The times and life of job seekers is something of interest and, arguably, comedy.
We spend most of our days calling, meeting, talking, and negotiating. Much of what we do at this stage is not really work, unless we’re looking up a company or conducting some other research that leads to a useful deliverable like a business or marketing plan. Even then, we may want to gather personal data that, once again, requires a meeting with an insider.
There lies the comedy: we’re busy doing what most business people aim to avoid — meetings! In fact, I be live I’ve attended more one-on-one and group meetings in the past four month than all four past years combined.
I’ve met a number of folks that teach courses on what we do. I know of a great software development manager who teaches a class on what everyone wants to know, and a few things they didn’t knew they should, about LinkedIn. I admit, that’s useful and he’s done some genuine work to prepare for the classes he holds. Incidentally, his name is Ted Robison and he can be reached through his LinkedIn profile.
These are the types of activities that keep us sane and prevent us from running to the hills holding a cell phone in one hand, notepad in the other, an ugly grin on our face and maniacal laughter escaping our lips, trying to get away from yet another meeting at a local coffee shop.
What’s my suggestion? Find organizations that interest you and volunteer to teach something or lecture on a topic you know. You’ll gain at least three advantages by doing this, aside from insuring your spouse doesn’t run you out of the house. First, you’ll keep busy and deliver something of benefit to someone else. Second, you’ll keep your mind sharp and focused on areas that interest you and that may lead to your next role. Third, you’ll get to meet some great people that may introduce you to your next opportunity or employer.
So, what do you say? Shall we setup a meeting to talk about it? Or throw all caution to the wind and volunteer to help someone else?