Job searching in this market is tough. Unfortunately there have been a lot of layoffs over the past couple of years, and as a recruiter I’m seeing jobs get hundreds and hundreds of applicants. As a career coach, I’m working with clients who are discouraged and overwhelmed. I’ve seen some buzz in my LinkedIn and X feeds around folks looking for new jobs expecting more (free) help from recruiters, coaches, and their networks at large. I understand being in a tough situation and desperate for help/to find employment. I truly believe in karma and the universe knowing your intentions, because I’ve seen opportunities come through for me time after time. And sometimes opportunities have come out of the blue, and I know it’s because of all the little steps I took to help others and help myself.
If you’re feeling frustrated in your job search, or really just feeling stuck in any aspect of your life and wishing more people were there to help you, I’d like to offer you some ways that you can help others, and help yourself. I’ve seen the below tips work myself – if you dedicate time to put goodness out into the world, and work on improving yourself, you are more likely to attract the opportunities you’re looking for.
Ways you can help others
- Pay forward opportunities. Stay connected with what’s going on in your network. When you are scrolling LinkedIn looking for jobs, look out for job postings that would be good for a couple people in your network you’ve seen are looking also. Share those posts in a message to them and let them know you are thinking of them and trying to keep an eye out. These small gestures of thoughtfulness and positivity go a long way and could make all the difference for someone having a hard day.
- Share what you know – in online forums for your profession/industry, on LinkedIn, in person at networking or community events. Someone out there could learn from your life and work experience. Positively share your story and what you’ve learned along the way. Think of how helpful it would be if you found a helpful post by someone who was in a role you aspired to be in one day. Not only are you helping and inspiring others, you’re practicing honing your story and how you communicate it. This can also help you get noticed for your next opportunity.
- Mentor more junior staff, show up to offered professional development or guest speakers at work, or attend events in your community through your local professional association group (such as SHRM/BNHRA for HR pros). Don’t wait to do these things until you’re in a tough career spot and actively looking for a new role. Continuing to help others along the way throughout your career will make the times you are in a tough job situation and need to make a change easier. You’ll have folks willing and able to recommend you, you’ll have more experiences you can pull from and speak to in an interview, and you’ll know more people who understand your personality and what types of roles you may be good at.
- In the least, keep a nurturing attitude throughout your life time. Stay in touch with friends or family. Lean on them in hard times, such as during a job search, and brainstorm together. Build relationships with coworkers everywhere you work. You will all (likely) move on to other departments or companies, and may end up hiring each other 5-10 years later, or being able to refer each other for roles at the new companies you’ve joined.
- Volunteer or join a board. Helping your community not only helps out the general public at large, but gives you purpose and boosts feelings of connectedness. Humans are goal directed organisms and we thrive when we can complete something helpful or useful. Job searching can be a full time job itself, I know, but carving out time to volunteer, network, share what you know, etc will improve your mental health and make you even more effective in the job search. Plus, you never know who you are going to meet! Applying online and posting on LinkedIn isn’t everything. I used to volunteer for Empower Camp, a girls’s summer camp program in WNY. Since then, 2 of the other women I volunteered with have reached out to me for career coaching help. While I was volunteering I was positive, helpful, made a good impression, and shared more about myself and my skills with fellow volunteers. I asked about them and their work/skills/strengths also. You never know who is going to remember an interaction they had with you, and reach out with an opportunity to work together years later.
Ways you can help yourself
- Future proof your career by doing the above things, and helping others. Positive, consistent actions over time give you that positive currency in the universe that will help you attract opportunities in your time of need. It’s a lot harder to expect help from others, if you have not invested any time to help them/give back, or invest in yourself.
- Always be learning. Personal and professional development will serve you well throughout the course of life and your career. Learning keeps your skills fresh, your brain curious and keeps you competitive in the job market. Learning also gives you more information to pull from during an interview or networking conversation. Maybe you haven’t done the exact task they’re looking for on the job, but you learned about that task from speaking to someone in your network who’s done it, or watched an hour LinkedIn learning course on it, etc.
- Network. If you’re learning (such as going to events or seminars) you’re also likely part of a community that you can network with. Even if you’re completing online courses or certifications, you can find others who have also completed those and connect with them on LinkedIn and engage with their work/content/posts. If you’re attending a webinar or virtual event, drop your LinkedIn handle in the chat and then actively engage. Share your knowledge and perspective, and engage with others as well. I always think of networking as a learning opportunity, and think of learning as a networking opportunity. You can chose to do it in a silo, or you can chose to find the related community.
- Take good care of yourself. Tough life situations, such as being out of a job/looking for a new job for example, can significantly impact our mental, emotional and physical health. Journal, attend therapy (I found my amazing therapist Jennifer through Better Help), listen to podcasts, move your body, connect with friends and family. Doing these things is NOT a waste of time in your job search. In fact, without these things, you won’t be showing up as your best self to life’s greatest challenges.
No one accomplishes anything alone. When I think about some of my greatest personal accomplishments, such as earning a spot on the SHRM Annual Conference Blogger Team, and winning HR awards through HRUnite! and Buffalo Business First, I know I would not have achieved these accomplishments without others. All because I have, and am apart of, community. People had to see me, know me, believe in me, help me, nominate me, etc. Creating a caring and productive community has helped me accomplish so much, helped me gain confidence and grow into my best self, and given me countless rewarding opportunities to help others do the same.
If you’re feeling stuck, I encourage you to pause, grab a pen and paper, and write down ways you can help others and help yourself. If I could help you in your job search, please reach out to me through the contact me area here on the blog, or through LinkedIn. (: You got this!
Some related posts on my blog you may find helpful:
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