Job Shower? Maybe...Maybe not...

I just read an interesting blog post on how to throw yourself a job shower.

Throw Yourself A Job Shower

The author has some good points that reflect back on my earlier post on tips for making the most of a networking mixer. If people attend networking mixers with the intention of only what's in it for them, then nobody gets anything out of it, and the whole event is a drain.

But if people attend thinking about how they can help others, then everyone gets something out of it.

The last mixer that I attended, I met several people who I could really help with job leads. Not all of them had cards, but I gave all of them my card and told them to contact me after the mixer so that I could give them more details about leads that I have, contacts that I have, etc. The surprising thing is that none of these people contacted me afterward to follow through.

So my last additional tip for successful networking is just that - follow through on your leads. If you find that you can't remember who the people were, make notes on the back of their cards while you're talking to them. And if someone tells you that they have leads for you, don't blow them off.

Unless, of course, you have your ideal job all picked out. In that case, by all means, throw yourself a Job Shower.

A Writing Sample? Certainly!

I applied for a job today and in the advertisement, I was instructed to send a writing sample of about half a page on any subject.

I thought for a moment and then realized that I have a writing sample. It's right here. It's my blog. So instead of writing something new, I included the URL for this blog in my cover email and invited them to read it.

I began blogging a couple of years ago when two writer friends suggested it as a way to keep my creative juices going after moving away from the more creative side of the entertainment industry into finance. I started this blog just to focus on my job search stories. I do have to say that they were absolutely right about blogging. I love having a place to write about whatever I want. I do feel that it gives me the chance to be creative whenever I choose.

Blogging has also helped me feel more comfortable about using social media like Facebook and Twitter. Twitter is nothing if not microblogging. The challenge with Twitter is being able to say something in 140 characters. Sometimes, I have to run over into a second tweet, but I am improving.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friends (they know who they are) for encouraging me to begin blogging. Without them, I wouldn't have had so much writing to sample!