Carina Farrell 🌻

Top 24 Marketer 2024 | Creating Thought Leaders through Personal Branding

Hey, I’m Carina! I help people stand out on LinkedIn by turning their thoughts, experiences, and expertise into content that gets seen and starts conversations.

As an Account Manager at the world’s leading personal branding agency, I work with founders, execs, and professionals to grow their audience, build credibility, and open doors to new opportunities.

I’ve spent years figuring out what actually works on LinkedIn, what flops, and how to create content that people want to read. 

Personal branding isn’t about chasing likes or trying to sound perfect. The best personal brands are built on real stories, honest opinions, and a clear message. I help people figure out what they want to say and how to say it in a way that actually resonates.

🌻 I’ve helped clients reach millions of views and turn LinkedIn into their biggest growth channel
🌻 I know what makes content stand out, whether it’s storytelling, strategy, or saying what everyone else is too afraid to say
🌻 I love working with people who have something to say but don’t know how to put it into words

As an employee, I also like to create content showing the other side of work, the moments outside of client calls and meetings that make work more than just a job. I share many employees' thoughts and experiences in today’s workplace, but are often too nervous to voice them.

When I’m not working on LinkedIn content, you’ll probably find me traveling, volunteering with Girlguiding, or learning a new language.

Always open to speaking opportunities and brand partnerships.

My DM's are always open :-)

Personal Brand Manager

Carina Farrell

"Even you, Shakespeare? Unbelievable.

Use AI. Use the em dash. Use "fosters" if you really must.
But please just use them correctly."

Fair play 🤣

Great share from my friend Katharine Gordon! 

---
If you want to learn how to use AI (the right way), I highly recommend checking out our free newsletter, Building Leverage.

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eTVc2mvn

Favikon Top 20 Personal Branding Influencer | Senior Brand Manager at Lever Brands

"You make me sound like someone else."
Every ghostwriter has heard this.

And it usually means the same thing.

You wrote something good.
It just didn’t sound like them.

The problem is that many writers don’t really listen.

They don’t start with the person.
They start with what they think will perform.
And write from there.

And without meaning to, they replace the person.

Here’s what actually helps:

🎤 Record everything
 Calls. Voice notes. Off-the-cuff stories.
 That’s where their real tone shows up.

🗂️ Keep a file of how they speak
 Phrases they repeat.
 How they start sentences.
 The words they overuse.

✍️ Don’t rewrite their voice
Your job is to shape it, not swap it out.

Edits happen.

But if they’re rewriting large chunks, it’s a sign you missed their tone or point of view.

Ghostwriters, what would you add?

🌻 Repost and follow Carina Farrell for more content on personal branding!

P.S. If you’re building your personal brand, we share what we're learning each week in our free newsletter. 2,000+ legends are already reading it: https://lnkd.in/eTVc2mvn

I used to feel uncomfortable being the least knowledgeable person in the room.

It made me question myself.

And if I’m honest, scrolling on LinkedIn sometimes still does. It’s easy to feel like everyone else is ahead.

But I’ve learned something important:

Being around people who are smarter than you isn’t a threat. It’s an advantage.

Here’s why:
🌻 They stretch your thinking.
 They ask better questions. They see angles you don’t. That changes how you think.

🌻 You get better results together.
 When you combine their expertise with your strengths, the outcome is stronger than either of you working alone.

🌻 You can focus on what you do best.
 You don’t need to know everything. You just need to know where you add value.

The real shift for me was putting ego aside and staying curious.

Now, instead of feeling behind, I ask: What can I learn here?

What’s your experience with this? 
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Hi, I'm Carina Farrell, and I post weekly about ways to build your brand, whilst also spotlighting the voice of employees. Feel free to follow me if you're building your personal brand.

Last year, I messed up my annual leave.

Like most people, I waited for summer.
Or tried to squeeze time in at the end of the year.

Then everyone wants the same days off. Flights are expensive. Work becomes chaotic. And somehow, the break you were looking forward to starts feeling stressful before it’s even begun.

After Christmas, a lot of us don’t take our next block of annual leave for a while.

The year still feels fresh.
You feel motivated.
You think, “I’ll save it for later.”

But “later” usually means peak prices, limited options, and a calendar that’s already full.

So this year, I did something different.

I booked time off in February.

When the UK was cold, dark, and grey, I left.

No peak prices.
No fighting for leave.
No packed beaches.

Just sun, a bit of space, and the chance to properly switch off.

And here’s what I didn’t expect:

Because it was early in the year, it felt more like a reset than a reward.
I came back clearer, calmer, and more focused.
Instead of crawling to the end of Q1, I felt ahead of it.

We often treat annual leave like something to earn after we’re exhausted.

But spreading it out makes a huge difference:

You always have a break to look forward to.
Work doesn’t build up into one overwhelming period.
You avoid the rush and the premium prices.

And you actually return with energy, not guilt.

It’s easy to follow the usual pattern because that’s what everyone else does.

But this year, I’m using my leave with more intention and spreading it across the year.

Small change. Big difference.

