Mutual aid, self-help or peer support groups are based on the idea that people who deal with a similar life experience can bring a unique perspective to group members’ needs, and provide opportunities for self-expression, skill development, and increased confidence in the ability to deal more effectively with a specific life challenge.
With the recent trend of downsizing and layoffs, people are becoming increasingly worried about employment. Despite this, there are many support groups available which attempt to help people find employment. There is an 84% success rate of finding employment when the job search is conducted in groups, and the groups also help members tap into the hidden job market, which holds 80% of available jobs(1). Networking and job clubs help their members find resources, references, and opportunities by providing workshops, counselling, and support. Some of the groups meet weekly at a central location, others meet less frequently and conduct most of their activities via telephone and e-mail, or entirely online.
Job club meetings keep members on track by following an agenda and setting goals that can be accomplished in a seven-day period, while networking clubs assist their members to find references and ways into the hidden job market with those references. Both job clubs and networking clubs rely on their members to help each other in their job search, so everyone is an integral part of the process.
There are many groups to help with a job hunt, but these groups are usually divided by their focus. There are groups for women, newcomers, youth, and the general population. Most groups provide some form of counseling and advice, but each group offers something different. JobAngels is a group that allows one person to help another person find a job, and can be found on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and jobangels.org. Pink-Slip Parties are for downsized professionals, friends and recruiters to mingle and exchange business cards, held so far mostly in Toronto. LinkedIn is a social networking site that helps people find connections and references for employment opportunities, and job action centers help the unemployed in the manufacturing industry retrain.
Groups for the unemployed offer a variety of services, some of which include tutoring, business skills development, resource support, information about job fairs, guest speakers, help with finding appropriate interview clothing, free childcare, language classes, drop-in programs, and financial advice. In some cases, the groups are professionally led, while others are led by members.
(1.) http://www.job-hunt.org/hiddenjobmarket.shtml
Mutual Aid and Employment
What is a Mutual Aid Group?
A mutual aid group comes together to provide emotional/practical support and exchange knowledge, information and experience in dealing with a common situation or problem shared by all of the members. Because membership is voluntary, participants also take on responsibility for setting up, facilitating and sharing the group’s workload on a regular, ongoing basis, at little or no cost to the participants.
What are the benefits of a Mutual Aid Group for Employment?
Attending such a support group can benefit individuals in a number of ways, including:
n Participation: people offer ideas, make decisions, support and challenge others’ thinking, and share fears and successes, while building an effective group where everyone has something to contribute;
n Problem solving: members practice turning building blocks into stepping stones by breaking down common barriers and deciding how to address each one;
n Researching job market info: individuals share information about the hidden job market, how and when to apply online, and ways to protect personal information while doing so;
n Helping with resumes: members share resumes and practice the art of giving feedback;
n Practicing interview skills: participants can role-play interviews to be more comfortably prepared and to better understand the soft skills employers are looking for beyond the requirements of a particular job;
n Learning transferable job skills: since members run the group, everyone becomes acquainted with facilitation and membership skills, both of which are transferrable to any job;
n Increasing personal empowerment: members sense of empowerment about tackling a problem, breaking it down into its components parts, setting reachable goals and evaluating the results is enhanced through an ongoing support system based on shared values and common goals.
For additional resources and information:www.selfhelp.on.ca See under Find a Group + In the Toronto Area for examples of various types and approaches to groups focused on employment;
www.job-hunt.org under Job Search Networking provides generic advice & tips;
www.quintcareers.com/job_club.html offers an excellent article entitled “For Networking and Support, Join or Start a Job Club” by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.