Column: Helping Others Who Are Seeking New Jobs

Whether you are looking for a new position yourself or you know others who are, you can provide help. This column covers a number of such situations. But be creative - use these as a starting point. The help you give others can provide personal satisfaction and often strengthens a connection that may be useful in other ways later.

A. Helping others when you are job-hunting

Sometimes we fear helping others in our own career area because we worry about losing a job to that person. But, unless your friends are so similar to you that they could be clones, this is not a realistic concern. I often have formed job support groups with other Human Resources managers when I was job-hunting - we shared leads and ideas. Rarely did we apply for the same job and, even when we did, our needs and interests were different enough that there really was no competition.

Additionally, helping folks in other fields can be very useful. A job group with members from a variety of careers can give you new perspective on opportunities you may not have considered. People from other career fields can help you reduce jargon in your resume and cover letters too.

So, how can you work with others to improve your success?

Start a personal job club - get together on a regular schedule and have goals you each commit to. Meet at a coffee shop or over a meal or at home, whatever works!

• You can help each other with resumes, cover letters, one-minute summary speeches, interviewing topics and questions. This can significantly improve how you present yourself to others.
• Bouncing your ideas off others in the same field helps you see new ways to market yourself. Talking with people from other fields can also do this plus open your eyes to different working options.
• Research becomes easier as the others in your group offer ideas, contacts, and direct information on organizations and jobs that interest you.
• The support of hearing about what others are doing is often useful. It reminds you of what you do well and helps you cope on the bad days.
• Setting up simple plans and goals and reporting on your actions can help you do those things which you hate about looking for a new job.

Working your contacts on behalf of others gives you a new reason to talk to these contacts and helps keep your positive attitude and professional contributions in their mind. "If others are asking you for help, you must be good at what you do" is a very common reaction.

If you are unemployed, helping others with their search can also help you realize you are not alone and can provide a source of support when you hit a bad patch, too.

B. Helping others when you are not looking for a new position

When you have friends or ex-coworkers who are looking for a job, you can offer to help. Think of the things you do well and offer that type of assistance. Can you edit written materials? Do you know how to market? Are you good at research? Do you have a lot of contacts at other organizations? All those and many other skills are very useful to anyone looking for a new position. Sometimes it is terrifically useful just to have someone to receive a test e-mail with a resume in it (or attached) to see how it looks at the other end. Work in recruiting and you learn this very quickly. I recently had a resume sent to me that was tough to read online and, when I printed it out, took 16 pages - not at all what the Webwoman sender expected.

Other ways to help include:

• Reminding an ex-coworker of the strengths you noticed in working with her,
• Selecting some of your contacts, if appropriate, as referrals for the person,
• Offering information about an organization when you have personal knowledge,
• Passing on information about jobs when you see or hear of them,
• Calling the person periodically just to see how s/he is doing.

C. Responding to Networking Requests

Many professionals are so regularly asked for help and advice that it becomes tiresome. How do you extend a hand without feeling overburdened? And, really, what good does it do to take your time for this?

First, save your real efforts for friends, co-workers, and those who are referred to you by people you want to maintain or improve your relationships with.

If you have time or are willing to help folks from your alma mater, those who networked their way to you, or others - terrific!

When you do agree to help someone, be specific about what you need from that person and what help you can offer. Ask the person exactly what they want from you. This reduces time-wasters and allows you to say yes or no most easily.

If you agree to help, start with your own area of expertise. I always ask for a resume first since that is what triggers ideas for me on what I can do to help. I usually work first by e-mail, then phone, but rarely in person (unless I really have time to play with.)

• Choose what works for you and do not be apologetic.
• Never promise more than you can deliver.
• Be clear up front about what the individual wants and what you are willing to do.
• Don't be afraid to be constructively critical. For example: If I, the job-hunter, come to you, the expert, and you don't tell me that I am misusing a term or technology or that my resume doesn't sell me well - we have both wasted our time.

Willing to network? Then you may want to keep on hand a few names and em-ail addresses of people you know are willing to help others. An agency or executive search contact is also a nice referral. But be selective - your own reputation also is influenced by these referrals. Other good referrals are to appropriate professional organizations and meetings as well as to lesser-known websites.

Have openings in your organization? Anyone looking for a new position hopes a contact will say those magic words.

But first, evaluate the person's fit into your organization as well as their skills. If you think there may be a match, go for it. Use your internal referral program or employee referral bonus program or give the person the contact info and tell the contact of the person. Again, be selective in doing this - it is your reputation that is influenced.

Why bother with networking?

Many folks help others just because they can and it makes them feel good. But you also can build your network this way - always useful; and especially so if you are a little shy in large professional groups. And you can build a reputation as someone with contacts and influence. Plus, it never hurts to know someone you can suggest when your boss or your organization or a good contact or friend suddenly has a new requirement to fill.

D. Helping others in your family or intimate friends

Helping someone close, whether relative or partner or friend, to job-hunt is really tough! Often you are torn between support and telling them what to do differently. So what can you do?

First, your real role is to provide support and comfort. Listen and listen some more. Let the person vent when needed, but don't discuss it or get into arguments.

Don't offer to help upfront. Do ask what, if anything, you can do to help.

If the person wants help, do offer to use your network to provide it. Then do so but don't overwhelm their process - a list of 100 contacts and 50 websites is not help.

Help includes:

If you are a talented editor or graphics person or experienced hiring manager, help by using your expertise to improve the resume. This help should be limited to non-emotional areas - a ton of red ink poured across the resume is not going to improve your relationship. So, if the resume needs real help, give her or him a link to this column and the many other such resources - or suggest a resume writer recommended on the DCWW listserv. Do remind him or her of strengths you think are missing. Skip criticism of style, accomplishments, etc.

Provide some selected contacts. These should be people who are willing to give some time and have the specific knowledge or contacts needed. Keep it to only a few. You may want to ask your contacts in advance and tell them of the relationship - done well, this will make it easier for both parties.

Provide information. If you have a favorite website for job search techniques or know of some upcoming professional event or see an article that is relevant, pass it on. But go easy on this - his job search is his work, not yours.

Provide fun - help the person take a break to do some favorite thing.

Provide reality - sometimes a little shove is actually needed when the job hunt has bogged down and no progress is apparent. Do it kindly with an offer of help, but do it before you get mad about the lack of effort - a tirade about every opportunity missed won't help.

Provide support and reminders of previous accomplishments and current achievements. Looking for a new job is tough work. Help the person validate their self-worth before she or he gets too discouraged. Be realistic but be positive.

In sum, helping someone else find a new job can be a very positive experience for you as well as the jobseeker. You can usually be far more objective and creative about another person's resume, skills, and job search techniques than you are about your own. It is not the time to be the expert providing direction from on high, but it is a good time to discover your own strengths for helping others and to learn in the process.

Extend that helping hand when you can…and perhaps there will be hands extended to you when you need them.

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