When your career is disrupted by a job loss, “you need to take time to process what happened” before updating your résumé and sending it out, Kanika M. Watson, APR, said.
“I’ve been through it myself, with a layoff,” she said. “One of my biggest pieces of advice is to take some time, step back and do some introspective thinking. Think about your career, think about what your next step will be. Once you get clear on that, it’s much easier to start building your story — which you can then tell in your résumé, cover letters, LinkedIn profile and job interviews.”
Watson, a communications adviser, executive coach and career-branding strategist, was the guest on July 30 for Strategies & Tactics Live, PRSA’s monthly livestream on LinkedIn. The series, in which contributors to PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics award-winning publication discuss the trends they write about, is one of PRSA’s many professional-development resources for PR and communications professionals.
John Elsasser, editor-in-chief of Strategies & Tactics and host of S&T Live, asked Watson about a point from her article in the August 2025 issue titled The Career Story Every PR Pro Should Be Telling: Communications professionals tell stories about their clients, but not about their own strengths and careers. “Why is it so difficult for communicators to tell their own story?” he asked.
“It sometimes feels unnatural for us,” she said. “We build our careers keeping the spotlight on our clients, our campaigns and the causes that we support. So when it comes time to turn the spotlight on ourselves, for some of us, there’s a blind spot.”
When updating your résumé or LinkedIn profile, dig deeper “and think about the themes, the impact of your career,” Watson said. “And also the leadership voice behind your role. Without it, you’re leaving it open for others to fill in those blanks for you. And you don’t want that.”
‘Silence is not a strategy.’
Elsasser asked about another point from her article, that “silence is not a strategy” for your career.
“In our communications campaigns, we would never let a brand go dark during a disruption,” Watson said. The same principle “applies to your career. If you’re navigating a pivot, encountering a layoff or you’re looking to step into something new, staying silent leads people to determine your own story for you.”
Watson recommends “narrative recovery,” in which you “reclaim your voice, reframe your value and remaster your message so that you can lead confidently. You have to own your story before it owns you.”
What does a strong leadership narrative sound like, and how does it differ from simply listing your career achievements?
Oftentimes, when writing résumés or telling their career stories, communicators “default to job duties,” she said. “But that’s not enough. Think about the impact you made, which will also help build your confidence. Job titles tell what you were, but the narrative nails down who you are. Remember that your career path doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.”
Here, Watson shares some quick insights on résumés and career-planning tips:
Since its debut in February 2022, Strategies & Tactics Live has been a monthly LinkedIn livestream that further explores stories and topics featured in PRSA’s award-winning publication. Through engaging interviews with contributors and special guests, the program delivers deeper insights and practical takeaways for communications professionals.
Guests have included Corey duBrowa, global CEO, Burson; Linda Rutherford, chief administration and communications officer, Southwest Airlines; Jen Hartmann, global director, strategic public relations and enterprise social media, John Deere; Mary Osaka, vice chancellor for strategic comms, UCLA; Jim Joseph, U.S. CEO and global CMO, Ketchum; Matt Prince, director of brand communications and PR, Taco Bell; and Fred Cook, director of USC Annenberg’s Center for Public Relations, and chairman emeritus, Golin.
Illustration credit: kiattisak
