Great group at The Hamilton Public Library last week thanks to Katie and Nick DeVito of NJ Unemployed. It was interesting as we looked at my topic, “What’s Stopping You From Landing the Job You Want?” to see a range of reactions. At one end of the spectrum was anger and discouragement, and on the other end, excitement about a new venture. And of course everything in between.

Age seems to be a big issue that I hear about in almost every talk I give, so here’s my quick take. Make sure you’re up-to-date in your field and demonstrate the flexibility and enthusiasm of younger job seekers. Use your physical skills: posture, gesture, voice, and facial expression to communicate that you are excited about your work, not just looking for a paycheck. And be with it in terms of social media, especially LinkedIn, as this will help you come across as contemporary and trainable.

Rule number one: get out of the house and attend meetings like this one. You’ll make new friends, get energized and have the chance to help someone else. And it’s a healthy break from surfing the net. Lastly, whenever I attend a meeting, I set a quota for myself so that I don’t talk only to the people I know. I usually make myself meet three to five new people–even if it’s just a “hello.” Try this and you’ll find that others appreciate it and your network will continue to grow.