Job seeking from a hunters perspective Blog

Show this to spouses family and friends! July 19, 2010

Dear, Spouses family and friends;

This article is for you to read and to understand. Please read it with an open mind. If you are not one of the people doing this I commend you. If you are I am begging you to stop!

We are in the worst recession we have probably seen in our life times. Except those that lived during the depression.

Unemployment has lasted longer than any of us wanted to or expected it to. There is rampant age discrimination not just for the older work force but for new grads as well. There is Congress playing politics with our lives on the extension of benefits. This is leading to job seekers loosing hope loosing focus and becoming desperate. Suffering from depression, loosing self esteem, and fear is encroaching on us as I speak. Yes fear! Fear that we will never get back the job we had, fear that we can’t do the job anymore, fear that no one will hire us. Fear that we will loose our families a our homes. Fear that we will be dirt poor and homeless.

I am divorced but my divorce is not a product of this recession but the last one. Why? A number of reasons but the ones that go with tis topic are; lack of understanding what was going on in my industry, inability to support me(nagging and constant pressure really isn’t support people it makes it worse), inability to even phathom what it takes to get a job(in this recession that has become 20 times worse than the last one), unwillingness to support the family by going back to work(which at the time was easier for her than it was for me to find a job).

I know and they know that you have the same fears and concerns. If you are a spouse I suggest you go back and read the vows and if you do not fully comprehend them go to a church and ask. I wish my ex had because she ignored them all.  If you are a friend shunning them because they are out of work doesn’t help. They are not diseased! It isn’t contagious. They need to you to break up the stress. So help out. See if you can find leads for them and share it with them. Sit down and really learn what they are looking for so that you can recommend them to someone else who might have an opportunity open for them.

The best way to land a job is networking. If your spouse and friends are out networking for you also it helps better the chance of finding that opportunity.

Families I know that you are under stress because of this please do not pass that stress on to your loved one. If you c cannot help that is okay you do not have to feel guilty but please do not make them feel guilty either by being out of work at this time. It really wasn’t their fault.  A high number of highly qualified candidates are out work. They cannot find work because companies have a younger and cheaper mentality right now.

I read an article just the other day that says even CEOs who have lost their jobs cannot find new jobs. There is a hidden justice in there somewhere.

So if you want to be supportive then help do not nag. They know full well they need to find a job. They need to stay laser focused on finding that job. You need to be understanding of this and to help them stay focused. Encourage them about their skill set they used when they worked and how that will help them find the job they want.  If they loose focus now and take the shotgun approach they will be unemployed even longer or if they find a job will be underemployed and everyone will be miserable.

So encourage them to get out of the house and network. Encourage them to network with other unemployed people at career fairs. Encourage them to attend professional organization meeting to keep their skills up and to network. If you are good at it check over the grammar in their cover letters and resumes. Think before saying anything, if it sounds positive then say it if it sounds negative then don’t.  Ask how is it going in an inquisitive manner unlike the Spanish inquisition.

The job seeker needs to stay informed, focused, determined, networking and loved.

We can only ask for understanding a real support.  If you are a spouse then make love to your partner just because you love them it will help their self esteem and your relationship survive this.