1) NO WHINING. NONE.
Don't be whiny, needy, pushy, petty, annoyed or irritated in your dealings with anyone who could help your job search; in other words, not with ANYONE. Remember they are helping you...
2) SPEAK NO EVIL.
NEVER speak ill of your former employer or co-workers to anyone EVER; at least not until you have your next job, then they are all fair game - though you'll probably just sound petty at that point.
3) IT TAKES WORK TO FIND WORK.
A job search is a job. Treat it like one. Get up and go to work every morning (the italics are for a reason) for a set period M-F. That set period should be at least three hours. It doesn't count if you are multitasking all kinds of personal stuff at the same time.
4) BE READY WITH ADVERTISING.
Always carry resumes with you so you can hand them to anyone at any time. Get some business cards too. Nice ones please. Not that cheap paper stock.
5) ELEVATORS ARE GREAT NETWORKING SITES.
Develop, practice and memorize your "elevator pitch" - see the book Rites of Passage by John Lucht and other resources. You need a 30, 60 and 180 second version. Practice until they don't sound like you practiced.
6) LINKEDIN. TWITTER. XING. BIZNIK. GIST.
Add everyone to your Linkedin profile. Join some groups on Linkedin. Read about how to maximize Linkedin. Get involved in some law job chats on Twitter. Make sure the profile is spot on and perfect just like your resume presumably is. Track folks on Gist and give feedback. Try to build your network on Linkedin and Twitter before you actually, you know, need them. Facebook is fine, in my view, for actual friends. A blog never hurts.
7) KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
Do some volunteer work not related to your job search or the law at least once a week. It will help put your situation in perspective and give you a sense of accomplishment that may be otherwise lacking when you enter your third week without so much as a nibble. Give thanks you have the ability to do volunteer work for someone else instead of being the deserving recipient.
8) DON'T BE A BORE.
Your being out of work is boring to other people. Don't overplay your hand. Sometimes even ask other people how they are doing...
9) SAY THANK YOU. TO EVERYONE. EVERY TIME.
Always always always send a handwritten snail mail thank you note to anyone who grants you some of their precious time in person or on the phone re an interview. Mail it the same day that they help you. Retweet them. #ff them. Keep them in mind. See #10. Its really not possible to say thank you too much. And if they do something really really out of the line of duty, send them a little something.
10) GIVE IT AWAY.
Nothing gets other peoples' attention more than not going after a job you know you don't have a prayer of getting but instead actually recommending or telling someone who actually has a shot. Give it away. What goes around, comes around - good and bad. Recruiters remember people who help them. Get some good karma.
Bonus Rule: "Be silly. Be honest. Be kind." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks for reading.
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