Few of us make it through our entire working lives without some period of unemployment. Consider yourself lucky if it’s never happened to you. But don’t think it never will.
The best defense against the probable inevitability of unemployment? Assume that it may happen to you, and be prepared. Things can change in an instant.
“Permanent Jobs” Don’t Exist
Wise people understand that we’re all always in perpetual job search, whether or not we’ve been steadily employed throughout our careers.
They know that they should always keep their networks alive, and be accessible and open to new opportunities.
This means continuously communicating your personal brand and unique value to the kinds of employers you would want to work for next, mainly through your LinkedIn profile.
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and contains lots of content saturated with your relevant key words and phrases. This way, your profile will be optimized to help you get found, on an ongoing basis, by recruiters and hiring decision makers at the companies that interest you.
And stay active with LinkedIn Groups and other networking activities there, and on other social media.
Also, keep your resume and other personal marketing materials up to date and at the ready.
That’s all well and good, but most of us don’t do these things. So let’s say you haven’t, and suddenly you’ve been laid off or fired. What can you do to catch up with branding your value to companies you’ll now have to actively pursue?
4 Ways to Keep Your Personal Brand Alive
Here are 4 ways to get back on track:
1. Work on targeting and your personal brand messaging.
Haven’t done anything yet to define your brand and create brand-supporting personal marketing materials (LinkedIn profile, resume, bio, etc.)? It’s time you started at square one with my 10-Step Personal Branding Worksheet.
If you’ve already defined your brand, this is the time to revisit and refresh it, to align your personal marketing materials with the needs of your target employers. [See Taking Inventory & Refreshing Your Personal Brand.]
2. Rebuild and expand your network.
Reconnect with everyone you can think of, in any walk of life, and let them know your career goals. Search the LinkedIn company profiles of those you want to target, look for employees you may know, and invite them to connect. Ask everyone you know if they know anyone at your target companies, and ask for an introduction. Also, look for senior level executives at these companies who may be hiring decision makers, and reach out to them.
3. Find ways to fill potential employment gaps, before they happen.
It can take many months to find a new good fit job. You need to do some kind of work – whether or not you receive compensation – to avoid major gaps in your LinkedIn profile and resume. Typically, things get sticky with gaps of one year or more. So do what you can to keep that from happening. [See How to Manage Employment Gaps on Your Resume.]
Here are some suggestions. Do your best to find work that is consistent with your personal brand and unique value proposition to your target employers. Then this fill-in work experience will be of greater value to them:
- Volunteer – charities, schools, hospitals, civic groups, etc.
- Find consulting gigs or short-term interim work
- Secure temp work
- Upgrade and polish your relevant skills – go back to school, either online or in-person
4. Get comfortable with social media.
Now you’ll probably have the time to noodle around with LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media, and learn how to build your brand on them.
[See Personal Branding with Your LinkedIn Profile.]
Bottom Line
Unemployment happens to most of us, and to the best of us. It’s usually no reflection on you and your performance. Your best defense is to be prepared BEFORE it ever happens. But if it sneaks up on you, follow my guidelines to keep your personal brand alive, as you navigate your job search.
About the author…
Meg Guiseppi, Job-Hunt’s Personal Branding Expert and 20+ year careers industry veteran, has earned 10 certifications, including Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Reach Social Branding Analyst – LinkedIn Profile Strategist, and Certified Executive Resume Master. Meg is the author of “23 Ways You Sabotage Your Executive Job Search and How Your Brand Will Help You Land.” Connect with Meg at ExecutiveCareerBrand.com for c-suite personal branding and executive job search help and on Twitter (@MegGuiseppi). And, you may also download Meg’s free ebook – Job-Hunt Guide to Smart Personal Branding with LinkedIn.
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