• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Executive Career Brand™

Executive Job Search - Personal Branding, Executive Resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, Biographies, etc.

  • Services & Products
    • Writing Services – Executive Resume, LinkedIn Profile, Biography, etc.
    • Worksheets for Executive Job Search
    • Guide for Today’s Executive Job Search
    • Essential LinkedIn Guide
    • Done-For-You Personal Branding Videos for Camera-Shy People
    • FREE EBOOK and Popular Newsletter
    • 20 Little-Known, Insider Tips for Executive Job Search
  • About
    • My Story
    • Testimonials
    • Samples – Executive Resume & Biography
    • Media
  • SPECIAL OFFERS
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Become Employers’ #1 Choice

October 4, 2018 By Meg Guiseppi

How to Keep Your Personal Brand Alive During Unemployment

  • Facebook0
  • Twitter1
  • Pinterest0
  • LinkedIn3
  • 5 shares

executive job search

What’s 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.

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 optimized with your relevant key words and phrases. This way, your profile will help you get found, on an ongoing basis, by recruiters and hiring decision makers at the companies that interest you.

Stay proactive with LinkedIn, in particular, but also with other social media.

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 get your career back on track when you’re unemployed

1. Work on Targeting and Your Personal Brand Messaging

Haven’t done anything yet to define your brand and create targeted personal marketing materials (LinkedIn profile, resume, bio, etc.)?

Start with targeting and researching specific companies that will be a mutual good fit.

Get to work on your personal brand.

My executive job search worksheets will help you.

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.

Learn how to network your way into the goldmine of “hidden” jobs.

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.

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 learn about and spend time on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media.

Use my Essential LinkedIn Checklist to fully leverage this most important social network for executive job search.

Get a handle on Twitter and why it’s a good complement to LinkedIn.

Work on building your online presence, to be more visible and “finadable”.

Bottom Line

Unemployment happens to most of us, and to the best of us. It’s often 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.

More Information About Executive Job Search

7 LinkedIn Things You Should Do . . . But Probably Don’t

Do Executive Job Seekers Need LinkedIn Premium?

LinkedIn Experts Speak Up About the Biggest LinkedIn Executive Job Search Mistakes

Prepare to Ace & Brand Your C-level Executive Job Interview

How to Find Executive Recruiters Specializing in Your Niche

  • 5shares
  • Twitter1
  • LinkedIn3
  • Facebook0
  • Pinterest0
Share via
  • Facebook
  • Like
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Digg
  • Del
  • Tumblr
  • VKontakte
  • Print
  • Email
  • Reddit
  • Buffer
  • Love This
  • Weibo
  • Pocket
  • Xing
  • Odnoklassniki
  • WhatsApp
  • Meneame
  • Blogger
  • Amazon
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Gmail
  • AOL
  • Newsvine
  • HackerNews
  • Evernote
  • MySpace
  • Mail.ru
  • Viadeo
  • Line
  • Flipboard
  • Comments
  • Yummly
  • SMS
  • Viber
  • Telegram
  • Subscribe
  • Skype
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Kakao
  • LiveJournal
  • Yammer
  • Edgar
  • Fintel
  • Mix
  • Instapaper
  • Copy Link

Filed Under: Executive Networking, LinkedIn, Personal Branding Tagged With: Executive Job Search, LinkedIn, personal branding

Previous Post: « Think Like an Executive Resume Branding Pro – Write Your Executive Resume
Next Post: The #MeToo Movement and Diversity in the Workplace »

Primary Sidebar

The 4 proprietary worksheets I developed to help my clients land jobs they covet and deserve

worksheets for executive job search

All you need to know to use LinkedIn to your best advantage

Essential LinkedIn Guide

Job seekers who use video position themselves as savvy with the new world of work

CareerBrandVideos - Done-For-You Customized Video System

Search for remote jobs on FlexJobs – No ads, scams, or too-good-to-be-true “business opportunities”

FlexJobs Remote Work

Play it Safe – Have a professional check your job search references and find out what they’re actually saying about you.

Allison Taylor job reference check

Executive job search best practice – Get a private email account with “yourname.com”

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

executive job search tips

Most Popular Articles

Guide to Executive Job Interviews: The How-To’s, Why’s and Best Practices

What Is Personal Branding? Do I Need a Personal Brand for Job Search?

25 Tips To Write an Executive Resume for Today’s Job Search

How to Write the Best Cover Letter for Executive Job Search

15 Savvy Tips To Boost LinkedIn Profile Views

How to Network Into the Goldmine of Hidden Executive Jobs

Build Winning Relationships with Executive Recruiters

Smart Executive Job Search: How To Sail Through Salary Negotiations

FREE Weekly Newsletter

Today’s job search is complicated. Get the help you need.

Sign up for my popular FREE weekly newsletter for advice about job search, personal branding, LinkedIn, networking, online presence, interviewing and so much more . . . and get my FREE ebook. Read about the newsletter and ebook here.

* indicates required

First Name *

Meg earned 10 Personal Branding, Resume and Job Search Certifications including:

Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM)

Reach-Certified-Personal-Branding-Strategist

Reach Certified Social Branding Analyst

360Reach Assessment Analyst

 

 

Blog Topics

Footer

Menu

  • About Meg Guiseppi
  • Contact Meg
  • How I Will Help You
  • SPECIAL OFFERS !!!
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Meg on Twitter

Tweets by MegGuiseppi

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Executive Career Brand (Resumes Plus LLC) · All Rights Reserved