(Part 1 is here)
So you've got your mailing list, message board, what have you to help your fellow fans, geeks, and otaku find work. So the next question is what are you going to do with it.
Hopefully, people will take to the list and start talking, networking, and connecting. But you can't always be sure it'll work out between shyness, busy life issues, general differences, and not-sure-where-to-start. Then again, why take chances. So here's some pointers for how to get it going – and keep it going.
Getting It Going:
- Ask people to introduce themselves. Have them note name, current/past job, job goal, location, and any notes.
- Ask people to share their favorite job search resources. Put these on the group website, newsletter, or on some resource page.
- Ask people to give their best job search advice or past result.
- Encourage people to end any posts with a question like "what do you think", etc. It encourages feedback.
- Remember you come based out of fandom, shared interests, etc. – encourage people to exchange their inspirations and interests in careers.
What People should Do:
- Encourage people to help each other network, and to network appropriately. This may be challenging, but it is, obviously, the point of the group.
- Have people connect on LinkedIn and similar social media to use each other's networks.
- Encourage people to ask questions – and to give answers – about their searches.
- People should note any interests they have in given companies or industries, so people can introduce them to relevant contacts.
- Everyone should share their job tool experiences.
- Have the resume of everyone on the list available.
- Share success stories.
- Share ways to relate interests to careers.
Keeping It Going:
- Have weekly status reports. Don't make them required, unless you're truly sure that's needed (say if the list is more discipline/mentor-oriented). Take the lead yourself.
- Have specific day-based events. Such as "this is the day we post new resources" or "this is when we share our strangest stories".
- Encourage people to send relevant news down the list.
- Bring in guest posts.
- Assign people on a rotating basis to do certain things like find or gather new resources, etc.
- Do regular reviews of resumes and cover letters.
Let me know what else works for you!