Support is the Key to Success!

I'm training for my first half-marathon right now. Our coach had us form success groups: 4 to 6 people in each group, to encourage each other through the week, run together on our training days, and be there for each other. A support group. My group is the "Back of the Packers". We walk more than we run, but we still compete and we finish races!

Having a support group is critical in a lot of areas of life, especially in a job search. There are lots of ways to find or get support, and it doesn't matter what kind of support group you join or form. But it is important to have.

At the networking mixers that I have attended, I have met a lot of people who participate in job clubs. A Job Club is rather structured in that you are given certain tasks to complete and must report back at the next meeting. They usually meet weekly.

I wasn't interested in that much support. I am highly motivated on my own. I'm a social media guru. I'm outgoing. But I still need support because even I can't be on task 24/7! Instead, I have formed a loose-knit support network with a few friends who are in the same boat. Let's face it, in this economy, everyone has at least one friend who is also a job seeker.

One of my friends was a former co-worker. We lost our jobs at the same company about 2 months apart. We also live near each other and were quite social outside of work so we naturally spend a lot of time together. We decided to work out together three days a week during the day. During our workouts, we would share job leads, bounce ideas off each other, practice answers to interview questions, etc. Oddly enough, we have both accepted long-term temporary assignments recently and we begin our new jobs on the same day!

Another friend I know through volunteering. We discovered that we were both unemployed via Facebook. We decided to attend a mixer together to catch up and network at the same time. Since then, we have formed an informal club. I showed her my blog, my Twitter account and how I use both. She shared tips she gleaned from webinars. The next mixer we attended together, she was doing the presentation on how to use Social Media! We stay in touch mostly by email, but sometimes by phone and in person. She's a great sounding board for me and I love being one of the folks she chooses to proofread her blog posts. I feel like I'm getting the inside scoop!

Lastly, I have another friend and former co-worker who just lost her job. I am probably more support to her than she is to me at this point, but I love the insight that I am gaining from talking to her. Her approach is fresh, and the questions she is asking me are inspiring me with new ideas. I hope that we continue to meet for lunch or via email even as my new assignment begins.

So I encourage you to find or form a support network of your own. We all need a little help from our friends!