I have seen this look in the eyes of many executives who have found themselves for the first time in their lives, "in between jobs." I say, "for the first time" because once an individual has been in this situation, the advice in this posting is generally moot. This is hard-won knowledge that you won't want to learn and practice from the start a second time.
What is that look? Deer in the headlights is a good description.
Throughout my years as an executive recruiter I have been asked (and honored requests) to speak with with executives who are in transition. While it is not a common practice for executive recruiters to do that, the main reason I do it is that I have walked a mile or two in their shoes. I have had two executive positions disappear due to reasons beyond my control, and had another position relocate with the company headquarters to another state and I opted not to follow my job. These are character building experiences that change the way you look at the world.
It took me a long time to get the message that executives should be networking at all times. Consider it the cornerstone of your personal career management strategy. Always be reaching out to other executives and lending support and advice to them in any way possible. With the advent of social networking, namely, LinkedIn, there is no longer an excuse for not staying connected with other executives. Building your list of connections should be part of your week, every week. Do it on your own time at home, but do it.
It is a sad thing for me to see that look on the faces of executives in transition when they have to admit that they have been, "...too busy over the past ten years to network." They almost always follow this comment with a statement of regret. One thing is for sure: this realization is life altering. It is emotionally charged. Psychologists say that our values do not change until we experience a "significant emotional event." An executive job loss for most is, indeed, a significant emotional event. They begin in earnest to reach out to everyone they know. Often that is a short list.
There are a variety of ways to build a solid network. Joining associations and attending meetings are among them. Offer to give presentations covering areas that are in your area of specialization. Open a LinkedIn account if you haven't already. Ask everyone who would be a good business contact to join you on LinkedIn. Keep your LinkedIn account current. Post your activities and thought pieces there. Increasingly, recruiters find you via LinkedIn. Join LinkedIn groups that pertain to your area of expertise and interests and participate. Become a "thought leader." Post your thought pieces and activities on LinkedIn. You can also attach PowerPoint presentations on LinkedIn.
You can become a thought leader in several ways. Writing for publication is one approach. You can get the hang of it quickly through Ezine Articles (http://www.ezinearticles.com/) which is the most recognized Internet publishing platform in existence. In this day and age of Internet marketing, social networking, shopping, etc., there are many interested readers who will seek out your work through search engines. Start a blog that showcases your expertise. Give your best advice away. Write your postings in such a way that people will return to your blog for more. Two of the most common blogging tools are WordPress and Blogspot. Blogspot is the easier of the two to use but in my opinion is not as feature rich. Offer to make presentations at association meetings. Build a personal website. Mine is http://www.michaelkburroughs.com/ . I built and maintain this simple website myself through Network Solutions. Trust me, if I can do it, anybody can do it. You can tailor a personal website for any purpose, even using it as your blog if you prefer that route. You can put a widget on your website that lists your most recent articles and also links your readers to your Ezine Articles profile and body of work. You can see this widget and link on this blog as well as on my personal website.
If you are in between jobs, now is the perfect time to establish your personal brand and start building a robust network. Do it even if you are not in between jobs. If you are gainfully employed you will likely have to do your blogging, article writing, website maintenance and LinkedIn updates,etc, during evening hours and on weekends. That should not be a problem. You have already most likely grown accustomed to burning the midnight oil. Just be sure to burn some of that oil for yourself this time around.
Do some "backward planning." Look into the future a year from now. Mark that date on your calendar. Commit to yourself and others that by that date you will be well-established as a networker and that your personal brand will be recognized. Make time to do this (rather than finding time to do it). If you wait until you find time you never will.
And once you have established yourself in this way, keep it alive. Encourage others to do the same. That's what this blog posting is all about.
If you would like for me to post blog entries or write articles on topics that support your networking and branding initiatives, contact me by email through my website or write a comment on this blog posting with your request and I will do this as soon as possible.
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