Many out-of-work people are looking for ways to get career counseling and opportunities to "schmooze" with people in their industry... but with no income how can you afford the pay-by-the-hour counselor and the networking steak dinner? Some creatives ideas came out in an article at ThirdAge.com (http://www.thirdage.com/budgeting-bargains/7-ways-to-save-cash-on-a-job-hunt) that make networking and brushing up career skills more affordable.
1. Barter for job assistance. If you have a skill you can offer to a career coach (secretarial skills, administrative skills) see if you can strike a deal.
2. Volunteer. If there is a networking event/conference you think would be important for you to attend, see if you may be able to be a volunteer at the event. You could either receive reduced or free admission.
Also, check with local churches about available networking opportunites. For example, Open Door Baptist Church (N. Raleigh) has a Bible Study/Mentoring/Networking group that has been recently organized to fill this very need for unemployed men. Church Phone Number: (919) 847-6969.
There are many community and state resources dedicated to job placement and career betterment. Here is a link to the North Carolina Career Resource Network. http://www.soicc.state.nc.us/soicc/. This site includes a career interest assessment that you can do right from your computer.
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Hey! I have been knee deep in this exact thing! We have decided to start doing photography again and I wanted to set the business up correctly, so as not to dig a financial hole for ourselves out of desperation. I was able to find all the information I needed about small business start-up on the net. Be careful though. There are ads that pop up and other sites that will tell you that you need legal counsel and want to charge an arm and a leg for what I was able to do in about one hour on the phone and spending only $15- including getting my tax id, registering my business name, and setting up a business checking account. I used http://www.nccommerce.com/en/BusinessServices/StartYourBusiness/ as my main resource and even called the assistance line and was given personal,one-on-one advice over the phone.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Brit.