Four Sources of Bottomless Unemployment Insurance

Posted on August 18th, 2009 by Keith Ferrazzi

Well, you know, I was a human being before I became a businessman.
– George Soros

Is anyone’s job completely secure these days? Probably not – but were they ever? Here are some ideas to boost your unemployment insurance by banking on my favorite resource: New relationships. These activities will not only make you a hot commodity within your company, they’ll also start to build the broader network that will support you if it becomes time to look for a new job.

1.    Create a company-approved project that will force you to learn new skills and introduce you to new people within your company.

2.    Take on leadership positions in the hobbies and outside organizations that interest you – or start your own.

3.    Join your local alumni club and spend time with people who are doing the jobs you’d like to be doing.

4.    Enroll in a class at a community college on a subject that relates to either the job you’re doing now or a job you see yourself doing in the future.

All of these suggestions will help you meet new people. And the law of probability ensures that the more new people you know, the more opportunities will come your way and the more help you’ll get at critical junctures in your career.

Interested in a more prescriptive approach? Try the Ogilvy PR team's post on using social media to find a job.

While we're on the topic, I'm curious: How many of you are active in and have benefited from your college or high school alumnae association? If not, why not?

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2 comments // In Business Networking
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2 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

  1. Dean Becker says:
    August 19, 2009 at 6:27 am
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    For years I actively avoided taking part in any alumni-related activities - seeing them all as thinly veiled attempts to fundraise. Then last year, a young woman in my professional network, and a recent grad of my college, convinced me to participate in a career day at the school. I spent a couple of hours over lunch with a group of Juniors and Seniors - each hungrier than the next for a piece of my wisdom. I built some relationships and continue to mentor two of these kids via email. This has been so rewarding that I've already signed up for this year's career day. File under 'Unexpected Pleasures'!

  2. Dean, that's inspiring - "you never know what you're gonna get."

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