Discipline. The key to an effective job search. Every day, when I sit down at the computer and log on, one of my first stops is the Careers section of the Wall Street Journal. As a long-time Journalist, and as one of the countless unemployed, it was natural/inevitable for me to migrate to "Laid Off and Looking." This column features a stable of bloggers from varied backgrounds, joined in their common quest for work.
What keeps drawing me back? For one, the "in the trenches" perspective. In my constant scouring of publications, I trudge through enough gloomy statistics and protracted analysis. I need to know what's working among my fellow job seekers. "Laid Off and Looking" is a wellspring of strategies and tactics. And there's a crucial element of debate as readers spar over topics. Often, the comments -- even when boastful or barbed -- are just as informative as the blog.
Maintaining health coverage, staying occupied, relocating... the topics are far-ranging and top-of-mind. As important, it's a narrative replete with character, conflict, and (assuming the blogger gets a job) resolution. Each day offers a new chapter in a blogger's search -- the setbacks, the triumphs, the life-changing decisions.
There's drama... and camaraderie. And that's what many of us job seekers yearn for (besides a job) -- a sense of community. Having been dispossessed from the work world, we hunger for a sense of connection, understanding. A way to validate our worth. "Laid Off and Looking" is a place to catch up, to have that morning cup of coffee. It's a source of inspiration, solace, and chagrin. A lifeline for the rest of us who are laid off and looking.
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