When you're job hunting, everyone has advice for you — most of which you should listen to, and then promptly dump out of your head. They mean well but often have no expertise in your career field or haven’t held a job in years. So what do you do when you're job hunting and need good advice?

Here are five places to start.

When job hunting, think before you cut lines of communication.

Image courtesy of Joshua Rappeneker via Flickr

1. Get involved with a group in your career field. I'm in marketing, and I'm involved with many local groups such as SPARK’s Marketing Roundtable, LA2M and the Ann Arbor Ad Club. These groups speak my language, and they often hear of jobs and share those jobs with me. Some jobs are hidden, and those are the best — less competition.

2. Network with groups not in your field. You'll learn something new every time you meet with them. Learning new things stimulates the brain, something you often miss while job hunting. One group I find priceless is Women's Exchange of Washtenaw. Their events are attended by a wide audience, and I always leave with information I can't get from a book or a website. Guys, you are welcome to attend as well — you might be in the minority, but your voice will add a different perspective.

3. Seek a mentor in your field. A mentor can help you clear the clutter out of your head. When you're seeking employment, the brain clutter builds easily. This is not the person that you dump your frustrations on. This is the person that helps you wrap your goals up, coaches you on job realities, and helps you focus. Once you've found a job, you should continue the mentor relationship if possible or seek out a new one. And when you're ready, become a mentor to someone else. I have mentored a few students over time, and it's been gratifying to watch them grow.

4. Join online groups in your field. LinkedIn is especially useful. Try to answer questions that others have, or just join the conversation. This activity also stimulates the brain, and you can make connections at the same time. Some groups I belong to on LinkedIn are Digital Marketing, EMU Alumni (don’t forget your alumni groups), the Michigan Job and Career Network, Motor City Connect and more.

5. This one might be the toughest: Learn to shut your mouth when someone gives you bad advice. Just move on and toss the advice out of your head. The next time, that person might have great advice or know of someone hiring, and then you should listen. Recently, someone sent me a job listing that was perfect for a neighbor of mine. If I had cut that “advice cord” in previous conversations, I would not have been able to pass the job along to him.

The bottom line: When you're unemployed, everyone will give you advice. Learn to be gracious and take it for whatever it's worth. Some advice will be useless, and other pieces will be true gems. The truth is that people care about you and that's why they offer information.

Kim Kachadoorian is also known as the "Geeky Marketer." She maintains a job-hunting blog Jobs in A2, as well as her Geeky Marketer Blog and website.