Well, you’ve heard of baby, engagement and bridal showers. Â Why not do something nice for yourself and have a Job Shower! Â Forget Pink Slip Parties which help you network with equally desperate and unemployed folks all vying for the same job. What if you tried a different approach-desperate times, create desperate measures or something like that. Â Be kind to yourself and allow others to help you and throw yourself a Job Shower!
You might ask, “How would that work exactly if I’m unemployed with no prospects on the way? That’s just the point, it’s easy and it’s about helping those who can help you – a win-win for everyone! Â So instead of party favors, floral arrangements, and receiving meaningless gifts to mark the occasion, create a “Job Registry” listing all of the jobs, companies, positions you are interested in working for in your quest for your next job.
You can make this a virtual party or a real one, depending on your desire for an actual martini and how much you really like hanging out with your guests. Unlike the obligatory bridal shower where you have to invite Aunt Millie and your high school girl friend turned serial bridesmaid, here you can invite only those folks who will help fulfill your wish of finding your dream job and or working for your dream company. Â Even if your idea is to start your own business, invite guests who will help you find resources like funding, business plans, office space and list your needs on your Job Registry and invite those who can help you build your dream.
Ok, here’s how you get started. Â Start by inviting 10-15-20 of your friends, colleagues, contacts from your network and each of them has to bring you a “gift” from your Job Registry. Â Each guest will be instructed to provide you with any one of the following: 1) a job lead that you have heard about but don’t have a contact at the company, 2) an interview with one of your target companies, 3) a barter service to help you with your headshot, resume, or portfolio, 4) a list of legitimate prospects and or contacts you don’t already have on your list, and best of all, 5) a potential for a job offer, project or consulting assignment!
Forget about getting drunk at another networking event and meeting people you don’t know or who really don’t want to know you. With a job shower, you are throwing the party and are in complete control of the invites, the gifts and the potential for a job offer from one of your guests! Â This is a way for your friends or contacts to not only help you, but you in return can provide your own “party favor” and offer to barter your services to those who come bearing gifts and help them in some special way as well. Â You can personalize your party favor too by offering your guests services like pet sitting, house cleaning, gardening, or whatever else that person needs assistance with in their lives.
You can keep it small to start.  No need to rent a hall, hire a band or a professional photographer.  All you need to start is provide  your guests with your “Job Registry” and hope they will come bearing some meaningful and entertaining leads and offer you a gift you won’t be looking to return.
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Copyright © 2024 Lisa Kaye - HR & Business Consulting - The Career Rebel
Lisa-Thanks for the great idea! I love it and it is so creative! I am sure it would take a lot of courage to do, but could be exactly what an employer needs to be swayed! Thanks for sharing!
Novel approach to job hunting!
Do you think Target will steal your idea?
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Liza an excellent suggestion especially at the time of recession with difficulty in finding jobs…Hope u copywrite it………”The first job by throwing in a job shower?”…………….anyone listening ?
Necessity IS the mother of invention. This is as cool as rent parties 🙂
Lisa, What a wonderful idea!! Sounds like this could really be fun…and productive. I love it when people think outside the box. Thanks!!
Great Concept and Great Article! Thanks for sharing.
By Scott Carrey Digital Media & Technology Specialist
nice idea..
By nishant lal creative director at goblin videos
Hi Lisa,
I noticed a discussiion in Associated Producers “Throw Yourself A Job Shower” which I think is brilliant. The Legacy Productions is working on a new Reality TV Show called ‘Jobz’ – We are in pre-production at the moment. I am emailing you to inquire if I may add you to my professional network. In addition, when the time comes and once production actually starts, I was curious if you might be interested in our show highlighting your “Throw Yourself A Job Shower” idea, giving you all the credit as well as greenlightjobs?
Regards,
Linda
Hii,
Lisa.. its a great idea.. but sound creepy…”people m sorry if m mistaken”.. but the idea sound very MEAN.. to me. you can’t invite people just because you want something from them. its true to be out there with people who supports your ideas, who wants to help you. but i don’t agree completely with you in terms of GIFTs.. (you know what i mean).. anyways i always look forward to read your inputs.
Regards
Okieth
A different aproach, very interesting!
Ok sounds like a good idea. How could i use this to network with casting directors and producers in town? I recently started a talent management company and I many know Casting Directors and their Associates through talking to them on the phone, but we have never met in person. I would like to meet them in person to make a better connection for me and my clients. Any thoughts?
I think this is just amazing and creative!! Job Showers and Job Registry… lol
How About A Job Shower?
This idea, it is so crazy it just might work: Throw yourself a job shower.
From Lisa Kaye at RecruitingBlogs.com comes the following idea: just like baby showers and wedding showers, which we all pretend aren’t about getting gifts and going “Awwwwww…”, but totally are, why not throw yourself a job shower where people bring you jobs?
It sounds cheesy and kinda selfish, but read on:
Start by inviting 10-15-20 of your friends, colleagues, contacts from your network and each of them has to bring you a “gift” from your Job Registry. Each guest will be instructed to provide you with any one of the following: 1) a job lead that you have heard about but don’t have a contact at the company, 2) an interview with one of your target companies, 3) a barter service to help you with your headshot, resume, or portfolio, 4) a list of legitimate prospects and or contacts you don’t already have on your list, and best of all, 5) a potential for a job offer, project or consulting assignment!
In return, provide “party favors” of your services (create a web site for someone if you’re a designer, update their blog if you’re a writer, teach them about Twitter if you’re a Tweeter) or if you can’t do that, at least offer them a drink and babysitting/petsitting/lawn care services at a later date.
We’d probably keep this to people we knew fairly well—and those folks may already be helping you with your job search. But this is definitely a creative idea we hadn’t heard before.
I was searching for photography when I found your site. Excellent post. Thank You.