8am on a dreary, rainy grey Wedenesday in a small corner of northern New Jersey.
Lots of trees past their peak as I look outside from a brightly lit Panera Bread breakfast nook. I'm sitting by a very fake but still enjoyable fireplace. The fog and drizzle cloak whatever is left of the trees' color.
I just backtracked 6 miles from the One Stop in the city of Dover, NJ to connect to Panera's wifi. Soon I'll spend a couple hours in conversation with 60 plus out of work professionals this morning.
Dover is in a time warp- less than hour and a half drive from where I live in central NJ (exit 9).
In stark contrast to the tacky, but cutting edge buildings, people and firms in the business and development corridors found around most of America's biggest cities, Dover is a speed bump in the twilight zone of progress.
The buildings here aren't new and they are definitely not "quaint". I mean they weren't new in 1960! I know that when I go into the industrial warehouse that encloses the local [un]employment office at 9am, I will see rotary phones. (I've been here before). A corner "Smoke Shop" with a large sign pointing to its check cashing services is busy down the block.
This is my third pro bono gig this month and it keeps me grounded..but no, not depressed at all. The people are bright, articulate and hungry. They soak up whatever you can offer and amazingly I learn more than I ever can give back simply by listening to their stories.
You can blog about Twitter, SM, Linkedin Google Wave, and Video interviews for hours but here these solid real life citizens haven't gotten around to reading any of those useful tomes because they really don't know where to look or how to make sense of what they read. They have questions the online community thinks were answered a decade ago.
They are seeking honest opinions and facts (without the sales pitch) about 21st century job hunting tactics. You won't find them on Twitter and their Linkedin profile leaves much to be desired... unless you first educate them on how to use them to be more competitive.
I'll bet there are speed bumps within an hour of most recruiters with folks just waiting for a helping hand.
| 4 comments
|
flag
