This is the first in a series of blogs on this topic as I thought this would be a fun way to start the New Year. I’ve reached out to a number of other career counselors as well as to former clients and other professionals in the field. By “insider secrets” I simply mean fresh, new ideas to help you reach your career goals in 2015. Here’s the first tip from Mary Glynn, AVP Quality and Training at Chubb:
Organize a Reunion to catch up with some of your favorite people as well as others who are in a position to help. I organized one after I was let go from a leading financial services firm and included others who had lost their jobs as well as current employees. People were happy to see each other and were grateful to me for putting it all together. So while you’re having a great time with colleagues and friends, you can also network for new opportunities. Let people know what you’re looking for. Share your list of companies of interest. And have a sign in book so that you get everyone’s updated contact information, or create the event invites through Evite or another online party site. Save the email list as a job search resource and follow up after the event to say how great it was to see them and then continue to stay in touch.
Thank you, Jean, for posting Mary’s great advice. A reunion of this sort will not only help build a job search network but also, and equally importantly, a support network. Collaborating with other job seekers creates a team approach and this helps provide some of the emotional support needed in the sometimes soul-destroying process of finding a job. Without this emotional/psychological support, the job search process can so frequently end in failure and loss of confidence and motivation. In chapter 10 of my book “How to Get a Good Job After 50”, I recommend establishing a ‘Board of Directors’, a close-knit support group to help and encourage the job seeker from the start to finding and winning the next job.