Everyday the employment news is getting bleaker: Bank of America Corp. announces it plans to reduce its workforce by 35,000 over the next three years, Office Depot Inc. puts 2,200 jobs on the chopping block, and Yahoo! Inc. terminated 1,500 people last Wednesday. In November alone, the U.S. Department of Labor said 533,000 American jobs were cut. Those numbers capture the jobs lost, but not the lives that have been broken.
Rene Syler, who was fired from her job as co-anchor at the CBS News Early Show two years ago, realized that within the ranks of unemployed workers there is a community waiting to be put to use. So, upon hearing the sting of fear and pain in yet another acquaintance who had been let go, Syler decided to start the social networking site Ivebeenlaidoff.ning.com.
“Having been there, I do understand and can relate to the hurt, shock, incredible disappointment and fear that people are going through,†says Syler, who launched the site Dec. 5.
The Department of Labor estimated earlier this month that 1.9 million jobs have expired since the beginning of the recession, which economist say began in December 2007. In the face of such a daunting outlook, Syler sought to establish an online environment for the unemployed to feel safe talking and venting, while sharing ideas, potential job offers, and advice. Eventually, she plans to address some of the practical aspects of looking for work.
Last week Syler posted a Q&A with Janet Taylor, a psychiatrist and the multicultural editor of BeWell.com, who discussed the stages of emotional devastation after losing a job.
“People are more apt to listen to info when it comes from someone who has been there instead of an ‘expert,’ †explains Syler. “You can get people who are on both sides of the coin. There are a number of people on the site who haven’t been laid off, but they are fearful or know that it could happen to them. The ones who are [unemployed] now can look to the ones who have been there to shepherd and guide them through.â€
Syler’s site could be very beneficial to those who need to talk out their experience with others as long as it is done in a way that is productive and it is not a pity party, says Annya Lott, careers editor for Black Enterprise.
“Clearly being unemployed right now is really scary. Seeking emotional help to work through the doubt, fear, and anxiety is really important,†says Lott. “So of course you want to update your resume and sharpen your interviewing skills, but all of the external stuff you do to get employed you also need to do internally.â€
Syler used ning.com, a do-it-yourself social network because the Ning template was easy to set up and the price was right–free. She plans to launch a dotcom later when she gets more time, but social networking sites are so popular it might not be necessary. LinkedIn, Plaxo, Ecademy and Ryze are a few of the more popular professional networking sites that help business people connect. With Ning, Syler was able to build a site that directly complimented her target audience–the unemployed.
The number of business professionals using social networking sites is increasing, found a survey conducted last July by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an outplacement consultancy group. About 10% of respondents said their companies view social networking sites as invaluable marketing, networking, and sales tools, according to the survey. In addition, about 22% of Americans use an online social networking site, up from just 7% in 2005, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
Since African Americans are less likely to seek professional help so online support groups might provide help indirectly, advises Lott.
“The hazards of venting on a social networking site can be a tremendous for future employment. A lot of people use Twitter, a micro-blogging site, to vent,†says Wayne Sutton, a social media strategist who started socialwayne.com to help industry leaders navigate the social media landscape.
Many sites like Twitter and LinkedIn are public and someone’s profile can be viewed from a simple Google search. And because of that Sutton cautions people to be careful about what they write in the wide open World Wide Web. If a user applies for a job, it can hurt them if that company sees that they dealt negatively with a layoff.
“An employer wants to know that they can trust that individual,†says Sutton who advises visitors to check the privacy status agreement to see how and where the content from a site will be used. “You do not own that content and that can be used against you,†he says. “You have to be careful. Participate in conversations and let people know your skillset. But there is a difference between reaching out for help and venting. I wouldn’t say anything on a social networking site that I would not say in public to an individual.â€
Visitors to sites like Ivebeenlaidoff.ning.com and similar sites can maximize the experience by keeping the following edicts in mind:
Protect your brand. “You should always be aware of what you are putting on line,†says Lott, who reported in the October issue of Black Enterprise that companies like Merrill Lynch and McDonald’s use LinkedIn and Facebook as a corporate recruiting tool. They also use it to weed out candidates.
Build a diverse network. A big part of the job search is contacts and networking, but networking comes in all different forms. You can build a network online that is just as strong as a corporate network. “You might be in one industry and someone might be in a different industry, but a social networking site helps bridge those gaps where you can help each other. You never know who has a job lead for you.â€
You still have something to give. “There are some dark days. I remember those. One day you’re feeling great. The next day you can’t get your head off the pillow. The next day you’re ready to conquer the world. Then another day you’re putting out a bunch of resumes and you’re not getting anything back,†says Syler.
However, in the long run Syler says she wants to encourage her visitors to remain positive and keep in mind that they are not the only ones who feel this way. “Understand that what you do [for a living] isn’t who you are,†she says. In the interim, those who are laid off can still make contributions to society by encouraging others and imparting their experiences.