Masterminding and Job Searching

Guest Contributor: Debbie Lousberg
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This week I had the pleasure of watching masterminding at its finest. In one of my Career Transition Clubs (www.careertransitionclubs.com), each person shares what's going on with their job search, their current challenges, and always, any type of recent success. After the first go-round, one person in particular threw out lots of ideas about her previous work experience and what she enjoyed doing, all seemingly unrelated and not leading her to any satisfying job opportunities. No successes to report and her face certainly showed the disappointment. I then asked the question, "does anyone see some common threads in all of Christine's experiences?" A whole new discussion then took place. Ideas began flowing around the table, helping Christine see some patterns she hadn't noticed and even some great next steps she might take in pursuing interesting work. The power of "group-think" was amazing to watch. Christine's whole demeanor and attitude changed. After those incredible results, it seemed to take hold and others asked for the same kind of help. Ideas once again flowed and job seekers' faces told the story of the benefits of masterminding. When one or more people get together to discuss their common situations, fantastic results occur!

Know anyone in job search mode? Try this exercise: Have them recite their positive work and volunteer experiences, hobbies, interests and passions as another writes them down. Then conduct a brainstorming session - let everyone offer up thoughts on what this person might be best suited for. Get their buy-in and help them devise some action steps, and then report back to the group on their progress.