The Heart Is A Lonely Job Hunter (Sidebar)

I explored the positive and negative aspects of job interviews and first dates in "The Heart Is a Lonely Job Hunter." While that position paper was about drawing similarities between the two situations and how to make the most of them, this sidebar is about understanding the idea of networking just to get an interview / date.

In both scenarios, you have to make yourself stand out from the rest of the competition -- on a professional level as well as a personal one. Job fairs and singles mixers are two gatherings where you have the best chance to pull this off; for the people in attendance, it's the means to achieving an end -- whether it's landing a job or meeting a significant other. The most important tool in fulfilling this goal is the skill of networking.

You have a better chance of being noticed if you're poised and well-spoken. Making an effort to meet people and start a conversation will catch the attention of others ... and, as a result, they'll be lining up to introduce themselves to you -- not vice versa. On the other hand, standing in a corner looking like you're mad at the world won't draw people to you -- in fact, it'll scare them away.

At a job fair, you'd exchange resumes and / or business cards with the prospective employer ... and at a singles mixer, you'd exchange telephone numbers with the potential date. In keeping with the "professional" tone of the subject matter, here's a "singles" resume and business card for unattached people like yourself. Who knows, it might land you that dream job -- oops, I mean dream date -- you're looking for.