Public proof of work is anything a hiring manager can inspect before meeting you: a portfolio page, case study, post, talk, project, recommendation, certificate, template, demo, or thoughtful comment thread. It reduces perceived risk.
Pick proof that matches the role
Do not publish artifacts just because they are easy. Pick proof that answers the hiring manager's quiet question: can this person do the work here?
- For product, show how you make tradeoffs.
- For marketing, show audience insight and conversion thinking.
- For operations, show systems, process, and measurable simplification.
- For engineering, show maintainable work, decisions, and edge cases.
- For leadership, show how you align people and raise the bar.
The three-artifact rule
You do not need a huge online presence. You need three useful signals that are easy to find.
- A profile artifact: LinkedIn headline, About, Featured, and Experience tell one story.
- A depth artifact: one case study, project page, or article shows how you think.
- A trust artifact: recommendation, certificate, talk, community contribution, or measurable result.
Make it easy to share
Each artifact should have a clean title, one-sentence context, and a direct link. Put the strongest one in LinkedIn Featured. Link the rest from your About section, resume, or portfolio.