Job searching is no fun. It’s a lot of work and for all that effort, you may get ghosted or rejected outright. Noone wants that.
“The job search can feel very lonely, very difficult, and very discouraging,” says Emily Askri, program manager at Path Forward. “It’s especially hard when you’re on that journey alone.”
But here’s some great, research-backed news: there’s something super simple you can do to make your job search more productive and enjoyable. That something is community.
What is community
At Path Forward, we define “community” as having one or more people on your side. These are your cheerleaders. They are like-minded folks who understand where you’re coming from and support you all the way. They are especially vital to returners who are looking to reenter the workforce after a career break.
Having a community helps you “get out of your own head.” The input and advice of other people keeps you motivated, uncovers resources, and encourages you to try new approaches that often land you a new job faster. Research backs this up.
The American Economic Review found that people who receive job search assistance and support gain employment 26 percent faster than those who don’t. The Journal of Applied Psychology found that individuals who engage in job search support activities have a 47 percent higher likelihood of securing employment.
Where to find your community
Based on our experience with thousands of returners, we encourage all job seekers to find a community.
Luckily, you don’t have to look far. The following are examples of communities that may be the right fit, offering a combination of resources and support to help with your transition back to work.
1. Partners and friends
A supportive partner or friend is gold. Share the ups and downs of your job search and look to them for encouragement.
2. The Path Forward Community
The Path Forward Community is a free online space for job searchers who are caregivers. You’re invited to join this supportive virtual community which is moderated by Path Forward staff.
3. Other virtual communities for…
- Women who are job searching:
Check out Fairygodboss and Ladies Get Paid
- Specific professions:
Look for groups on LinkedIn and Slack that align with your professional interests. A couple of examples: DevOps Chat and Mind the Product
- Affinity groups:
Discover Techqueria – Latinx in Tech, We All Grow Latina, Blacks in Technology, Women in Revenue, and Elpha (for early career women in technology)
- Local networking:
Many groups have local chapters: Women Who Code has 86 networks in the US and other countries, for example, and LeanIn Circles are available in more than 100 cities around the world. Meetup.com lists thousands of events, both professional and otherwise, happening each day that you can narrow by city and state.
4. Create your own community
A get-together in real life can be rejuvenating. Pallavi, for example, returned to work as a quality assurance engineer after a ten-year career break. She brought people together informally.
“Four to six of us were in the same local area so we met up for dinner one day and it was a blast. We could really share our fears, our problems with the job, or our impostor syndrome with people on the same journey,” she says. “I think the more you engage with community, the more you realize how important it is.”
5. Coaches and small groups
For some job seekers, the one-on-one attention of a career coach is what makes the difference. Another model is offered by The Cru, which matches you with seven other women to share your networks and keep each other accountable.
6. Alumni networks
Many universities offer career services for alumni. Contact your alma mater to see if a networking group is available.
What if I’m not a joiner?
We get it. Not everyone likes to join groups and publicly share details of their struggles. When job searching, though, we encourage you to give it a try.
“There’s an old saying that applies here,” says Lordess Townsend, program manager at Path Forward. “‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ That goes double for the job search. Peer support is really powerful.”
Networking is more doable than you might think and also necessary. Pallavi suggests reframing it. “See the other person as a human being and tell yourself ‘all I have to do is say hi.’ Start with that. Connect with one person and you’ll get energized by it and then you’ll connect with one more person and another and before you know it you have a network,” she says.
“Then when you have a question, you can just raise your hand and a whole bunch of people will come and answer. Say ‘hi.’ That’s all you have to do. The rest will follow.”
Hallmarks of a great community
On a practical level, a community is where people can share resources such as contacts, sites, thinkers and influencers, or articles. More importantly, it’s a space for giving and receiving your time and empathy.
A shared experience.
As one former returner says, “Coming back to work after a career break can bring up some discouraging and negative feelings around whether you’ll be successful.” So it’s very helpful to be surrounded by others who are going through the exact same thing.
“It was like I was in a room of like-experienced individuals and we were all moving forward together,” says Sandy, who returned to work after a 12-year break for caregiving. “It was a sorority of like-minded individuals.”
Ellen, who had a 15-year career break, agrees. “It just makes a world of difference. It makes you feel so much more comfortable, confident, and secure as you go forward, just knowing you’re not alone.”
A safe and productive space.
Jason, another Path Forward returner, notes that one benefit of a supportive community is having the opportunity to voice your frustrations and fears. It’s cathartic and also often results in good suggestions and different approaches.
Women, especially those in male dominated fields such as technology, find additional value in connecting with other professional women. “I was working in a predominantly male driven industry and it was challenging because I always felt that I had to earn their respect,” says Sandy. “But now I’m part of a community of women who are in similar roles and we’re able to share our fears, anxieties, hopes, and dreams and hear each other’s perspective. It makes it doable.”
The success of others is inspiring.
It is incredibly encouraging to find others within a community who were once in your shoes. It not only gives you hope but a model for success.
“Even if not in so many words, they tell others it is possible, you can do this, you got this,” says Lordess Townsend. “Having those credible messengers who have walked the walk, who can set an example, who can help you keep your chin up and keep going is just so essential.”
Voicing your goals keeps you accountable.
One function of a community is to provide a space for others to know and support your goals. Something about saying them aloud makes them more real.
As part of her job search, for example, Pallavi formed a Slack group with two people and stayed in touch for an entire year. “We had weekly Zoom calls to keep tabs on each other. We were our own accountability group,” she says. “One person would have accomplished something, another may have been too busy with something and didn’t get anything done. But we would give each other moral support.”
The long-term benefits
There are so many immediate benefits to being surrounded by others during a major life change such as finding and undertaking a new job. There are long-term benefits as well.
Once you’re in a position to give back to your community – with time, advice, and encouragement – you reap all the benefits of helping people who you care about.
“I see myself in the people asking questions and I see how far I’ve come through the job search process, through the initial doubt, through the reskilling, the application process, and getting in,” says Pallavi. “People reach out to me and I love to connect with them. I’m actually getting more than I’m giving when I have these conversations because it inspires me.”
And growth doesn’t stop with the job offer. A trusted community can also contribute to what follows – your career progression, professional development, and the job that comes next.