So you think you want to go back to work...

So you think you want to go back to work...

With all the angst about the stock market decline and the real estate slump, it's little wonder that loads of people are rethinking retirement lifestyle. The "risk" of longevity is becoming too much for people to deny. With that said, you might be thinking "I'll just find a job somewhere to supplement my income and I'll be fine." Sort of like turning on a faucet, huh?

Not so fast there, folks. Everybody and his uncle is out there pounding the pavement looking for a job. What will set you apart? Here's a clue, it is the same thing that will enable you to find a job in the first place--your network. Just by letting the people you know that you are looking for a job, you will be taking the first step.

But in this economy, jobs will be snatched up before they are even advertised or listed, etc. So how do you tap into the source? Your network. They will hear things by word-of-mouth and can pass it along to you, if you have told them you are looking. If you haven't, then it won't even come up in the conversation.

But I said your network will set you apart, what does that mean? Well, each one of us is connected to a unique collection of people, for one thing. Not everybody knows the same group of people or talks to the same people you do. So, your network will be collecting information uniquely, just like two different-shaped nets would sluice through the water in two different ways. One way you hear about positions before they become known to the general public is when a member of your network hears about somebody who is leaving a job. Someone they know may just have given notice (or said it out loud for the first time and not yet given notice). Your network can pick up on this one before anyone is out there looking for a replacement.

Another way you'll tap into the job market and capture the jobs that haven't been advertised is by persuading people they need what you have to offer. A network can introduce you to people you can help who are just beginning to realize they need help, especially your help. Someone I know has "interviewed" with a Company for no specific position, but the conversation has been a "lightning-rod" that has set them thinking about how they can use her help. Something to think about....