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- Professionals In Transition CyberChapter Development
Professionals In Transition CyberChapter Development
Voting Summary (Elevator Pitch):
Nearly 15 million US workers are un-, under-, or unhappily employed at any given time. PIT CyberChapters will use the internet’s networking capabilities to help members find employment faster and reduce personal and family trauma.
Supporting organization:
Professionals In Transition Support Group, Inc (non-profit)
URL:
jobsearching.org
City:
Winston-Salem
State/Region:
NC
Country:
USA
Project Vision Statement & Potential Social Impact:
The globalization of American business has been rapid, massive, and devastating to individuals and communities alike. At any given time there are over 15 million unemployed, underemployed and unhappily employed people in the US, many of whom have given up on finding a good job again. Family disintegration, rapidly rising bankruptcy rates and home foreclosures are examples of the enormous costs of the lack of consistent services available to anyone who loses a job.
For the past 15 years, Professionals In Transition has been a volunteer organization dedicated to helping the unemployed and underemployed, regardless of job type or pay grade, providing emotional and educational support and social and career networking and advice. Our members find us through our website: jobsearching.org and through our physical chapters in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC. However, the demand for PIT’s services nationwide has risen significantly and has outpaced our ability to deliver them. Every month we receive over 50,000 hits on our website and 15-20 requests for new chapters from across the US, and we see an opportunity to expand our outreach by using the technological and networking advances of the internet.
Our goal is to use the power of social networking to create PIT CyberChapters throughout the country, linking individuals within both geographic and professional communities. Effective networking is the single-most important element in a successful job search, and our CyberChapters will create new talent communities where they don’t currently exist, generating powerful forums for the exchange of support, education, and job leads. This will enable us to expand our services and reach the increasing number of people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without a job, without adequate financial resources, and without substantive local, state or federal support.
Sustainability (financial) model:
PIT is currently in the process of migrating from a volunteer organization to low-fee memberships, providing us with a much more reliable source of funds and removing the need to apply for foundation grants year after year. Joining PIT will make members and their families eligible for a wide variety of resources ranging from detailed information on the grieving process to expert resume’ advice. PIT membership will also provide access to our CyberChapters, secure job postings, webinars and reduced prices on podcasts and life coaching programs. Opportunities also exist for partnerships with potential employers and employment organizations who value PIT's approach.
Potential obstacles:
Our largest obstacle is the social isolation that encompasses the suddenly unemployed. A powerful sense of guilt and embarrassment often prevents them from seeking help, even when it is available.
Another obstacle involves changing PIT from a volunteer non-profit to a membership-based one. A percentage of eligible members will resist joining due to financial concerns, but membership fees will be low and service quality high.
Third is the presence of a wide variety of online job search sites. Unemployment assistance is available, but scattered. PIT will provide this information under one reliable, trusted site.
Resource Needs:
To accomplish our goal of creating a re-employment network and revising and upgrading our website, we project a cost of $135,000. PIT is seeking an online partner to assist us with the creation of our CyberChapter network, and we are now creating a full and comprehensive curriculum that focuses on information for dealing with the grief associated with job loss and further development of a re-employment “Tool Kit.” We have approximately 40% of the needed materials for this curriculum and are looking for funding to research, develop, and add materials to the present curriculum.
Key Milestones:
We estimate that our website expansion will take approximately one month to complete, since we have already created the basic structure of the new site, begun revising the content, and proceeded with preliminary graphics work and wireframing. At least an additional two months will be needed to create our social network infrastructure, test it, and activate it. Although our timeline is aggressive, the preliminary work we have completed will make this possible, and the need among the unemployed and underemployed only add to our commitment.
Project Summary:
Professionals In Transition plans to utilize the social networking capabilities of the internet to help our members find employment faster and reduce their personal, family, and financial trauma. Given the ongoing globalization of American industry, a re-employment experience will impact a tremendous number of individuals and families every year--there are approximately 15 million individuals unemployed, underemployed or unhappily employed in this country at any given time. These individuals are our neighbors, family members and friends, most of them without adequate severance packages or enough savings to see them through to the next job without creating severe disruptions to their personal and financial health. Every month we receive over 50,000 hits on the PIT website and 15-20 requests for new chapters. Developing our CyberChapter concept will enable us to dramatically improve our ability to provide education, support and services to an increasing number of business and industry professionals of every type.
Comments
PIT
I have met some of the most helpful people through this organization. They have provided many job leads in varying professions from administrative to engineering to technical.
Everyone should have an opportunity like this not only for their job search but for sharing vacant positions within their company or business.
www.jobsearching.org
Rena
PIT
Every region needs an organization like PIT. Networking is the way to stay focused.
PIT
PIT is a great organization. From emotional support during job seeking to finding new friends in the same situation, I've gotten a lot out of it.