Sounds good, right? Since I’ve been unemployed (10 mos. now), I’ve become an expert at a lot of intangible skills not usually found on a resume, as I’m sure you have too. One of those I’ve found is the ability to find great places for cheap coffee and free public wi-fi in New York. It’s a common problem for us jobseekers – it’s important to get out of the house and socialize with people, but it can often be at direct odds with the equally common fear of spending money. However, it’s critically important to keep your network active. One of the ways to do this is to contact them to “catch up”. When doing so, I’ve learned to propose coffee instead of drinks. Not only does it start the day as I usually do brewing my coffee at my home ‘office’, it’s less likely that the person will cancel as emergencies can come up at the end of a work day (you remember how that can be), a convenient place can be found, and is easy on the pocketbook. And here’s a tip: always offer to pay for the other person’s coffee, as they will remember the meeting in a more positive light. I’ve found I don’t have to leave my job search process behind, just to leave the apartment and get coffee.

I pride myself on being a very resourceful person and now have a personal list of places in various sections of the boroughs that I can call upon for a coffee meeting, and continue to use their free wi-fi to job hunt with my laptop. I found websites such as openwifispots and cupofnyc helpful as a starting point.

*You work where? The LES?* I have the perfect place you’ll love that makes Zen tea and vegan treats.

*You flew in from LA, your hotel’s by Union Square, but your NY office is in Midtown? *I’ll come to you, and know a hip place that’s right by the subway.

*You start your morning in Astoria, but don’t know anything around the area? *No problem, I’ll find a place close by you.

It’s all about finding the right match for your client (in this case, the person you’re catching up with over coffee) and getting the job done, an important skill your future employer will appreciate. Right now, I’m typing this as I sit in a conveniently-located hotel which has the trifecta - free public wi-fi in the plush lobby, a Starbucks counter, and no loud music being played or distracting conversations. Now I can grab my coffee, contact my network to meet up, make good use of my multi-tasking time in a big comfy chair (Monty Python fans, insert joke here), and work hard to GET A JOB!

- By Jeff Fryer, Member of The 405 Club and a well-caffeinated LinkedInuser.