3 Social Networking Tips for the Unemployed (Part 1) – Pay It Forward

By Neal Schaffer

Image by Vincent Ma

At most social networking events I attend, I am struck by the growing numbers of those that are in transition that are showing up looking to meet new people that will hopefully lead them to their next job.  As I tell people, you will not find your next job at a networking event.  But with the right attitude, you may be able to find people who will help you along your journey. With the wrong attitude, you will go home frustrated and confused.  If you have already attended a networking event, congratulations, as you are already one step ahead of a lot of people.

A good example: One of my friends from college just had his position eliminated for the first time, just as what happened to me late last year.  It was a shocking wake up call to him, as it is to many, that he wasn’t Digging His Well Before He Was Thirsty.  But he admitted it, swallowed his pride, and asked if I could help him understand how to put social media to work for him, which is what Windmill Networking is all about.  This two-part blog post of three basic social networking tips for the unemployed is for him, as well as other fellow people in transition looking for their next job.

Three Basic Social Networking Tips for the Unemployed

1) Get Back in Touch with Your Network

Although it is better to do so earlier, it is never too late to start Digging Your Well. Don’t be intimidated, but network smartly.

Many who are unemployed immediately call their network telling them that they are suddenly out of work and are looking for a job.  While reaching out to your network is important for the newly unemployed, if you have not stayed in touch with your network, a call such as I describe actually helps you lose credibility with your contact, as if they are someone that you just talk to when you need something from them.  In such a case, no one wants to help you, and in fact they may avoid you because they feel that they cannot give you what you are asking them for (a job).

When reaching out to your network for the first time in a while, you have to have the attitude of a smart, experienced and intelligent networker.  The whole purpose of Windmill Networking from a social networking perspective is to Pay It Forward.  You, as an individual, have lots of experiences, relationships, and knowledge that you can offer to others.  So when you call someone in your network, don’t advertise the fact that you are unemployed.  You are calling to stay in touch.  How can you help them.  And if the subject comes up, go ahead and mention that you are unemployed, but that if you need their help you will ask them for it at a later date.

For many of us it takes our positions to be eliminated to wake up to the importance of social networking.  It is never too late to start!  But remember to Pay It Forward.  Your network will thank you for it, and the windmills will blow in your favor down the road.

(Part 2 to follow)

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