By Paul Cecala, GCDF, 2/27/2026
This is the fourth and final of a blog series, “Take Control of Your Job Search Loneliness” with excerpts from Paul Cecala’s upcoming book!
I was working with a client, who after seven months of struggling with loneliness and lack of motivation, reached out to me. One of my first recommendations was for him to take part in a job seeker networking group I co-facilitated. At the third meeting he attended the guest speaker was an amazing executive recruiter who upon hearing his 30-second introduction said, “you need to call me later today. I have a job for you.” Two weeks later he was interviewed and a month later he was employed.
There are a variety of different networking groups to aid and support job seekers. This article comes from a chapter in an upcoming book of mine entitled, Take Control of Your Job Search Loneliness, due out in April 2026.
3 Different Types of Job Seeker Networking and Support Groups
Over the 20 years of my career as a professional coach, I have found 3 primary types of networking or support groups for job seekers. Each has its distinct advantages and disadvantages as well as specific purpose.
I often recommend clients attend a mix of these groups based on several factors. These include:
What is your goal for attending the group today? Be sure to have a clear reason for spending your valuable time with this group.
- Is the speaker’s topic important to you? You want to learn something that will support your job search success.
- Can you make a good networking connection with a recruiter or attendee? Have a plan for who you want to connect with and why.
These are just a few goals you might set for attending. But always attend a group with a specific goal in mind; otherwise, you may just be filling time with activity rather than moving your job search toward an interview and ultimately getting hired.
The 3 types of groups are:
1. Therapeutic/General Support Groups
This would be a more traditional style of “group therapy” or “support group” offering. There is a place for it if you want to vent or need counseling to help with deeper emotional issues getting in the way of your job and job search. There are some that primarily or solely admit job seekers into the group. Often, ideas for helping move the job search forward come out of the conversations. But the primary focus is to help the participants with emotional issues not necessarily job search techniques.
Again, be sure there is substantial value coming from the group for the time you spend attending. There is a time and place in one’s life where such a group may be necessary. If so, take advantage and attend.
2. Speakers Groups
The general format for these groups is that everyone gathers for a time to network. Then there will be a formal presentation by an expert on a topic related to job search. They are often educational in nature providing valuable firsthand experience on current trends in job search. I suggest people attend no more than 1 per week, preferably 1 per month. The key is to attend when the topic is of interest to you, or you know there is an attendee that you want to meet. An example of a group near me in New Jersey is https://www.psgofmercercounty.org/.
3. Strategic Work Search Teams
A Strategic Work Search Team (SWST) is a small group of people that meet regularly to share the status of each other’s search and offer best practices to resolve any issues individuals may be having with their search. They also can be a real motivating boost when you have reached a goal!
Strategic Work Search Teams meet less often than Work Search Buddies (See the 2nd article in this series for more details). Where buddies ideally meet every business day, teams meet weekly or bi-weekly. However, teammates will usually make time for each other between meetings if questions arise. It is this kind of support that makes job search less lonely.
This group (my favorite type!) differs from the speaker’s style in that each participant gets a period of time (usually about 1-2 minutes) to share their current job search status including their recent challenge (What is keeping you from success since our last meeting?). Then the group spends about 10 minutes brainstorming solutions to the person’s challenge. There is usually a facilitator (often a career coach) who keeps the conversation going. Everyone gets a chance to gain guidance from the group. The whole concept is that together the group has the answers and knows, from their individual experiences, what works; so, you all learn from each other.
I strongly encourage people to find a good Strategic Work Search Team and attend it regularly because you can get real-world guidance from others in the thick of their own job search. They often meet weekly or every 2 weeks.
It is important that neither of the latter two groups become gripe or venting sessions. Their purpose is clear and defined to provide you with the assistance needed to move your job search forward. Griping or venting is best done in therapy groups or with members of your Work Search Council.
I support and co-facilitate 3 groups of this type right now:
- Executives In Job Transition open to any professional in job search
- The YoJo Club for job seekers under 30 years old
- OUTStanding Careers Group for members of the LGBTQ+ community to safely seek help
All these meets monthly via video conference. To take part in any of these, please reach out to me directly for the link.
Get the value or don’t go!
For all these groups, only attend if you are getting value from them. One of your most precious commodities during job search is time. It is the only resource you cannot get back once it’s gone. Also, some groups meet in-person, some are virtual (via Zoom or the like) and some are set up to do both. Many that offer a virtual meeting part allow participation without regard to geographic limitations.
One more caution about all these groups
They are just one part of an overall job search strategy. While they do offer value, they will not, in and of themselves, get you job opportunities. “Networking” – proactively seeking hiring managers to speak with, and (to a much lesser extent) applying to jobs are the activities that will get you interviews. Interviews get you jobs. Use these group resources appropriately to help you do more and better networking, and interviewing.
The Fourth Type of Networking Group!
I would be remiss if I did not mention one additional type of networking opportunity – one that may be the most beneficial of all – Professional, Industry, and Alumni Associations. The goal of networking is to gain access to hiring authorities for the roles you want. Where to best find those hiring authorities or people who can introduce you to them than at the places where they go to network. And where do they often network? The professional and industry associations for your field or their alumni associations.
I strongly encourage all my clients to attend at least one association event or meeting every month, one per week is even better if you are meeting more and different people at each.
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About Paul Cecala
Paul Cecala, a Global Career Developmental Facilitator (GCDF) certified career coach, is a principal at Cecala Career Consultants with decades of experience as a career coach helping individuals with finding career success. He has taught over 500 seminars and workshops on conducting successful job searches. Mr. Cecala can be reached at pcecala@cecalacareer.com . Follow him at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cecala-career-consultants.
Paul Cecala can help you navigate to your success. Learn more about his services here.
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