Abstract
Purpose of the study: Personal branding is typically framed as strategic impression management, yet little is known about how it actually develops as a lived experience over time or how it shapes professional identity. This study examines alumni reflections on personal branding development following completion of a university personal branding assignment during their BCom Honours in Marketing Management, addressing this gap by exploring the process through which personal branding unfolds after formal instruction ends.Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative grounded theory approach was adopted. The experiences of nine alumni who had completed the assignment were analysed to understand how personal branding develops as a lived experience and its influence on professional identity formation.Findings: Personal branding emerged as a complex, five-stage process of authentic professional identity development, rather than a purely strategic exercise in impression management. The resulting Authentic Professional Identity Development (APID) model demonstrates that sustainable professional success is grounded in the integration of personal authenticity with professional impact. These findings challenge existing frameworks by showing that effective personal branding depends on authentic integration rather than strategic self-promotion and competitiveness.Recommendations/value: This research offers an initial, process-oriented theory of personal branding development, extending Social Cognitive Career Theory and reconceptualising Self-Presentation Theory. The value of the study lies in shifting the theoretical understanding of personal branding from a static, strategic activity to a dynamic developmental process.Managerial implications: For higher education institutions and career development professionals, the findings support curriculum redesign toward process-based approaches, confidence-building strategies, and methods that foster authentic integration—equipping graduates to build sustainable, authentic professional identities rather than superficial self-marketing tactics.