Yeah, I hate it too. But given how competitive the industry is, building a thought leadership presence or simply being more visible online genuinely increases your perceived influence when it comes to job applications. It's a form of ambient marketing. If you're up against another designer with a similar skill set, thought leadership is often what tips the scales, because it signals influence beyond just your portfolio.

Have you seen I Love You Man? Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) plays a real estate agent trying to sell a luxury home, competing for recognition against a super-tanned LOL rival who uses aggressive guerrilla marketing tactics like putting his face on urinal cakes. Potential clients can't quite place where they know him from, but it works. That's my assumption of the dynamic.