In a recent LinkedIn post, Roberta Matuson offers timely advice for professionals navigating sudden career disruptions, particularly those impacted by recent layoffs. She emphasizes the critical importance of proactive networking, framing it as an essential strategy for securing new opportunities when faced with unexpected job loss. Matuson shares a personal anecdote to underscore the shock and abruptness that such events can bring.
Matuson opens by describing the disorienting experience of losing access to one’s work tools without warning.
“It’s a surreal experience. One day it’s business as usual—doing your job, planning the next milestone—and overnight you’re locked out of your laptop.”
This jarring scenario, she explains, highlights why building and maintaining a robust professional network is paramount, especially during times of stability, not just during a job search.
The Power of Proactive Networking
Roberta Matuson argues that the most effective approach to networking is to engage with your professional circle when you are not in immediate need. This allows for genuine relationship building and positions you to offer support to others, fostering goodwill that can be reciprocated later.
“The advice I’ve always given is to network when you don’t need anything from anyone. Do so when you’re in a position to help people. These may very well be the same people who you reach out to one day to ask for assistance.”
As Matuson points out, this strategy ensures that when a crisis hits, you have a supportive network ready to assist.
A Practical Approach to Reconnecting
To facilitate this proactive engagement, Matuson suggests a structured method for re-engaging with past connections. She recommends identifying individuals with whom contact has lapsed, such as former colleagues, managers, or even people met through educational or social channels.
“Make a list of people you haven’t spoken with in a while. On this list might be former co-workers or managers, people you went to school with, met while volunteering or when you attended a conference.”
Her actionable advice is to commit to reaching out to five people each week. This consistent effort, she notes, can be done through various communication methods, including LinkedIn messages, texts, emails, or phone calls, allowing individuals to choose the most comfortable approach.
Maintaining Momentum and Long-Term Value
Matuson stresses that the effort does not end with the initial outreach. Sustaining these connections is key to realizing their full potential. She provides a sample email template designed to re-establish contact with former colleagues in a warm and non-demanding way, focusing on mutual well-wishes and an open invitation to reconnect.
“If you’re up for it, I’d love to catch up by phone sometime soon. What’s your schedule looking like over the next week or two?”
The core message is to consistently nurture your network. According to Matuson, this ongoing maintenance is crucial because, as she states, “there is no better way to land a job or a new client than through your network.”
Immediate Action for the Unemployed
For those recently laid off, particularly from large organizations like Amazon, Matuson urges immediate action. She advises against delaying engagement with one’s network while trying to process the situation. Instead, she advocates for starting the networking process right away to leverage existing relationships for new career prospects.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Roberta Matuson on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on January 28, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →