Linked in.

Front page news today: "January job loss worst since 1974."
1974. Essentially, the worst month for the workforce to occur in my lifetime (so far). Employers cut 598,000 jobs in January.
Now, this whole post isn't just about the news, but bear with me. Here's a list of the milestones from the Labor Department:

• The most jobs lost in one month since 1974;
• The highest unemployment rate since 1992 (7.6%);
• The largest one-month drop in factory jobs since 1982, and;
• The most jobs lost in 12 months since the government began keeping records in 1939.

I find it funny (smirk-funny not laugh-funny) that our government didn't even start keeping track of labor numbers until about ten years in to the Great Depression. Makes you want to not hold your breath on that economic stimulus getting passed anytime soon.

Appropriately enough, as far as this conversation goes, the last few months I have found myself to be part of history in that I am one of the 7.6%. I have been fortunate, however, in that I have been able to fall back on something that, at times, I have taken for granted and - on more than one occasion - loathed, but now have come to appreciate and plan on insisting my children have. No, not a college degree - that's now become an expected step in our society, and not necessarily a tell-tale sign of success - but the ability to do a three-plate carry.

While I was in L.A. pursuing a little bit of the life in show biz, I supported myself waiting tables and tending bar. It paid my rent and then some back in the day, and I have it to thank for meeting my bride. And thanks to the good people there, when something I certainly wasn't planning on happened in November (7.6%), I didn't have to be without income for long.
Sure, it's not exactly part of my career plan, but it's been an integral part in our lives while I look to get back on track.

The second integral part on the road back is what I really want to talk about, and it has always been something I've not been very good at, but am working on and already benefiting from: networking.

The internet has changed the job hunt in so many ways - nearly every company advertises job openings on their own sites as well as job boards, Monster, craigslist, you name it. But the reality is, the percentage of positions that are filled through these means are very, very low. The greatest percentage of positions filled are through personal referrals. I can attest to that in that the interviews I have gotten, have been through a recommendation from a friend or colleague - not from an online application.

A valuable resource to that end, that also uses the internet, is LinkedIn. I've had an account for a while, but never fully utilized until recently. Basically, it's a social network for your business connections. Yes, many of your connections will be friends (not unlike MySpace or Facebook), but the goal is to make contacts with people in the workforce. That way, if I'm looking at a position available at Company XYZ, and my friend has a connection who works there, he/she can make that introduction and bingo! Personal referral.

Now, the other reason I'm plugging this is not just because - hey, I want to tell you about this - it's actually - hey, I want you to think about signing up for this!
In this economic environment, it pays to think ahead, and I know I'm not the only one looking right now, and I know there are those who worry that they may be looking soon or, you are thinking of making a job/career change of your own volition.

So, I encourage you to join up. And make me one of your connections, because I know people, too. View my profile here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonseely

It wouldn't be a true post if I didn't include something a little dorky.