A Rule

Make it easy for others to help you.

Yep, that's it.

Nothing more.

If you are unemployed and need to find another job, you need other people to help you in a countless variety of ways.

Searching for your next employer is a team sport.

So you need to assemble your team. But your team needs to know what to do and have the right equipment, knowledge and skills to help you succeed.

You have to give others direction, the more precise, the more detailed, the better.

You have to share your goal, your objectives, your plan, your progress with your team. Share with them what you have done and what you plan on doing on a regular basis. Let them know where you have applied, where you plan to apply and with whom you would like to connect.

All these pieces are what will equip your team to be able to help you. And your activity, your efforts and your initiative will motivate them to keep on helping until you reach your goal.

If you wait for something to happen, you will keep your team waiting and they will not wait for very long, if at all.

If you depend entirely on your team to make it happen, then you are showing them that you are not ready, not willing or even able to help them help you.

When you do not share with others what you have been doing in your job search, to them it is the same as doing nothing.

Even if you are very active, without keeping your team informed, naturally they will assume you are doing nothing. And then they will do nothing in return.

And do not ask of others what you can do yourself. The more you do yourself, along with the more detailed direction you can provide, the easier you can make it for others to help and the more likely you will get the help you need.

And do not forget to offer and give help to those who help you.

By the way, if you limit the information you give to employers about your qualifications, experience and education to just applications and resumes, then you make it harder for employers to learn about you. And chances are they will be in contact with other applicants -- not you.

Make it easier for them to select you for the interview. Make other and more direct contacts like in person visits and referrals from your connections. LinkedIn and Facebook are used by 95% of employers because those sources are quick and easy ways for companies to learn more about applicants of interest.

If you are not using these online resources, what else are you doing to help the employer learn more about you?

Make it easy for others to help you.

Make it easy for JVS to help and take the first step.
Visit our website, www.jvsdet.org for more information.

And you can always contact me, Walt Tarrow, via email, wtarrow@jvsdet.org, on LinkedIn, and by phone at 248.233.4231.