Unemployed? Join or form a JOB CLUB
Although I have argued that a job search could be fun, most people struggle to find the motivation or excitement in trying to land their next great job opportunity, especially when they are currently unemployed. Given everything you have to attend to in a job search, including branding, networking, resume writing, interview practice, company research, mindset, and motivation, it's easy to feel overwhelmed – especially if you are doing it alone. Which you shouldn’t, as I’ve written before. One way to make your job search easier, and more successful, is to join or form a job club.
What is a Job Club?
A job club is a group of job seekers who come together to share information, offer support, and provide feedback and guidance. With a job club, you can harness the collective energy, information, connections, knowledge, and wisdom of your group. When you job search on your own, it’s all on you – a lonely proposition.
The Benefits of a Job Club
Here are just some of the benefits of a job club:
Motivation: Job clubs can provide much-needed motivation during the job search process. It can be tough to stay motivated when you're not getting results, but being around other people who are also looking for jobs can help you stay positive and focused.
Connection: When you are unemployed, it can feel lonely - like you are the only one who is struggling. Joining a job club can help you connect with other people who are going through the same thing. You can share your experiences and offer each other support.
Job search skills: Members of a job club can share tips on how to write a resume and LinkedIn profile, how to network, and how to ace an interview. They can also help you practice your interviewing skills.
Job leads: Job clubs can also provide job leads. This is a valuable resource, as it can be difficult to find job openings on your own.
Networking opportunities: Job clubs can provide networking opportunities, which can be essential for finding a job. Members of a job club often have connections to employers. They can refer you to open positions or give you inside information about the hiring process.
Accountability: Job clubs can help you stay accountable for your job search. By setting goals and deadlines with the support of your fellow job seekers, you're more likely to stay on track and achieve your goals.
Where to find a Job Club?
If you’re interested in joining an already established job club, a quick online search will help you locate the one nearest to you. Formal job clubs exist in many communities and are often run by workforce development centers, colleges and universities, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit organizations. Job clubs run by local organizations often meet in person on a regular basis. This structure and opportunity for human contact is VERY important for unemployed job seekers. In addition, these job clubs are often an excellent source of knowledge about local job opportunities.
If you’d prefer to start your own job club, you can harness the power of social media – especially LinkedIn – to discover other job seekers in your geographic area, industry, or occupation. On LinkedIn, you can search the hashtags #opentowork and #openforwork to find individuals who are currently job searching. Once identified, you can approach them about their interest in joining your job club. The benefit of starting your own job club is that you can determine its structure: Will it be formal or informal? Will it meet in person or virtually? How often and when will it meet? What will its focus be? How many people can join?
A job club is a micro-network whose goal is straightforward – to help each other achieve their job search goal(s). If you want the motivation, connection, job search skills, job leads, networking opportunities, and accountability you need to increase your chances of success in your job search, consider joining or forming a job club. Your future employed self will thank you, as will the other job club members you help.
[This article was originally published on LinkedIn on 9/14/23: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unemployed-join-form-job-club-bill-leonard-mhrm/?trackingId=Rc%2BxZ8VGQLuDnbDfGYg%2FBg%3D%3D]