How can you keep from drowning in the Sea of the Unemployed?

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod

I just read a new post on High Velocity* that literally gave me chills entitled “It’s 2AM – Do you know where your community is?”

And I can say with absolute certainty that I have never before read a blog post that gave me #chills.

First, he talks about the pitfalls of interruption marketing:

“…you could always stick with the more traditional methods. You know, things like paying through the nose for television, radio, or print advertising. Or you could spam the heck out of people who didn’t really give you permission to receive that email.

The good news is your paid television campaign would work great – if your target demographic happens to be watching television at 9:33 pm on that given night. The bad news? What if they weren’t?”

Well. Let’s see.

1. It’s expensive.
2. It’s ephemeral; it’s there and then it’s gone.
3. It’s totally hit-or-miss.

And that’s a pretty expensive gamble.

And then there is the email spam. I go to countless networking events and then cringe for the next few days afterward as I find out just how many of the people I exchanged business cards with took it upon themselves to add me to their email / newsletter / ezine distribution list so they can rudely deposit a never-ending flow of spam into my already way-overcrowded inbox.

Reading all of this made me think about how so many people approach their job searches.

The path of least resistance.

I’ve heard it called post-and-wait; Tory Johnson calls it post-and-pray. I’m referring to posting a resume online and/or applying online to a job(s), and then sitting back and waiting for – even expecting – the phone to ring.

Interruption marketing. Spam. Hit-or-miss.

• Phone calls.
• Emails.
• Repeat phone calls.
• Follow up emails.
• Snail mail.
• Overnight cover letters / resumes.
• Faxes.
• Text messages.
• Showing up uninvited and unannounced wanting to fill out an application, drop off a resume, and/or “talk to someone.”

PEOPLE.

Why are you still doing these things?

Don’t you realize that everyone else is doing these things, and that IF YOU WANT THAT JOB you have got to stand out??

For every job opening in the U.S. there are now more than 6 jobless people.

6.25 to be exact.

Think about that. For every 6.25 unemployed people in the U.S., if every single open job were filled today and then there were no more open jobs, 5.25 people per job that was just filled would remain without a job.

In the 2AM post he then goes on to say, “…IF – a BIG IF – you spend a large majority of your time helping and serving others – your community will talk about you too – without you having to bribe them to do so!”

The final points? Here is where it all comes together.

Keys to success? Well, you have to:

1. Serve first, sell second.
2. Stand out. You cannot afford to be mediocre.
3. Did I say serve first, sell second?
4. Discipline yourself to put forth a sustained effort. This takes time.

If you focus on giving – on serving others – rather than continually thinking about what it is that you want and you need, perhaps you will finally figure out just how to stand out above the Sea of the Unemployed that is surrounding you.

At the very least you might find a life preserver…

What does this mean?

How can you get a job by giving and serving others? I have a few ideas for you.

Rather than approaching others to find out how they can help you get a job, instead think about and find out how you can help them. Ask about the person. Who they are, what they do, and how you can help them be better at what they do.

Then do it.

Start a blog and write about your own experiences and expertise in your occupational target field. Share your thoughts and opinions on current key and controversial issues.

You’ll attract others in your field who will appreciate you sharing, and you’ll have the opportunity to get to know them and develop conversations through commenting and other venues. You just never know what opportunities this could lead to.

Volunteer your time. Volunteer your brain. Find a strategic volunteer opportunity that will allow you to help others while at the same time exercising your brain, keeping yourself fresh and current, demonstrating your expertise, and expanding your network and sphere of influence.

When you offer to help others, everyone feels good. You feel good and they feel great.

And when everyone is feeling good all kinds of great things can happen.

When you are energized, feel you have a purpose, and are helping others, you radiate that to those all around you. That’s incredibly powerful! Even magnetic.

And people want to be surrounded by people who are energizing and magnetic. I mean, don’t you?

So maybe it’s time to think a little differently about what it takes to find your next paying job/ project / work opportunity.

So much of the time I find that job seekers make it all about them.

And it’s never been about them. Never.

So maybe now, more than ever, it’s time to start focusing on others first, rather than on yourself.

You know how when times are good and money isn’t a concern (or as much of one), you feel generous? You think, “Hey, I can afford this. I have more than this person. I can help. I want to help.”

Well why don’t you start feeling that sense of generosity right this very minute — and act on it? You may not have money to give, but if you are unemployed, you have nothing but time, my friend.

So, I ask you: How can you help, how can you give…how can you pay it forward?

*In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a contributor to the High Velocity blog.

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