Looking for work? Join the club -- literally

In my last blog post, I mentioned how my friend Mark, laid off twice in the past year, is thinking about starting his own business. He's still on the fence about that, so he is keeping his options open by sending out his resume and networking as much as possible. But to keep his morale up, I suggested he join a "job club."

This came after reading a recent story in the Sacramento Business Journal about the Sacramento Professional Network, a job club that helps unemployed professionals network, write better résumés, improve interviewing skills and just keep the hope alive.

It's free to join (a donation of $1 per week for copying materials and paying guest speakers is suggested) and members meet weekly. Experienced professionals, employed or not, also volunteer their time to teach members writing, interviewing, computer and marketing skills. This Sacramento job club is sponsored by Experience Unlimited, a nonprofit that has job clubs throughout California and is sponsored by the state's Employment Development Department (let's hope its budget is not cut during California's fiscal fiascoes right now).