Holiday gifts for job seekers

Does your holiday gift list include someone who is out of work? With the national unemployment rate hovering at 6 percent, it would be surprising if your answer was no.
The trouble with giving gifts to people in a job search is that you usually can't give them the one thing they really want -- a job.
You can give them books and videotapes to help them in the job hunt, but is that rubbing it in? It can't be much fun to get a r & eacute;sum & eacute; book while everyone else is unwrapping new sweaters and games.
Gift certificates
Thoughtfully selected gift certificates can make a nice middle ground. For example, while everyone needs a haircut now and then, job seekers must look their best all the time. Bring on the salon gift certificate. Likewise, job seekers can have a disproportionate need for cell-phone minutes. If you know the phone service your job seeker uses, you can purchase payment coupons or downloadable minutes.
But even these gifts, thoughtful as they are, can sting. They remind your friend or relative of their difficult situation. And, since being jobless has likely hurt the person's economic position, one may feel awkward to receive a gift that can't be reciprocated.
So what to do? If job search books and gift certificates are out, what's left?
First, I don't wish to suggest ignoring those helpful ideas. Such gifts can be a practical reminder of your concern, and a very real help to someone in need. If you've been out of work yourself, you know how isolating unemployment is, and how welcome a thoughtful present can be.
Battling isolation
But isolation is the real problem, not a lack of material goods. Think about it: What is your job seeker doing all day while you're at work? If he or she is like most unemployed people, the bulk of the day is spent alone, tracking down leads on the Internet or calling employers.
Or worse, the day is spent not job searching at all, for reasons ranging from discouragement to a lack of ideas.
I don't mean to paint a picture of every job seeker as a lonely down-and-outer sitting on the couch. In fact, the day may hold a number of activities, including job interviews and support sessions with other job seekers.
It's just that so much of this activity is related to being out of work, and is spent in the company of other people who are out of work. Would it surprise you to know that what your job seeker misses the most is the feeling of being a normal part of society?
You may not be able to return that kind of peace of mind to your friend or family member, but you can at least offer the gift of everyday friendship.
The gift of time
Whatever you purchase this year, add one more item to your list: time. Here are a few ways to offer your presence now and throughout the year:
UCall your job seeker every couple of weeks, if not more often, and ask how things are going. Don't ask about the job search; just say you were thinking of him or her and wanted to touch base.
UWhen you are scheduled for a business or social event that welcomes guests, invite your friend to join you, especially if it will be free of charge.
UWhat are you doing for lunch? If you were going to have a sandwich at your desk, ask your friend to make a sandwich and meet you somewhere.
UDo you have other friends your job seeker would enjoy meeting? Host a potluck or game night and get everyone together just to laugh for a while.
UMeet your job seeker for a walk before or after your workday.
You can think of more and better ideas for spending time with your friend or loved one. The main thing is to do it. He or she needs the connection to the work world almost as much as the friendship itself.
Just don't spend your time together trying to steer his or her job search. That's what work force centers and career counselors are for.
You are one of the few people who can offer friendship to this person when it's most needed. So just be a friend, and let him or her be a friend in return.
Happy holidays.
XAmy Lindgren, the owner of a career-consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn., can be reached at alindgrenpioneerpress.com.