Hunting,
searching, pounding the pavement, and putting out feelers. Whether you have been laid off or are just
searching for a better opportunity, an employment search means having to sell
yourself right at the time when you are feeling stuck, low, and craving
change. It can be disheartening, but it
doesn’t have to be. Whatever your
motivation to job search, this is the time to revitalize your life, both
professionally, and personally.
Each of
these tips will keep you energized, updated, connected and motivated during
this time when it is so easy to get into a rut and discourage yourself.
Volunteer Your Time – “What time?” you say. Even volunteering once or twice a month can
open doors. You have skills and
experience that can benefit your community.
Whether you donate that time to a non profit, school, or other community
organization, you will be getting just as much back in the way of professional
contacts, recommendations, and job leads.
You can even use the opportunity to develop skills and gain experience
that you don’t yet have; experience that will get you your next job. Volunteering is also an excellent way to get
your foot in the door in a field that you want to try out, or build your skills
in. No matter what you are interested in
doing, there is always an organization willing to give you the
opportunity. Advertising, writing, graphic
design, teaching, public relations, caregiving….the opportunities are endless. Try going to http://www.volunteermatch.org/
to find an organization waiting to partner with you in your next skill building
venture!
Get Involved in Some Professional
Organizations – If
you already have a membership to a professional organization, now is the time
to get more involved. These
organizations are there to provide you with networking opportunities,
publications to keep you up to date on your industry, and leadership
experience. Get involved in organizing
the next conference, or run for a leadership position. Not ready for that? Log on to their website and get involved in
the online community, posting your own questions and answering others. You’ll learn more about the job climate in
your industry and maybe even make a name for yourself for when you are
interested in taking your involvement to the next level. Don’t have the money to pay dues? While some organizations have reduced and
student rates, you don’t have to pay dues to log onto their website or to get
involved in their discussions via LinkedIn.
Staying active in professional organizations shows employers that you
care about your work and are at the top of your game. Check out this exhaustive list of
organizations at http://www.weddles.com/associations/index.cfm.
Get Social – You are not alone! There are others in your community who, like
you, are looking to move up and grow professionally. Frequent some meet up
groups in your area. This is a casual, friendly environment in which to learn
the inside scoop on your local job market.
You’ll meet contacts; stay aware of who is hiring for what, and who is
vacating their position, and what it’s like in other workplaces. If your professional organizations don’t host
local meetups, you can find them on LinkedIn.com or Meetup.com.
Showcase Yourself Online – Google yourself. Go ahead, do it right now. What is the first hit for your online
presence? Is it your Facebook? Not great.
How about your LinkedIn? That’s getting better. Or is it your professional website/blog?
Awesome! Try starting a blog recording
your body of work, and discussing the latest trends in your field. Show potential employers that you are
actively seeking to share in a dialogue about your field, and showcase your
enthusiasm and expertise while you’re at it!
There are plenty of free blogging and web hosting platforms, try www.wordpress.com or www.blogger.com .
If professional blogging is new to you, try reading blogs with similar
topics, and get a feel for the online community. And start here for some dos and don’ts: http://smartboydesigns.com/2012/01/09/top-blogging-dos-donts/ .
Take a Chance on Something New – So you’re busy now making a name
for yourself in your professional community.
You’re an up and comer, a mover and shaker. It’s a lot of work! Remember that using all these ways to sell
yourself, is a job in and of itself. And
if you forget the rest of your life, you’ll burn out. Try something completely unrelated to what
you have been doing. You could teach
yourself a new skill, explore something just for fun. You might find a fun meet up while you’re
looking for a professional one. You
might choose to volunteer somewhere fun.
You can teach yourself anything from carpentry to crafting with YouTube. Don’t forget, you’re a vibrant person, not
“Employ-me-bot 5000”. You might discover
a hidden talent or passion.
Joyce Abbott Holds a
BA in Anthropology and an MA in Library Science. She has worked in for-profits, non-profits,
and local government everywhere from customer service, to librarianship, to
corporate records management. She
believes the point of life is to never stop growing and pushing yourself into
something new. You can connect with
Joyce on Linkedin.com!
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