Create a support system
At the end of a recent blog “One common thing about people who are out of work”, I talked about creating a support system while out of work. I wanted to elaborate a bit more.
A support structure can come in many forms - from participating in a local job group, to an online support community like Jobless Joe, to individual support from friends and family.
Today I want to make the case that at the very least you should find a "job search buddy" to work with as you seek employment. A job search buddy will serve as your support system and provide several things:
Emotional Support: Emotional support is the obvious one. Being out of work and searching for a new job is filled with ups and downs. “I got the interview!” “I blew the interview…” etc… It’s important to be able to share your ups/downs with someone else. Long periods of unemployment can start to where on you mentally, physically and impact the way you interact with others. If you have someone to lean on for emotional support, you can use each other to help cope with these emotions.
Accountability: At some point you probably had a boss. And the boss would say “get XYZ done by Friday”. Your current job is finding a job and you are the boss. Are you telling yourself the same types of things? Some people are disciplined enough to set deadlines and hold themselves accountable. But for a lot of us it is tough. That’s why it’s great to have someone else to work with to hold each other accountable. You be their boss and they can be yours. So maybe you can’t fire each other if someone doesn’t get something done… But at least there is now someone to use as a check point to make sure you are staying on track.
Creative Thinking – Two heads are better than one: The job search is complex. There are new technologies like Twitter, Facebook, etc.. Every day I read about a new job search strategy. Which is the best or will be most effective for me? Are there ways I can tweak my current strategy to make it more effective? Does this cover letter sound good? These are all questions much better tackled with two heads rather than one. Bounce all of these questions off your buddy rather than facing them all alone. Putting together your combined experience can help you answer these and whatever other questions come up more effectively.
Who should be my job search buddy and where can I find him/her?
You may typically surround yourself with friends and family. Unfortunately, friends and family can be the toughest people to get support from because they are not in your situation (and often people are not as good at accepting feedback from family members). In fact, I think the best emotional support can come from people outside your typical circle. Potentially someone who you have had no previous relationships – but they are in a similar situation to you. So I would recommended choosing someone with no (or limited) previous relationship with you. As far as finding this person, here are a few ideas:
-meet someone at a local job club
-meet someone at a career fair
-meet someone online (via Jobless Joe or other sites focused on out-of-work support)
What do I do after I find him/her?
My suggestion would be to set up a weekly meeting. Grab a coffee together. Then set up an agenda. Something like:
Accomplishments
Challenges
New Job Leads
Personal Growth
What I did for fun
Etc…
For each item on the agenda, have deliverables and hold each other accountable.
This may sound like it’s easier said than done – but it’s one of those things where once you get started, you’ll probably think, “that wasn’t so bad” and find renewed spirit from having positive support and guidance from someone else.
