10 "next steps" for unemployed, creative professionals

There shouldn't be any secrets about what creative agencies look for when they search for talent. In fact, all companies should publish blogs describing, in great detail, what type of individual they look for, and exactly what candidates need to do to land a job (or a career). Distinguish yourself from other candidates by being innovative, demonstrating subject matter expertise, and being entrepreneurial in the pursuit of employment. It also doesn't hurt to be proactive, accessible, and energetic, when cultivating your professional persona, conducting your career search, and meeting with prospective employers.

The following are concrete steps to take to build credibility and increase the likelihood of landing a great job. 

1. Identify professional goals and obstacles to achieving them - Wage war on unemployment by taking a strategic, methodical approach. You've taken great pains to plan killer strategies for your clients, why wouldn't you give yourself your own "A" game? Begin by identifying what makes you happy, professionally. Where would you like to work? What would you aspire to do? What kind of lifestyle do you want? Once you've answered these questions, begin outlining an approach to achieving your goals. You'll need to understand what obstacles lie in your path. Do you need an advanced degree? Do you have to move? What kinds of skills do you need to acquire? Write down all conceivable obstacles. In the end, you'll have a chart outlining what you need to do to achieve your ultimate career objectives. Begin your "barrier removal plan" by prioritizing your list of action items to removing career barriers. Grab a calendar and start planning milestones and deadlines. You'll feel more confident when you wake up every morning, marching towards an objective that removes another barrier in your path to achieving your professional aspirations.

2. Finish, publish, and promote your online portfolio - Obviously, now is the time to be very promotional about your experience and subject matter expertise. Take the time to finish your online portfolio, so that it is easily accessible as a link in an email, blog post, or tweet. Accompany your work samples with case studies to illustrate how you helped businesses achieve real results. Provide easy ways for interested parties to contact you. You are less likely to land an interview if you aren't prepared to show some real work samples or deliverables.

3. Read industry news/blogs - An overwhelming amount of industry information and intelligence is accessible daily, via every conceivable digital channel (TV, web, mobile, alerts, email, etc.). Stay up-to-date, and make reading industry news a part of your daily routine.

4. Develop and document points-of-view on relevant industry topics - Now that you are "plugged in" to the latest industry trends, begin formulating point-of-views on relevant topics. Write-down your thinking and reinforce your theses with secondary, market research. Go to slideshare.com to research relevant topics. The more you gather informed opinions on industry trends, the more you will be able to engage and hold relevant conversations with prospective employers.

5. Start blogging - Good writing skills are important to advancing your career as a Creative professional. Develop this skill by reading, and eventually, writing, your own blog posts. Since you documented your points-of-view on various industry trends (step 4), you'll have plenty to write about. Blogging can help you generate content that will be indexed on Google, so your name is more likely to appear in relevant search results. Blogging will also enable you to update your social media profiles, especially Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.

6. Publish an article or two - While blogging can help you increase your likelihood to appear in relevant, industry searches, publishing an article in a relevant, industry trade can help you to boost your professional credibility. Make sure any published articles are linked to from your online portfolio, as well as your social media profiles. Mention published articles in conversations with prospective employers.

7. Design and execute a social media strategy to increase your social influence - Some may view being overly self-promotional as a negative personality trait, but, guess what? That's exactly what you need to do to distinguish yourself from others looking to land your perfect job. Make sure employers know that you understand how to market yourself in the most contemporary fashion. Be sure to execute a well-planned social media strategy that is targeted to getting your point-of-view, writing samples, and industry expertise noticed by prospective employers. With your online portfolio and contact information acting as your "point-of-conversion," begin blogging and micro-blogging to develop interest in your points-of-view. Make sure to link to your online portfolio frequently, for more information, or to learn how to get in touch with you. Insert Google analytic tags in your blog, so that you can see which social media platform refers the most traffic to your online portfolio.

8. Attend relevant industry conferences - Since industry conferences tend to be expensive, try to identify the ones with the most relevant "foot-traffic." Get 100 business cards printed, and aim to hand them out after having meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals. Make sure your business cards have your social media and online portfolio URLs printed on them. Don't forget to collect the cards of the professionals who might be most influential in your future career. When you are back from the conference, write a follow-up email to each person you met. Try to keep in touch with these contacts. The goal is to expand your professional network, and get your name out there.

9. Follow and "Direct Message" hiring managers at target companies on Twitter - The beauty of Twitter is that it has the potential to create a direct linkage between you and hiring managers of companies that you want to work for. Stay connected with these companies, and network with their managers, by seeking them out and following them on Twitter. Engage them in conversations about the medium in order to illustrate your subject matter expertise, even before you have an opportunity to land an interview. You can present a different viewpoint as long as it doesn't come off as emotional or antagonistic

10. Be accessible and open  - Even though you've developed a unique point-of-view (step 4), blogged about it (step 5), published it (step 6), and promoted it across social media channels (step 7), it doesn't mean you should close your mind to other points-of-view. Being Creative means doing things differently. Try to listen to other points-of-view, and adopt other people's wisdom, in order to evolve your thinking and maximize your social, and professional, influence.