Special Help Groups
Some people, particularly the chronically unemployed, find special help groups such as Forty Plus and therapy groups to be beneficial. However, you may be asked to come up with some money for the use of their services, and you may even be asked to devote as much as a day or two a week to help staff what may be a volunteer effort for most of the people there. You might want to look elsewhere.
Career-Counseling Services
Don't look to career-counseling services, however. I have a strong bias against anyone who takes my money, uses my time, expects me to do most of the work, and deliver so little in return. It is possible to pay thousands of dollars to such a firm, complete its cycle, and be even less certain of who you are or where you want to spend the rest of your career. (That, of course, is one of the few things such firms promise to help you decide.)
Advertising Yourself
When you run ads about yourself, most of your replies will come from people who want to sell you something. Forget such ads unless you want to offer your services as a consultant-perhaps as a way to get through the door in the hope of finding a job without looking for one. Even then, don't expect your phone to ring off the hook. As you will recall, consultants employ a different strategy.
Direct Marketing
Now we are down to the winner. This is the marketing tool that will get you in for an interview before anyone other than the employer knows there may even be an opening. As you saw earlier, it is even possible for your approach to create the awareness of a need.
What's Out There
Rarely will you know at the start of a search what job opportunities might be available, which reminds me of the ad age children hear so often: You never know until you try. After all, if you write to a potential employer, you may discover something you may not have considered: Jobs become available for a multitude of reasons, some of which are known only to the person who will ultimately make the hiring decision.
Perhaps the department is being expanded. Perhaps a new and necessary function has been identified. Perhaps someone is considering early retirement. Perhaps reorganization is imminent. Perhaps someone is going to be let go.
You see, there are many possibilities that could lead to opportunities for you. This is particularly true when you are already in the door with an announcement that your skills and experience might be available to the employer.
A Word of Caution
In the meantime, don't make the classic mistakes. Don't call on the wrong people. Don't wear out your welcome. Don't exhaust your references. Don't complain to anyone other than the professionals whose job it may be to listen. In fact, although it makes all the sense in the world to confide in your spouse, be careful not to lean too heavily. A spouse who can keep the old chin up now may be more willing and able to let you draw on his or her energy reserves during trying moments later on.
Instead of taking a hit-or-miss approach, take the time now to prepare yourself properly. That may keep you out of the job market for a few days or even a week or more, but it will give you the time you need to prepare yourself fully for the most important task: surviving the employment interview.
