Up until the end of June this year,
I’ve been a working mom since Madeline was born four years ago and that’s the
way I love my life; unapologetically, confidentially, an enthusiastic working
professional. However, with our move to Pittsburgh, my work mojo has been put
on pause as I get used to a new city and look for a job. For now, I’m a SAHM
until the right offer comes calling.
If I’m being honest, not being
employed full time has been a hard transition. To be fair, I have enjoyed being
home with my daughter. I’ve been able to experience all the wonderful and
amazing things she learns, does, and discovers on a daily basis that I would
have missed out on if I’d been in the workplace but still in the back of my
mind, I long for the days of the 9 to 5, fast-paced work environment and
outlets to use my creativity that I just don’t get being home all day with my
child.
When you’re unemployed, whether it’s
because of a move, unforeseen circumstances or the decision to make life
changes, it can be challenging to break into a new work scene, especially when
you’re new in a big city. I’ve been fortunate to be gainfully employed for the
majority of my professional career but I’ve also been met with times of
uncertainty and unemployment.
During these difficult times, it’s
easy to become discouraged and lose hope but DON’T. Truly, every cycle of
employment and unemployment is a season so today, I’m sharing four of my best
kept secrets to help you keep your work game on point when you’re not working
but want to be.
LinkedIn Should Be Your Best Friend.
This one should go without saying but
it never ceases to amaze me how many professionals don’t have a LinkedIn
profile. I know that not everyone is into the social media scene; if you don’t
want to keep up with a Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook account, fine, I get it
but if you are a working professional, especially one who is job hunting, you should
have a LinkedIn account and here’s why…
LinkedIn is a robust social media tool
that offers you free marketing and exposure of your resume, skills, background
and experience. You have the opportunity to upload samples of the work you’ve
done, accomplishments and most importantly, gives you the chance to receive written
recommendations from peers and supervisors regarding your work prowess. This
can be a huge plus when you’re job hunting and interviewing because you can
direct any potential employers to your page for these recommendations and
samples. The important thing to remember here is if you’re going to have a
LinkedIn profile, you need to make sure it’s a complete profile. This is not
something you can do halfway as it’s a reflection of your business acumen. As a
hiring manager, there is nothing worse than finding your profile on LinkedIn
only to see that’s it’s incomplete or missing information. To get an idea of
how your LinkedIn profile should look, I invite you to take a look at mine here.
LinkedIn also offers the following
programs for job hunters:
A.
LinkedIn Answers & Group Conversations. This is the perfect way to keep up with what’s going on in your
industry while getting the 411 on who’s hiring, which companies are the best to
work for and for purposes of networking.
B.
Recruiters. A large majority of
LinkedIn’s membership is comprised of head hunters and job recruiters who do
nothing but look for their next perfect addition to the workplace. I’ve been
contacted several times from recruiters and while the positions haven’t worked
out, I know that I’m being found.
C.
Job Search Function. Gone are
the days of companies spending thousands to advertise their open positions in
newspapers. Where are they posting? You guessed it – on LinkedIn. The job
search function is amazing and for Premium members, you can refine your search
to salary range, specific job titles, cities and even specific companies.
D.
LinkedIn InMail. For
Premium members, you have the opportunity to contact the hiring manager
directly regarding jobs you’ve applied for and to find out additional
information on a specific position you’re interested in. I’ve done this
numerous times and have even received a job interview from contacting the
hiring manager directly. It does make a difference!
Wake Up, Get Up and Show Up.
Being unemployed does not mean you’re
on vacation. I know it’s tempting to sleep in and enjoy a little leisurely time
in bed but don’t. Set your alarm to wake up around the same time you would if
you were waking up to go to work. This helps to keep your body in its routine
but more importantly, helps you to stay focused for the day ahead.
Get up and get ready. Shower, dress,
make your bed and coffee and do all the same things you would normally do in
the morning if you were employed. Since I’ve been home with my daughter, I’ve
found that if I get up and get going like I normally would if I were employed,
I have a greater sense of accomplishment and drive for the day ahead.
Show up. Set a daily goal for yourself
on how many jobs you’re going to apply for and follow through. For me, I make
it a point to apply for 3 jobs per day. You may want to do more but try not to
overload yourself. By the time you research a company, write cover letters and
actually apply for each position, it can all be very time consuming and
draining so make sure to set a daily goal that you can accomplish.
Clean Up Your Social Media Presence.
When you have a job and a steady
paycheck it’s easy to become complacent with how you conduct yourself online
but this can be to your detriment when you’re unemployed. It’s a 99.9% guarantee
that any potential employer, boss or HR manager will be doing a Google search
to find out who you are online. What will they find? You shouldn’t be posting
these types of things anyway, but no potential employer wants to find pictures,
tweets or status updates from you talking about how drunk you were at a party last
weekend nor do they want to see your private domestic squabbles being played
out in a public forum.
Clean up your act.
Choose profile pictures and cover
photos for all of your accounts that are professional and friendly, and while
you can never 100% delete anything from the Internet, go through the feeds of
each account to see what things you may want to consider removing from your
pages and profiles. These things may be found anyway through other sources but
trying to minimize the risk is worth the work. Don’t be naïve in thinking
that potential employers will not look you up online. This is a foolish and
stupid mistake. As someone who has been a hiring manager, I can tell you that
when I receive a resume, the very first thing I do is Google you to see what I
find.
Think of it this way…
If you’re applying to be the social
media manager for my company’s social media accounts, do you really think I’m
going to hire you to be in charge of my company’s online presence and manage
its online reputation if I see that you’re a hot mess online yourself?
Bottom line, grow up and clean up your
act.
Network! Network! Network!
When I worked for the Chamber of
Commerce, the one most important thing I learned about business was the power
and influence of networking. This couldn’t be a more important tactic to
utilize on a daily basis then when you’re unemployed and looking for your next
opportunity.
Pull your contacts and resources to find
out who you’re connected to and who may know someone in your industry that can
help you get introduced to the decision makers for each position for which you’re
interested. Again, this is where having a LinkedIn account becomes very
beneficial. For each position listed on LinkedIn, there is a graph to the right
side that shows how you may be connected to the company with either the hiring
manager or other employees from the company through connections you already
have. If you see that there is a potential connection, email the contact you
already know to see if they will introduce you online. If I receive a message
from someone I know and respect highly in my industry who wants to recommend
someone they know for a position open within my company, I’m ten times more
likely to listen and take notice. Never underestimate the power of your
connections.
If you’re new to a city, visit your
local Chamber website to find out what business networking events are going on
in town that you are able to attend. Simply showing up to events, meeting new
people, introducing yourself and making connections in person is a great way to
get your foot in the door while cultivating business relationships. You never
know who is looking to hire or if a company is in the middle of a reorganization
and looking for new talent, you may be just what they’re looking for. Chance
favors the prepared mind. Often times, many companies hire in this way before a
job is even posted so stay connected and get out there!
Being unemployed and having your work
game interrupted is never easy but with a few basic skills and resources as the
ones mentioned above, you can be on your way to securing that next great gig.
What tips and advice would you share for other working moms who are unemployed
but looking for work?
