How to Prepare for an Unexpected Job Search

We’ve seen layoffs announced at Levi’s, Macy’s, Stitch Fix, Cotopaxi, Rent the Runway and The Children’s Place in just that last few weeks. According to a study done at ResumeBuilder.com, 44% of fashion-related companies will experience some sort of layoffs in 2024. Like it or not, a job search may be forced upon you with little warning.

If you are reading this post, we consider you one of our people.

Those who wait until they are notified of layoffs/firings/closings, to start a job search, will be far behind those who prepared ahead of time. We want our people to be as prepared for potential layoffs as possible.

Hope for the best but plan for the worst, right?

As a fashion industry professional (and one of our people), it is important to focus on these 7 things to be prepared for a sudden and unexpected job search…

1. REVIEW & UPDATE YOUR RESUME

Have you changed companies? Taken-on new responsibilities? Got a new title? Make sure your resume information is both current AND easily read. Make sure to update your resume wherever it may be; hardcopy, job boards, company websites and recruitment agencies.

This might also be a great to time to evaluate the format of your resume. For example, as job seekers gain experience, the trend is to move from a resume that is in a chronological format to one that is more accomplishment based. There are a lot of good resources online for resume writing. If you aren’t getting a lot of hits on your resume, it might be time for a format change!

2.  START MAKING LISTS

Let’s say you’ve lost your job. What resources would you use to find a new one? What companies would you target for employment? What contacts do you have that could help you find a new job? Do you want to work in the same capacity or do something different? What skills do you need? Answering these questions for yourself AND writing them down will put you on job search footing from day one and let you hit the ground running.

3. UPDATE YOUR STYLECAREERS.COM PROFILE

StyleCareers.com is (by far) the most important place to have your resume if you are a fashion industry professional. Why? First, roughly 82% of fashion industry recruiters and hiring managers claim that StyleCareers.com is their #1 or #2 source for fashion industry talent. If you aren’t on StyleCareers.com, there is a good chance, you are at a disadvantage to those who are. Second, StyleCareers.com lists the most fashion industry jobs of any resource; more than WWD, California News and even LinkedIn. Couple the most fashion industry jobs with the most accurate job alert system and you will always be among the first to know about new positions.

Don’t have a StyleCareers.com profile? The newly re-designed StyleCareers.com profiles are super-easy to create (3 simple questions) and more importantly, offer 3 levels of privacy (all recruiters, no recruiters). What are you waiting for, create your StyleCareers.com here!

4. UPDATE YOUR LINKEDIN CONTACT INFORMATION

Most people use their work email address as their their primary email address on LinkedIn. This practice is fine when the profile holder has a job but can keep those who have been furloughed or laid-off from being contacted by recruiters and hiring managers.

If you have been laid-off or even furloughed, make sure that your personal email address is your primary email address on LinkedIn. Not only are recruiters less likely to contact job seekers who only include a work email address, by law, furloughed workers are not allowed to access their work email accounts. Update your LinkedIn profile’s preferred email address here: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/email

5. REVIEW & UPDATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

With respect to social media, assume that a potential employer will see EVERYTHING you’ve ever posted and EVERYTHING that anyone else may have posted about you. Keep in mind that your social media profiles are not your only social media presence. Tagged photos of you, comments you’ve made, groups you’ve joined and events you’ve attended are likely to be available to potential employers.

6.  REVIEW, UPDATE & PRACTICE YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH

An “Elevator Pitch” is a concise, carefully planned and well-practiced description of the VALUE you bring to a company. The pitch should be easily understood by a layman and last 30-45 seconds; the typical time it takes to ride an elevator.

You never know when you might bump into someone who might be able to help in your job search. Make sure your Elevator Pitch is up-to-date, polished and practiced!

7.  PREPARE & PRACTICE FOR VIDEO INTERVIEWS

There is a good chance that your first interviews after the lockdown will be via Zoom, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting or some other video conferencing service. It is important that job seekers practice with this technology before the interview; this is extra-important for older job seekers.

Navigating the uncertain terrain of potential layoffs in the fashion industry requires proactive preparation and strategic planning. The recent wave of job cuts in prominent companies serves as a stark reminder that being caught off guard can significantly hinder one’s job search prospects. As a valued member of our community (our people!), we hope that you be prepared.