Supporting your Friend’s Job Search
By: 
Date: 09/25/2018
The most important part of being a good friend is supporting them in their toughest times, such as a seemingly endless job search. Furthermore, studies have found that social support can lessen the damaging effects of stress. While there are different ways to support a friend, certain support is better for some friends than others. It is crucial to be receptive to the needs of your friend and which form of support benefits them the most. Here are the best ways to support your friend’s job search.
Informative Support
If your friend doesn’t have much experience looking for a job or if you both work in the same field, then informational support would help them a great deal!
Do’s:
- Do write a genuine and quality endorsement on their LinkedIn profile if you worked with them.
- Do keep an eye out for personal job connections you have or job postings you come across.
Don’ts:
- Don’t overbear them with information and advice! Job searches are difficult enough without someone breathing down your neck.
- Remember their job search might look different than yours and that’s okay!
- Don’t micromanage their job search. It’s their job search, not yours and your friend needs to learn what works best for themselves.
Emotional Support
Uplifting your friends is one of the most important parts of being a friend. You should offer emotional support in all circumstances, but especially if it’s been a long job search for your friend.
Do’s:
- Do encourage them to not give up and remind them of their good qualities when they are down.
- Do be available to them and actively listen to how they are feeling.
Don’ts:
- Don’t ask for job search updates excessively. Until they get a job, you basically know the answer to “how’s your job search going?”
- Continuously asking will stress them out even more.
Social Companionship
Spending time with friends and doing fun activities can reduce immediate stress, while also fulfilling the basic human need for companionship. 
Do’s:
- Do remind them to take time to do something for themselves. Taking a mental break from a job search is important in managing stress.
- Some people are more inclined to take a break if they are with a friend.
Don’ts:
- Don’t take them away from their job search for too long or they won’t find a job!
The best rule of thumb when wondering how to support your friend is to think what you would need during a job search. If you are still completely lost on how to help them, just ask! Moreover, if you need an extra friend, “Let’s Eat, Grandma” has your back! We can polish your resume to perfection and relieve some job search stress!
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/19261005_Stress_Social_Support_and_the_Buffering_Hypothesis
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2136616?seq=10#metadata_info_tab_contents