Unemployment Chronicles, Day 2

Today I attended an introductory meeting with a firm that will try to help me get a new job.  Again, best to keep some details a little sketchy, but I suppose this kicks off the job search effort.

My greatest concern with the class is that there were too many people in it who were close to my age.  It's a little scary.  Mostly, today was a chance to learn what type of resources the company offers and what to expect.

They have a 1.5-day class that goes through a multi-step process for finding work, from figuring out what you want to do to negotiating a final deal., and I signed up for April 4-5.  Meanwhile, I should get access to their website in a couple of days, and that seems like the key benefit.  For every step of the process, they have multiple resources on the website, plus webinars, in-person classes, workbooks, and on-line courses.  The trick will be selecting judiciously from all those choices.  In addition, their network has actual job postings and a means to post your resume where recruiters can see it.

My own concerns and interests include:

• Getting a resume together.  I can list my jobs, but I need to highlight that my experience differentiates me from other people.  Marketing is definitely not my strong suit.  Speaking of which...
• Networking.  I am an introvert, and many of the friends I do have work at Farmers, which isn't super helpful.  After 11 years, I don't have any contacts from prior work.  This is gonna be a challenge.
• They have a class just on updating yor profile on LinkedIn.  I always wondered what that thing does; time to find out.
• There are resources about how to get into contracting.  That idea appeals to me -- no more babbling about company loyalty, engagement,  or being part of the team.  You pay me, I do stuff you need.  Our relationship is clear.

In between now and April 4, I don't see myself doing any hardcore job searching, like sending out resumes, but I'll start putting some ideas together.  Maybe I'll buy a suit.