Job Club Membership is the Top Habit of the Most Successful Job Seekers

Job Club Membership is the Top Habit of the Most Successful Job Seekers Research has shown that the most successful job seekers join a job club.These groups help their members:Learn job search skills.Get essential social support.Three Job Club WinnersJob clubs help people of all ages and backgrounds. I talked with three alumni while writing this post:Caryn, a 30-something job seeker. She had been involved with a job club in her last search and knew she was going back.Kathy, a 40-something learning development professional. Kathy hadn’t looked for a job in 20 years. She knew she needed to network and thought a job club would be a good start.Irina, a 60-something engineer. She wanted help with her resume, so she went to a job club.A little later, I’ll describe how their job clubs helped Caryn, Kathy, and Irina with their job searches.But first, let’s cover six key areas that will help you understand:The benefits of job clubs.How to find a club that will work best for you.Our Deepest Fears About UnemploymentBeing without work can bring our most deepl y seated fears out of our subconscious and into our daily lives. Those fears are:Failure.Dependency on others.Rejection.Abandonment.Research has found that if you lack social support, those fears can morph into depression â€" not just for you, but for any lonely job seeker.The Benefits Offered by Job ClubsJoining a job club will help you:Beat the fears and emotional challenges of unemployment we all experience.Build the skills you need to find a job.Succeed faster.What to Look for in a Job ClubJob clubs operate on the premise that job search is a learnable skill.Look for a club that:Uses a standard, researched-based operating format that includes job search skills training.Has these interactive elements:a. No more than a dozen participants.b. If it’s a large club, be sure they provide breakout groups of six to twelve people.c. An attendance commitment.d. Facilitated meetings.e. Sharing by newly-hired, former members.Job Search SkillsEd Han, a New Jersey recruiter, who is both an a lum and facilitator of job clubs, asked me to emphasize the skills training aspect of job clubs in this post.He told me about several of his most valuable takeaways:Answering behavioral interview questions.Ed found the constant practice of developing situation, action, results (SAR) vignettes invaluable in learning how to present himself.He used the SAR model to write resumebullet points, answer mock interview questions, and help other club members with the same.His familiarity with the model resulted in him being well prepared to meet with potential employers and answer their questions.Understanding applicant tracking systems (ATS).He had used databases, Boolean logic, and keywords at work.However, it was his job club that made him understand the ATS as a resume database.Then it was an easy extension of thought to knowing he had to match the keywords in job postings to the language in his resume.The power of weak connections.Ed watched job club colleagues get new positions through other job club members.People who had only known each a short time were able to connect each other to opportunities they wouldnt have heard about otherwise.New job search strategies.Ed said he hadnt been aware of job posting aggregators such as Indeed when he joined a job club several years ago.Through his job club participation, he learned about aggregators and other new ways to identify job openings.Useful Background MaterialsYou can learn more about job clubs and job search skills by reading. Recommended guides include:A Job Club Counselors’ Manual, by Nathan Azrin. This book is out of print, but your library can find it for you via interlibrary loan.The Job Club Tool Kit (free, downloadable PDF) from the New York State Department of Labor.Those reference materials will either help you recognize a good club when you find it â€" or start one.Job Clubs to AvoidAvoid clubs that:Allow negativity.Are too big to give each member a five to ten-minute spotlight each meeting.Fail to rep lenish with new members as existing members graduate.Are networking groups, not job clubs. Anything over 12 members is more likely a networking group than a skills-driven job club.Why People Don’t Join Job ClubsI polled a couple of career-related groups I belong to about why people don’t join job clubs and got two types of responses:“Heard of them vaguely. But what are they? Where are they?”“I highly suggest job applicants join a job club as long as it’s a correct fit and run effectively.”People who know about job clubs recommend them, so please share this post forward!Back to Our WinnersCarynCaryn attended a small club with members at different stages of their job searches.She found the group helped her refresh her skills, stay focused, and maintain self-accountability.She started her job search in January and accepted an offer in March.KathyThe outplacement firm Kathys company hired to help her with her job search steered her to a job club.She volunteered to chair th e Training Committee, which enabled her to keep using her skills and expertise. She said that being able to help others when she was at a low point helped her maintain her confidence and self-esteem.She also became such a fan of networking that she teaches a class on it at her new organization.IrinaIrina kept rewriting her resume with input from other job club members. One evening, just before a meeting, she revised it and printed a copy to take with her.One of the members shared that he had a new job and mentioned he would be building an engineering team. Irina was standing next to him. She asked if he would like to see her resume. After a multi-month process, he became her new boss.The icing on the cake? Her new company, which she hadn’t even been aware of, is a seven-minute drive from her home.Why Executives Value Job ClubsChris Kondo, a professor at Cal State Fullerton, researched job club benefits and efficacy for executive-level job seekers. He found that executives who part icipate in job clubs experience:Up to four times faster re-employment (as measured against control groups).A supportive network.Access to job leads.A broader portfolio of job search strategies.When we compare Eds list of learnings to Chris list, we see a considerable overlap.Where to Find Job ClubsDo you want to adopt the top habit of exceptionally successful job seekers? Yes? Here are a few ways for you to find a group:Meetup lists 800+ groups around the worldhere.Ask other job seekers, recently hireds, recruiters, and career professionals if they know about any job clubs. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.Many faith-based organizations sponsor groups. Ask your congregations leader if he or she knows of a group in your area.Please add groups you know about, and how to reach them, in the Comments section below.Thank YouI want to offer special thanks to Bob McIntosh, Ed Han, and Ellie Mixter-Keller for their support in preparing this post. Their insights and passion for job clubs made this a better piece.Bob (Boston) and Ed (Princeton) facilitate groups in their communities. Ellie is a go-to job club information resource in her area (Milwaukee).Make it your goal to find people like Bob, Ed, and Ellie in your city. They’ll help guide you to the right club. They might even be running it!Featured on CareerSherpa Image: Fotolia/zinkevych Updated September 2019 2017 2020, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.Donna SveiDonna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, writes all of AvidCareerists posts. She has written for and been quoted by leading business, general, and career media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Lifehacker, Ask.com, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, Payscale, Business News Daily, and the Muse. Let her background and experience inform your job search strategy and decision making.Learn more about Donnas executive resume writing service or email Donna for more information. Job Search â€" Non-Tech Tools (6 Posts)Job Search â€" Strategies (4 Posts)