I've had a number of conversations with friends who are facing job transitions, most of them unemployed. Through this process I've compiled 3 things that I have done and received extremely good feedback from my friends. The purpose of this article is simple, to share a formula that you can use to help friends (or yourself!) if a jobless situation occurs. If you'd rather just listen, I have a podcast at the bottom of this post. Step #1 Information Gathering I ask my friends about their situation, specifically:

1. What kind of work do they do.
2. What kind of work would they like to do.
3. Where would they like to work.

I then use that information to make constructive suggestions based on my own personal experience and the activity within my network. I also make sure that I am very supportive of them to try to embolden them to drive hard to the finish line (find a job that they will love!). Step #2 I know this person that.... I then look at my network and think about who I know that might be able to help them. I make virtual introductions usually via Email and offer to help facilitate a connection. I'll follow that up with another communication in a week or two and ask if they were able to connect and if that person was able to help them. The top person on my list that I refer people to is my neighbor and friend JP McDermott. JP has done a lot of outreach with people that are in these transitional situations. JP has a career coaching column at examiner.com. Step #3 Support Being jobless during a bad economic time with high unemployment is not a happy place to be. Step 3 for me is simple, I do everything I can to be supportive of my friend who is searching. I write encouraging comments on blog or social media posts they make, I re-tweet some of their key tweets, or I just send little follow up messages to encourage them. Mind you this is emerging opportunity, I don't setup a schedule and I don't do this equally with all of my friends. You can do this, anyone can do this. I know there are jobs out there sometimes it's just about getting the right people together. The sooner these jobs are filled with the right candidate the more quickly that company and the employee can start building an economically viable relationship. The net result is we all win. I hope you find this useful, please share your stories and tips.