Kick off Your Job Search and Have Fun Along the Way

The thought of kicking off your job search can be somewhat daunting. It doesn’t have to be all work and no play though. Here are some suggestions for making your job search easy, effective, and enjoyable. 

Connect with People You Know

Family, friends, associates, neighbors, and local business owners are great sources for job leads. Reach out to your immediate circle to tell them about your job search, to ask for introductions to people they know, and to enlist their support. Even if contacts in your immediate circle do not know of job opportunities, they probably know someone who does. The people you know best can lead you to what you want most.

Associations, Clubs, and Communities

Associations, clubs, and communities are central hubs that attract people with the same interests. It can be fun to connect with people who share your interests while contributing to your local community or to an organization. Introduce yourself to the people who lead committees or programming boards and ask to join them at an upcoming meeting. Organizations are always looking for people to help with event planning and other activities. Sharing your time, talent, and expertise with others is easy, and it motivates people to do the same for you.

Social Media

You’re already using Facebook to connect with friends, so why not include it as a resource to help you with your job search? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Blogs are effective and fun ways to network with people, learn about job opportunities, and explore areas of interest. You can integrate social media into your job search and use it to enhance both your hunt for a new job and to build your career on an ongoing basis.

Attend a Workshop or Seminar of Interest

A workshop or seminar is a gathering of like-minded individuals who wish to achieve a common objective. Scan local newspapers and favorite news and community websites for workshops of interest. Attending any one workshop or seminar will lead you to people who are passionate about personal and professional development, and who will also be happy to connect you to other people and jobs of interest.

Jackie Trepanier, Founder of Cultivated Coaching, is a leading coach and voice of today’s accomplished professionals. She works one on one with those ready to develop a plan for the next chapter of their businesses, careers, and lives. Jackie can be reached at jackie@cultivatedcoaching.com or www.cultivatedcoaching.com.