Any guesses where I’ve been from the photo? 👀👇

Lead Recruiter in the People Centre of Expertise (skills based recruitment) 

I have managed recruitment for:
▪️Resource Management
▪️Employee Relations
▪️Employer Branding
▪️Talent Acquisition
▪️Talent/ HR/ DE&I
▪️EY wavespace
▪️Operations
▪️Pursuits
▪️Reward
▪️BD

Skills:
▪️Strong high volume recruitment 
▪️Stakeholder & people management
▪️Success Factors, PowerBI & Intelliops 
▪️MI, reporting & data analytics 
▪️Public speaking, training 
▪️Project management 
▪️Strategic Partnering 

✨Employee Referrals Lead
✨Talent Community Champ 
✨Workshop lead/ facilitator 
✨Podcast panel member 
✨LinkedIn Trainer

▪️ Line manager 
▪️ Counsellor - career coach 

Passionate about 
✨EY Foundation/ Smart Futures
✨Employer branding 
✨Personal branding 
✨Public speaking 
✨Social mobility 
✨DE&I

Senior Recruiter - Core Business Services (CBS)

NSPCC

NSPCC schools service plays a vital role in protecting a generation of children, by helping them understand abuse and giving them the confidence to speak out if they need help.

As one of the lead volunteers I have visited hundreds of primary schools in Yorkshire to deliver Speak out, Stay Safe assemblies and workshops as well as training/ signing off new volunteers.

Every childhood is worth fighting for.

I also run an Etsy shop selling supposedly funny greeting cards during lockdowns. I learnt a great deal about running a small business, how to use Canva to design cards, SEOs and how to drive sales using social media. It was great fun!

School Services Volunteer

I worked as one of the In-house Recruiters at EY in London. I managed Transaction Advisory Services recruitment with a focus on Valuation and Business Modelling. 

Valuation and Business Modelling quantifies valuation risk and reward to improve decision making processes. Services include, Valuation of businesses, Intellectual property & capital equipment, Business process management, Data Analytics, Decision Support and Economic Advisory.

As well as managing the end to end recruitment process I was also heavily involved with:
- Disability - Experienced Hire Lead
- Smart Futures Programme (social mobility) ~ work placements for 15-16 year olds followed by mentoring 
- EY Reconnect ~ hiring people who have had 2+ year career breaks 
- Ex-military recruitment

Recruiter - Transaction Advisory Services

Career Break

Raising my children both in London and Dubai

Some of the best years in my life!

Lead roles in Parent Associations in schools and elderly befriending

Homemaker

I worked as one of the Assurance Recruiters for PwC, recruiting Auditors, Financial Due Diligence (now Deals) professionals etc. 

I was also an Experienced Recruitment Interviewing Course (ERIC) Lead, responsible for revamping the course including creating a booklet and marketing materials, introducing a refresher course (ERICA) and being one of the lead tutors. I also tutored on PwC Welcome Event which was held for new joiners.

This was back in the day when it wasn’t all virtual.

Recruiter - Assurance

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

I supported Asset and Wealth Management Recruiters by setting up their interviews.

Recruitment Co-ordinator - Asset and Wealth Management

Various Roles Leading to Career in Recruitment

My Temping roles were:
- Receptionist - Trevor Sorbie, hairdressers 
- Receptionist - Squire and Partners, Architects
- HR Admin - Aldrich and Partners, Security Wholesale
- HR Admin - NCH, Children’s Charity

After travelling I started as a receptionist at a hairdressers after which I got my first proper office job. During my HR admin roles I really enjoyed recruitment which then lead me to seek a role in recruitment as well as embark on CIPD studies to further develop my HR/recruitment skills.

Temping

Starbucks

I worked as a shift supervisor and trainer at Starbucks in the City. As I was working part-time due to my studies I wasn’t allowed to be a store manager but I once acted up as a manager for four months in one of the stores when we waited for a manager to join. I also trained the new manager.

I was also assigned to train new head office staff who would be placed in coffee shops for two weeks. Had I stayed after my studies ended, I would have completed my manager training and I would have then moved to the head office and classroom training.

Shift Supervisor/ Temporary Manager/ Trainer

I worked as a Cashier and Customer Service Assistant in Prisma, Mikkeli. I worked full-time during school holidays and part-time during term time. 

The customer service training we received was fantastic which has hugely benefited me throughout my career.

Cashier/ Customer Service Assistant

Friendly Recruiter at EY ✨ I recruit HR & Recruitment Professionals ✨ New post every Tuesday 07:15 BST ✨ Tips for jobseekers & stories about the corporate world ✨

👇 Apply for EY UK Roles
www.ey.com/en_uk/careers 

👇 Join EY UK Online Talent Community 
So that we can keep in touch with you 
https://flows.beamery.eu/ey/ey


I’m an In-house Recruiter at EY. 

(Ernst and Young, one of the ‘Big 4’)✨


I’m a Lead Recruiter in the People Centre of Excellence Recruitment team 

I currently recruit for:
🖤Recruitment
🖤HR 

My team recruits for any talent/ HR roles, including client facing People Consulting so happy to be contacted about such roles too.  

Please note, I don’t recruit for other areas such as Assurance/ Audit, Consulting, Tax or Strategy and Transactions 🙂.  If you’re looking for roles in these service lines, please find an appropriate Recruiter.

Also, I am not an agency recruitment consultant so I’m not looking for clients on here. 


I’m mainly on LinkedIn to talk about recruitment, corporate life, and to learn and network. 


And guess what, I quite like it here 💛


Thanks for popping by 💛

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Carina Farrell

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The Battle

Carina Farrell

Lottie Khan

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Carina Farrell's LinkedIn Performance

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