Your Career Insurance Has an Expiration Date
- Written By: Melanie Borden
- October 17, 2025
Your job title isn’t your safety net. Your visibility is.
MAKE THE CONNECTION
Five and a half years ago, my entire career system crashed.
Something I didn’t see coming. (none of us did)
And for the first time in years, I was thinking where would I be if I had no title, no roadmap, just a question:
“Who am I without the company attached to my name?”
That question became the foundation of my next chapter.
Because what I realized was this: your résumé is not your insurance policy.
Visibility is.
We were taught to treat our résumés as security.
But in a world where entire industries can be disrupted overnight, the only true insurance is visibility.
In Theatre of the Mind, the chapter “Future-Proofing Your Career Insurance OS” unpacks exactly that—how to design a system that keeps your career secure, even when everything else changes.
Here are 3 ways to build that insurance now:
1
Upgrade your visibility stack.
Stop waiting for opportunity to knock—make it easy to find you. Keep your LinkedIn profile current, your wins public, and your thought leadership searchable.
2
Reinvest your social capital.
Your network isn’t a safety net; it’s a live system. Nurture it before you need it. Comment, share insights, and connect with intention.
3
Run your career like a brand.
A brand doesn’t panic when the market shifts—it pivots with a plan. Your name should represent consistency, clarity, and credibility, no matter what seat you occupy next.
While shutdowns were happening, I opened up my potential – I said yes to everything that would give me exposure.
Ask Yourself This:
If your title disappeared tomorrow, would people still know what you stand for—and how to find you?
With Gratitude,
Melanie Borden
P.S. Early Praise for Theatre of The Mind:
“Melanie shows that personal branding isn’t vanity, it’s leadership in public. Her step-by-step system moves from the boardroom to the pipeline: leaders model the way, teams feel safe to show up, and trust turns into hires, referrals, and sales. If you want results you can measure, not just likes, start here.”
–David LaCombe, Fractional CMO, Imperatives Delivered
