Submitted by Victoria Andrew
In adventurous activities, having a buddy system tends to garner more auspicious results. For example, the quest of losing weight generally becomes much more exciting and inspiring when one has a friend offering words of encouragement.
In more enterprising pursuits of daredevils, the main benefit of the buddy system is enhanced security. One may be able to rescue the other in a crisis. In scuba diving, it is essential to have a dive partner to assess your equipment’s safety. In the U.S. Air Force, “wingmen” protect one another in battle.
In the mining industry, a “butty partner,” is one you work with“butt to butt” in order to maximize productivity. Firefighters will only enter a burning building adhering to the “two in, two out” principle. Similarly, in order to better withstand the arduous odyssey of your career search, it is advised that you find yourself a “helping hand” who is your trusted ally along the way.
Here are a few suggestions to optimize the buddy system for a job search:
1. Choose carefully. In our difficult economy, you may have a plethora of friends in a situation such as your own, desiring a more prosperous and promising position. It would most likely be more harmonious if you chose someone who is not in your same exact field, so as not to spark fireworks of competition for the same position. However, do chose someone who whom you share a mutual passion for landing a new career.
2. Sign up for the marathon together. When running partners prepare for a race together, they find it beneficial to develop a mutual training plan. They decide on the specific dates and times they will run together, and hold one another accountable. You and your job search companion could conjure such a game plan, complete with specific times you shall convene to discuss your goals, target markets, networking, and interviews scheduled.
3. Cultivate a strategy of attack. Together, bounce ideas off of each other as to how you will both engage in your job searches. Consider reading out loud together the Personal Career Marketing Manual by Danny Huffman, published by Education Career Services. Share and critique each other’s resumes. Write branding statements for one another. Rehearse diverse interview scenarios together. Go shopping for powerhouse interview suits. Brainstorm contacts in each other’s individual networks, in case you might offer each another a fresh approach.
Due to the length of this blog, let’s take a quick breather until tomorrow as we conclude the topic with the final three suggestions,
Thank you Victoria for this submission.
If you have any comments, submit and don’t be surprised to hear back from Danny,
Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110
Education Career Services 