Unemployment across the state may be on the rise, but at least one group in town is taking proactive steps to push it down. For nearly seven years, the Darien Professionals Networking Group has been helping people who are between jobs find permanent employment. Unlike similar groups around the area, they do this by collaborating with people who are already employed.
Two neighbors and friends, Tom Bell and Randy Blosio, founded the group years ago, after Blosio had a tough time finding work himself. During his job search, he became unsatisfied with the support groups he attended around the area, which consisted mostly of people who were also in transition. He found it was like a 12-step program Bell said. It gets kind of depressing listening to people in the same situation as you are.
Determined to do something to help out others, Blosio enlisted Bell to help start their new group. They organize monthly meetings where people looking for work can get together and network with people who have found it.
The gatherings have two aspects. The first is instructional, offering those in transition tips for their search, such as using LinkedIn and other social networking sites to maintain contacts. The second portion is motivational, having speakers come in to talk on various topics. For example, this months speaker is Fairfield University Graduate School professor Dr. Paul Maloney, who will talk about stress management and resilience.
Although only about 20 people on average attended these meetings in the first few years of the group, Bell said that now between 60 and 80 attend each month. This is not surprising, considering that unemployment in Darien is 5.8 percent according to the most recent statistics from the state Department of Labor. But only about half of those that attend are actually looking for work. The rest are there to offer advice and support, or to maintain contacts just in case. [The high attendance] is a good thing and a bad thing, Bell said. Id rather run a meeting with 20 people and have more people landing jobs.
The group's next get-together is May 25 at 7:30 p.m. All meetings are at St. Lukes Episcopal Church at 1864 Post Road, and are free to attend. For more information, contact the executive board at [email protected].
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
