Why start a job club? [May 2010]

Why Start a Job Club?
Many of you have job clubs in place or want to start one. Here are a few tips that can help you re-energize your current job club, or start a new one. It's common knowledge that the best way to find a job is through networking, and a job club cannot only enable job seekers to expand their network of contacts, but also serve as a support group. The empathy and encouragement provided by supportive peers can be a source of inspiration to the group.
Benefits
Offers Flexible Format
A job club's membership might be a group of people who have lost their jobs due to downsizing from the same company, friends who live in the same community, homemakers seeking to return to work after raising families, unemployed new college grads -- or a group of individuals whose only link may be the need or desire to find a new job.
Overcomes Isolation
People who are energized by social situations and tend to put off the sometimes lonely task of job-hunting will likely benefit from a job club. Those who are shy, insecure, or ashamed of having lost a job can get help from other job club members in overcoming these barriers. Job club membership can also prevent the depression that sometimes sets in during a prolonged job search.
Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the classic What Color is Your Parachute? and a strong proponent of job-seeking support groups, notes an 84 percent success rate when job-search techniques are conducted in groups, compared with a 69 percent rate when the same techniques are followed individually.
Promotes Success Through Peer Support
Job clubs can be a critical tool for people looking for work in a difficult economy, particularly white collar workers. They can provide people who are unemployed, under-employed, or would like to make a career change with a safe place to gain information, get insight from peers and professionals, and learn skills necessary to finding work. Job clubs also provide individuals with tips and contacts that can speed up the process of finding another job.
Additional Information
You can find additional resources on organizing a job club and networking techniques by visiting the following websites: www.Job-Hunt.org and www.CareerOneStop.org

Organizing a Job Club
How can you organize or re-energize a job club? It can take as little as a few hours to a couple of days to form and coordinate the first meeting. The following tips may help you plan and organize your own job club:
Get The Word Out
Ideally, job clubs should have at least 8 to 12 members. Any fewer reduces the diversity of experience and perspective. Also, not everyone must be unemployed. Some may have jobs, but are looking for better opportunities. You can start looking for possible job club members by visiting your local Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) Career Center and letting them know your interest in starting a job club. The career center can be an excellent source of potential job club members.
Invite Individuals To Consider Joining
It is important to have clear goals for members so they can determine if this job club is the right fit for them. You may request a minimum time commitment of an hour per week for a month. The group can adjust as appropriate. You may want to create a job club agreement that outlines the expectations and goals for it's members.
Choose A Convenient Meeting Time And Location
Meeting weekly is ideal because it enables the club to maintain momentum. Everyone has a different schedule, so the group must determine when and where the group can meet. Convenient meeting locations may include a career center, public library, local coffee shop, or a church meeting space. Be sure to remember that meeting locations should be accessible to everyone, including members with disabilities.
Assign A Captain
It is typically easier for one person to assume responsibility for the overall coordination of meetings and activities. The leadership role or captain may be shared or rotated among members.
Name Your Club
Every great club has a name to define its mission, and this club should be no different. The name should reflect your collective personalities and goals. Names can be as fun or as serious as the group decides.
Materials To Bring
It is suggested that each member maintain a dedicated notebook of all job club activities, and be prepared to record assignments, job leads, and other important job search information. Each member's notebook should include current copies of their rsum and business cards. Additionally, it is important that if needed, materials can be presented in alternate formats, such as large print, closed captioning, or audio description.
Invite Guests And Experts
After the first couple of meetings, you may decide to invite special guests that the group feels would add value to the mission of the job club. For example, a member of the local Chamber of Commerce might agree to speak, a past member who successfully got employed through Georgia Work$, or a local business leader might review the group's rsums. You may need to schedule additional time for a special guest to present or conduct an activity.
Track Your Progress
At each meeting, attendees should share a specific accomplishment from the previous week. The club captain should keep track of these accomplishments, and, at intervals, how much progress has been made.
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