DEAR JOYCE: After unsuccessfully looking for a job for three months, I’m expanding my outreach. A woman in my book club suggested that I volunteer as a way of building my network. Is that real? — K.G.
Paid or unpaid, work is both a connector and resume gold. When you do satisfactory volunteer work for a nonprofit — social, health and environmental organizations, for example — you’ll expand your network of people who may pass on news of job openings, and you’ll gain good references.
(But don’t expect to be considered for a paid job if one opens where you volunteer; nonprofits are cutting paid staff as financial contributions shrink and are filling few vacancies.)
Even though you need a paycheck, perhaps you can squeeze in four volunteer hours a week without shortchanging your job search.
In selecting the beneficiary of your efforts, remember the career focus factor — don’t wander all over the lot. If you’re looking for a marketing job, help a museum market its events, rather than serve meals to the homeless.
QUID PRO QUO. Evaluate an organization in which you might invest your time based on what it can do for you in return:
— Does the organization attract groups of people whom you’d like to know or work with?
— Does the organization provide training? If so, is the training a general orientation or specific to particular jobs? What skills will you develop?
— Are the volunteer jobs well defined, or are you told there will be lots of things for you to do? You’re not volunteering to do a paid staffer’s grunt work — unless the connections you’ll make are super.
— Will your volunteer hours be recorded, along with your volunteer job description, so they can be used for a future reference? Who will write the reference? If you make a mistake in choosing an organization, don’t hesitate to make a change. But to avoid poor future choices, be sure to analyze your reasons for leaving. Some veterans of unpaid work say that finding the right volunteer work can be more difficult than finding the right paid job.
CHEER UP. A drawn-out job search can be a draining, lonely experience. One overlooked benefit of volunteering while unemployed: camaraderie with others and the knowledge that you’re doing good things boost positive, happier feelings about yourself.
DEAR JOYCE: Every job that I apply for requires a resume to be sent online. Sometimes I get a perfunctory response saying my resume was received, and sometimes I get silence. I’m not good on the phone, so what else can I do to keep my name in the running for a specific position? — E.T.S.
An e-mail follow-up campaign may spark another look at your application. Even in no-response situations, avoid closed-end messages — “Did you receive my resume?” Don’t make it easy for the employer to send back a one-word answer: “Yes.” And when you’ve received a computer-generated response that your resume found its target, asking that question will make you seem less than razor sharp.
Instead, restate your selling points and ask an open-ended question: “I hope you’ve had a chance to review my resume, which is focused on my successful experience and education in green research and communications. I’ll be glad to fill in any blanks — what else would you like to know?”
When thundering silence is your answer, try again: “Since my last e-mail, I’ve uncovered two recent articles about your company (or industry or field) that make me even more certain that my skills in green research and communications would be valuable in your company.
If you haven’t seen the articles (identify by name), I’ll be happy to pass them along if that would be useful.”
Still no reply? Write again: “Since we haven’t been able to make contact, I’ll check back with you next week — unless another time would be better.” Keep trying until your target says “let’s meet” or “go away.” An e-mail slow dance isn’t all that different from telephone pursuit, except that it’s easier to ruin your chances with dumb remarks or bad spelling. So write carefully.
(E-mail career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at jlk@sunfeatures.com; use “Reader Question” for subject line. Or mail her at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007.)
