Build Your Personal Brand Before You Lose Your Job. Here Are 10 Reasons Why
Welcome to Linked And Lift, your weekly guide to thriving in your career and designing a life you love for entrepreneurs and ambitious professionals. Each week, you get research-backed insights and we break down the skills, strategies, and mindsets you need to stay ahead of the curve.
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What’s in Store:
Why personal branding isn’t just for influencers
A true story of a 9–5 professional caught off guard by layoffs
10 reasons to build your LinkedIn presence before you need it
Layoff trends from 2024 that are reshaping the workplace
A step-by-step action plan to future-proof your career
This week’s Linked & Lift Picks (book, podcast, quote)
Read Time: 5 minutes
The Best Time to Build Your Personal Brand? Before You Need It.
A few months ago, Sarah (not her real name) reached out to me on LinkedIn. She wanted to know more about my personal brand coaching program. And that’s when she told me how she lost her job.
She had been with her company for almost a decade.
She loved her job, her team, and the mission. Her Linkedin profile hadn’t been updated in years, because frankly, she didn’t think she needed to.
Then, one Thursday morning, an unexpected email landed in her inbox:
“Company-wide restructuring. Your role has been eliminated.”
Sarah wasn’t just shocked.
She was invisible. No recent content. No active network.
No visible track record of her expertise beyond her employer’s walls.
Overnight, she went from secure …. to scrambling.
Here’s the thing:
Sarah wasn’t job hunting.
She didn’t want to start a business.
She wasn’t trying to “become an influencer.”
She wasn’t building a personal brand.
But she needed one.
Why Personal Branding Isn’t Just for “Influencers”
There’s a common belief that building your personal brand is only for people chasing internet fame. It’s not.
It’s about giving yourself options.
Even if you have zero intention to:
quit your 9–5,
start your own business, or
switch companies…
You still need to build your personal brand. Because:
You never know when layoffs are coming.
You never know when a leadership change could change your role or make your workplace toxic overnight.
You never know what unexpected opportunities will find you; opportunities you’d want to say “yes” to.
What My Personal Brand Has Opened Doors To
From my own experience:
Speaking invitations
Podcast features
Brand partnerships
Clients who found me because I showed up online
A 1M+ follower author inviting me to collaborate
This didn’t happen because I chased fame.
It happened because I positioned myself clearly, and consistently, online.
The Layoff Reality of 2024:
Why Even “Safe” Jobs Aren’t Immune
Let’s talk numbers:
761,358 U.S. jobs cut this year - highest since 2008 (outside COVID)
260,000+ global tech layoffs
39,000 U.S. layoffs in December alone (+11% YoY)
Layoffs don’t just affect the people who lose their jobs.
They shake up entire industries.
Studies show:
Layoffs lower morale and trust long-term
Career recovery often takes years, even for top talent
Workers in high-layoff regions often earn less for years after
Here are 10 ways building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn can help you:
10 Reasons to Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn Before You Lose Your Job
1. Future-Proof Your Career
Industries change fast. Technology, market shifts, or leadership changes can affect even the most stable roles. A strong personal brand keeps you visible and in demand, so you can pivot quickly if you need to.
2. Grow and Strengthen Your Network
Your LinkedIn connections are more than job leads. They’re sources of advice, partnerships, collaborations, and referrals. The stronger your network, the more chances you’ll have to come across the right opportunities.
3. Build Trust, Credibility and Authority
Sharing what you know and how you think builds trust in your expertise. This can lead to speaking invites, media features, or leadership roles in your field.
4. Get noticed for opportunities you’re not even looking for
Some of the best offers, like consulting gigs, advisory roles, or partnerships, never get advertised. Having a visible presence on LinkedIn helps you get noticed when those opportunities come up.
5. Boost Your Employer’s Brand
Your success and reputation reflect positively on your company. It shows that they hire and develop top talent, and that’s something a lot of companies want to be known for.
6. Get Ready for Future Ventures
If you ever want to start a business, write a book, or launch a podcast, having an audience on LinkedIn means you’re not starting from zero. You already have people who know you, trust you, and want to support what you’re building.
7. Build Social Proof and Track your Achievements
Endorsements, recommendations, and the posts you share all help create a real-time record of your work. This is useful for both career growth and credibility.
8. Stay Relevant and Informed
When you engage with content on LinkedIn, you stay up to date on trends, tools, and ideas in your industry. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep your thinking sharp, your knowledge fresh and stay competitive.
9. Learn and Contribute
LinkedIn is a place to both learn from others and share what you know. Helping others deepens your relationships and shows that you’re an active, valuable member of your professional community.
10. Control Your Narrative
By regularly sharing updates, you control how others see you online. You make sure your professional story reflects who you are now, and is aligned with your goals.
Action Plan: Build It Before You Need It
Start with just 20 minutes this week:
✅ Update your LinkedIn headline and summary
✅ Share a quick lesson you’ve learned from a recent project
✅ Comment thoughtfully on 3 posts in your space
✅ Reconnect with someone you haven’t spoken to in months
Small steps = momentum.
Linked & Lift Picks
📘 Book: So Good They Can’t Ignore You – Cal Newport
🎧 Podcast: The Long Game with Dorie Clark – episode on strategic visibility
💬 Quote: “You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” – Jim Rohn
Closing Thought
LinkedIn isn’t just a place to update your job title.
It’s your professional insurance policy.
It keeps you connected, credible, and ready for opportunities (or challenges) you can’t yet see.
Build it before you need it, so you can lead your career from a place of choice, not urgency.
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👉 What’s one opportunity you’d love your personal brand to attract,
if you ever needed it?
👇 Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your story.
And thank you for being a part of our Linked And Lift community!
Until next time,
Veronique Barrot
Founder, Linked And Lift
Coaching leaders to grow.
Follow me on LinkedIn
P.S. I help ambitious, mission-driven female leaders like you, get clear on your positioning and messaging, and grow your presence on LinkedIn, in a way that’s strategic, sustainable, and aligned with who you are - so you can lead with clarity and confidence, and attract the right opportunities for you or your business.
✨ If you’d love more guidance on that journey, you’re welcome to apply.
great post - Ill share with my friends