Involvement
In the movie Jerry McGuire, there is a scene where sports agent, Tom Cruise, “walks the lobby” with potential football superstar, Cuba Gooding Jr. Cruise’s character wants his client, Gooding Jr., to be “seen” by ad execs, radio and television people, and sports personalities. The more exposure Gooding Jr. gets, the more opportunities (interviews, ad campaigns, endorsements) will come his way.
The same is true in your job search – you need to be seen to help generate interest. Many job searchers sit at home in front of a computer, reading the classifieds, or on the phone. While all three of those activities are helpful, one must “walk the lobby” in life to be seen. The more exposure you give yourself – meeting people and conducting conversations – the better chance you have of creating some of the “breaks” you need to land a new job.
So how does one “walk the lobby”? Try the following suggestions:
- Join a job club: Job clubs are designed to offer support, emotional and professional, for those conducting a career search. By meeting with fellow job seekers, you realize you are not alone while sharing best practices and contacts. It is amazing to think of all the contacts you can generate by getting a group of 12-15 people in a room.
- Volunteer: Spending a few hours at a shelter or other non-profit can help your job search. For starters, it helps you answer the dreaded interview question, “What have you been doing since your last job?” Second, it can help keep yourself scheduled since you have time commitments to honor. Third, you will be surprised who you can run into when volunteering – many corporations have target charities they donate time and money towards. Finally, you should do it because it is the right thing to do and it will make you feel better about yourself. And during a job search, we all need activities to help maintain our self-esteem.
- Teach a class: Contact local schools and community colleges to offer your services. This venture could generate some cash flow, but even if it does not, there are several pluses to teaching. In addition to the reasons listed in the previous entry, teaching a class at a local college can help send the message that you are an expert in the field. Additionally, you can sometimes attend a class or two while teaching at a college.
- Take a class: Not into teaching? Try being a student again. The time between jobs you have been given can help you sharpen your skills. Take a computer course, enroll in classes that will keep you current in your industry, go back to school to earn/complete that degree you always said you wanted, or use these classes to help you jump to another industry.
- Attend social gatherings: Many jobless folks will avoid social situations because of the perceived stigma of not having a job. Get over it because everyone has been in your shoes at one point or another in their lives. Also, people need to know that you are available for job openings if they are to recommend you for a position at their companies. Be proactive, get out there and network.
These few suggestions can help you get out of the house and get in front of the right people. What are you still doing reading this article, time to “walk the lobby”.