JobAngels to the Rescue!

Job Angels to the Rescue!

Job seekers! Help is on the way!
Job seekers, meet JobAngels.

JobAngels is a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to help the job seeker find his/her next opportunity. All of JobAngels’ services are provided by volunteers, so there is no cost to the job seeker. The main goal is for each member to help just one job seeker find employment, it’s that simple.

Amazingly enough, I met Charee Klimek, Job Angels’ Chief Marketing Officer, via Twitter. We started communicating back and forth, hence this blog post was born! Charlie’s Angels have officially been replaced. So let’s meet Charee and her angels!

Q) How did JobAngels get started?

A) Jobangels got started through a random and thoughtful act of kindness by Mark Stelzner, Founder of JobAngels. Mark is an HR consultant in Washington DC and big Twitter user. It was the week of January 26, 2009, which was particularly rough with a record number of layoffs, when Mark sent out a tweet (message on Twitter) about how wonderful it would be if we could assist someone in getting a job today. On January 29, 2009, Mark sent his tweet to his network asking how we can help someone in our sphere of influence land a job. From there, JobAngels was born!

Q) From your website, www.jobangels.org, I see you are on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  What drove JobAngels to these social networks?

A) JobAngels got started on Twitter. Even before we put up our website (community coming soon!), we used Twitter’s search feature and created the #jobangels tag so people can post jobs, resources, job seekers and other information in a readable thread. This went completely viral!

We are on Facebook and LinkedIn since these social networking sites are the most heavily utilized. It’s all about getting the word out. The JobAngels’ network has expanded so vastly in just 45 days. We have 3800 followers on Twitter, 1100 friends on Facebook, more than 1200 connections on LinkedIn.

Q) How has using social networking helped JobAngels?

A) The community has truly been the driver for our rapid growth. This has evolved purely by word of mouth and people wanting to hep other people. Social networking has been the method in which we interact real time with our networks, job seekers and our volunteer JobAngels.

In fact, the JobAngels’ website is about to change dramatically. Right now, it is a static page, but we are launching our own community very soon. It will be like a cross between LinkedIn and Match.com. There will be a profile registration feature for the job seeker and our JobAngels (volunteers). Paired with smart matching functionality, people can be matched inside or outside of their designated vertical.

Q) What advise to you give job seekers in this treacherous job market?

A) The apply, apply, apply model no longer works. Companies are still hiring, but may not be advertising these posting heavily since layoffs are still happening. So networking is absolutely critical to the job search and JobAngels can help you to expand it.

Companies are also getting overwhelmed by resumes, so getting lost in the shuffle is common. Using social networking can help build your network. Of course, it is wise to build your network before you need it too!

Q) What direction do you give jobseekers about using social networking for job hunting strategies?

A) Networking is the most critical step job seeker can take, especially in this job market. Social networking plays a big a part of that. We are finding many who are new to Twitter and often provide mini coaching 1:1 to get them comfortable or need some technical assistance. We also recommend job seekers join the JobAngel networks on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Q) How can the Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter communities help JobAngels?

A) We have already had such an amazing response from people who have been so instrumental to JobAngels’ success. Many professionals including resume writers and career coaches have donated their time to assist the job seekers. And all operations are voluntary. We are also in the process of being established as a non-profit organization so staying true to our job seekers at a no cost model is very important to us.

So there you go! Pay it forward! Continue getting the word out about JobAngels and help us help those who need jobs. Use #jobangels tag on Twitter. Volunteers, partnerships and sponsorships would be a huge help to us.

The JobAngels’ story is a touching one. Especially with how bare bones the job market is in this economy, JobAngels is a bright spot for many. So let’s help our friends at JobAngels out! Spread the word, volunteer, post a job or resource, or sponsor this great organization. Visit them at http://www.jobangels.org today!