By Katie Corbett
People usually help those they know, like and trust. Part of developing that know, like and trust factor is to give help as you can, in ways that are meaningful to those receiving your help.
In the book, “The Referral Engine,” John Jantsch talked about having a service-oriented approach to boost the reputation of your company. The same is true if you are an individual looking for a job. I encourage you to make a list of all the things you could do to help someone. At the least, this will keep you busy and give you purpose as you are waiting to hear back about potential job leads and interviews. Here are some questions to consider as you are making your list:
- What do you enjoy doing?
- Is there anything you promised to do for someone that you haven’t gotten around to doing yet?
- What causes are important to you?
- What types of help do people usually ask for from you?
- Is there something you are good at that other people need?
- Is there something you have been meaning to try and want a place to test your skills?
To show that I practice what I preach, I will make a list of ways I plan to help people this month:
- Introduce two people I promised to introduce.
- Post job openings to a group of friends, many of whom are looking for a job.
- Reach back out to someone I recently finished career coaching and ask what I can do to help.
- Offer to write a case study for my favorite nonprofit.
- Look in Facebook groups for quick things I can do to help someone.
I hope you get a lot of mileage out of offering to help. Approaching your job search with an attitude of giving will make you stand out among other applicants. Most of all, I hope helping others makes you feel good and like you have a purpose.
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