses in marketing research and analysis and public relations in West Virginia University’s award-winning Integrated Marketing Communications master’s program.
As a prestigious Fulbright Specialist, Dr. Michalec spent the Fall 2022 semester teaching, lecturing, and consulting in Croatia and previously spent the Spring 2013 semester as a visiting professor at Duquesne University’s Italian Campus in Rome, Italy. Her lecture topics included corporate social responsibility, greenwashing, philanthrocapitalism, and purpose-driven marketing, branding and entrepreneurship.
While at PSU-LV, Dr. Michalec has led study abroad trips to the Netherlands and Greece and has shared her teaching and research insights at regional, state, national, and international conferences, universities, and events. An avid traveler and music lover, Dr. Michalec has visited nearly 20 countries and 25 U.S. states and has enjoyed over 100 live bands' and artists' performances. She greatly admires Dolly Parton—as a storyteller, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and visionary—and counts seeing her perform live in 2023 as a core memory. Dr. Michalec earned her Ph.D. in Rhetoric from Duquesne University in May 2020 and is a proud alumna of the IMC master’s program at West Virginia University.