Having grown up on a farm in Minnesota, we always took care of our neighbors & helped them when we could. When I saw this effort from the LinkedMN group I was so impressed with the concept. The recession is going to hit many families. I’m sharing this for two reasons:

  1. To help the LinkedMinnesota group spread the word of their efforts
  2. To inspire others to create similar types of programs – what can you do with your social media skills to help others?

I’m proud of their efforts and am thinking that it’s worthy of an award.

Project: Link It Forward 

A project to help the unemployed find new leads and opportunities
Please read this email and forward to your friends, family and contacts
Minnesota unemployment rates skyrocketed in November. 7500 people have been laid off in the month of November!
As an active member of LinkedIn, in the past few weeks I’ve received many calls and emails from people asking for my assistance in regards to their job search. I want to help everyone…fortunately I have a business to run and there are only 24 hours in a day. I have been successful with networking and I want to share that knowledge with those that are faced with tough times in today’s economy and especially around the holiday season. 
That is how Project: Link It Forward came to life. My name is Lisa Hendrickson, owner of Call That Girl! and I want to help. 
http://www.callthatgirl.biz/projectlinkitforward.html

What will the project do?
Myself and other LinkedIn volunteers will conduct free workshops on how to use the tools that can lead you to more contacts and connections to help with your job search. LinkedIn is the number one professional networking directory and it’s free to use. We will also teach you many other tips and tricks to help you find leads on the jobs you’re looking for. 
The old days of scouring Monster and CareerBuilder are over. These days, the best way to get your next job is to know people. People can and will help if you ask for it. Asking is free, helping is free. Most people are willing to help you if you ask.

Project: Link It Forward 
…Is a one-hour overview of how to use LinkedIn to help you with your search for your next position or obtain good leads. This is not a training session on how to use LinkedIn. 
You must have a completed profile to qualify. Your LinkedIn profile will be reviewed after you sign up. If you do not pass the qualifiers, you may be asked to complete your profile and then sign up again. The reason for this is that HR and hiring managers are "Googling" you as much as you are Googling them… and your LinkedIn profile does show up in Google, so it’s best to have a completed profile before using the project to assist you. 

Qualifiers:

  • Anyone who is currently out of work, laid off or has been looking for a job
  • Your profile must show you are not currently employed
  • Your profile should not show that you are a consultant or consulting
  • Your profile should look like you are a seriously looking for work
  • TIP: the more contacts you have, the better your results will be

If you feel you need more information on how to use Linkedin, as part of our regular services we offer workshops. Please see http://www.callthatgirl.biz/linkedinworkshops.html

How do I sign up?

Please visit the website for sign up information, location, and course times. 
http://www.callthatgirl.biz/projectlinkitforward.html
Questions? Email us at projectlinkitforward@gmail.com

How can you help?
Please forward this email your friends, family and colleagues to insure unemployed folks are aware of "Project: Link it forward". 
Feel free to forward the website: 
http://www.callthatgirl.biz/projectlinkitforward.html

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So what do you think? What skills do you have that you could share with job seekers? Could you volunteer at a local workforce center? Offer a community ed course on social networking at a local library or school?