The necessities that are top of mind for job seekers are often an updated resume or a clean and pressed interview suit. What is often overlooked but equally as important is a good support system. Support systems can take many shapes and forms and each type of support offers something unique to the job seeker.
One type of support system is your family. Your family loves you and wants you to be happy. They are not the best source for job search advice because they are too emotionally invested. They are however a great resource for reminding the job seeker what a great person they are beyond what they do for a job.
Friends are also a great part of your support system. They too care about you and want you to be happy and successful. Friends can often be more direct and honest with you about your assets as well as shortcomings, however friends have not seen you in a work setting.
Mentors can be wonderful supporters. They have often seen you in an academic or work setting and can speak to your professional skills and qualities. Mentors are much more objective in offering advice.
Some job seekers often turn to former colleagues for support but often get trapped in endless employer bashing conversations. This is negative and counter productive to a job search.
Belonging to groups of other unemployed people can sometimes be helpful in that you can relate to each others situations but I caution job seekers to avoid the groups that are negative.
Each of these groups can offer helpful support for various reasons. But the two pieces of advice I give job seekers that I am adamant about is first never go through this process alone, and secondly seek job search and career advice from a professional.
