Here's how you can navigate networking and job searching in Venture Capital after a layoff.

This sounds artificial People I've seen navigate this kind of situations have always followed a more organic route Where can you stay involved? Probably with the companies you were on the board of and have earned respect from the entrepreneurs Show continued value add and opportunities will come from there I've seen many go on to a more club deal phase for a while, if you have a good track record, you should generate enough trust to have people invest in SPVs alongside you

Reconnecting with your peers from other firms and influential stakeholders within the VC ecosystem will, most times than not, be your personal/professional life vest to endure a layoff. They can not only recommend you to open positions but also help you prepare for the challenging exercise of rejoining the highly selective and competitive labour market that is VC. A career in VC is all about networking, if you don't have your own network yet, start ASAP because you won't be able to get far in this sector without knowing the right people and managing your relationships.

If you haven't done this during your career it's definitely too late You don't update your brand Either you have one or you don't How are you going to build a brand being out of the market? It's not genuine, would not recommend The only brand you can build now is one of a consultant for VCs or entrepreneurs, not as a VC

This is generic advice that doesn't apply to VC, because the VC world is small and everyone knows everyone more or less Maybe if you are looking to find a job in an entirely new geography this could work

Events can be a great way to connect with influential stakeholders within the innovation and venture capital ecosystems. Invitations for interviews or recommendations for open positions happen very frequently during VC conferences. Although it is not the main point of these events, their most valuable richess lies on the opportunity to meet Partners and Fund Heads face to face and grab a moment of their attention. A few useful prep tips are: (I) prepare your own elevator pitch about yourself and your experience, (II) have your resume on a QR code or business card you can share discreetly, (III) map out the main firms and funds that interest you and study the essentials about them and know the faces of influential people you can talk to.

There's a great article on "how to get a job in venture" that basically says "get lucky". ie - go focus on being great at other stuff, and you might get tapped for a venture role at some point. This is how it worked for me. Focused on tech excellence, startups, running teams, earning revenue, building. Just being myself, loving building. Then the job kinda fell in my lap. But mentors helped. I've always had mentors, including multiple VC and Angel investor buddies. Talking to them to get better at startups, at teams, at life. Really just to have friends. Never with an angle at future wins, just at being nerds who love what we do. tl;dr - you can't fake authenticity, make smart and varied friends and learn from them.