The job search accountability group

photo credit: lumaxart

At work, it’s the performance review.  A regular evaluation of your efforts and results, with what is supposed to be helpful, objective feedback on areas where you might improve.  When you’re job hunting, though, who provides you that feedback, that outside perspective, on your job search efforts?  Enter the job search accountability group: a group of similarly situated professionals who meet regularly to report on their job search efforts, trade tactics, and share support.

Some ways to help make your accountability group successful:

• Ensure that the accountability piece is first and foremost. Set aside a substantial portion of time to focus on reviewing your job search activity, your triumphs and your challenges.  The primary function of the group is to know that your feet are being held to the fire, so it’s important that this be a big part of the allocated energy.
• Build in support. The other great benefit of this sort of group is to see that you’re not alone.  Make available resources for all kinds of support for participants, including financial, emotional, and career.
• Allow time for education. Cover a weekly career search topic, or facilitate a discussion of best practices.  Education helps with motivation, effectiveness, and enhances the feeling that participants are walking away with something valuable.
• Keep both size and scope workable. Make sure that the group is large enough to provide a good variety of viewpoints and to help participants expand their networks, but small enough that you can really live the mission of the group.  10-15 people is probably a good cap.
• Understand the quality of the group has to do with the quality of participants. Try to loop in those people who are truly proactive networkers, who give freely to their contacts, and who handle their job search with professionalism.  The attitudes and commitment of your participants will affect the tone and success of your meetings.
• Reality check regularly. Allow for feedback from participants to make sure that people believe the group adds value.  Adjust the format of the group as necessary to provide the most bang for everyone’s buck.

How do you find an accountability group?  Check Meetup.com to start.  Talk to people in your network and see if anyone you know participates in such a group or knows of one in your area.  And if you can’t find any, you can always start your own.  Reach out to a few trusted contacts to see if they might like to participate, and benefit from each other’s expertise, contacts, and perspective.

Related posts:

1. The secret of success: Make your job search very part-time
2. Job search over 50: Unique challenges, unique opportunities
3. Left out on LinkedIn: How can I use LinkedIn more effectively?
4. There’s no such thing as “just”: Self-talk and your career
5. Job search tip: Finding the hiring manager, Part 3

Tagged as: accountability, Career, effectiveness, job change, job hunt, job search, motivation, networking