Sunday Blog Brunch: Lay-Off Support Network.
(Ed.Note) Welcome to our journey into the world of recession blogs! The 405 Club wants to get personal via a handful of questions with our favorite fellow bloggers who are documenting the recession and unemployment firsthand.
Today we have the honor of enjoying a lovely brunch with Craig and Javed from The Layoff Support Network.
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Before we chat about the blog, what will you be having for brunch?
* I’ll have a Western Omelet, well done, please!
1. When were you laid off and what did you do? Or are you employed/self-employed? If so, what do you do now?
* I was laid off in February 2009. I am currently looking for a full time position. I also continue to run a non-profit for people that have been laid off. It is called The Layoff Support Network.
2. When and why did you start your site?
* The Layoff Support Network was started during the summer of 2008. Both co-founders (Craig Brown and Javed Ikbal) were employed at the time. We both had been working in I.T. for over 25 years and both held senior positions.
We had a number of friends that had been laid off. What was unusual was that these were all “company men”. They had been at their jobs for over 20 years and had expected to retire from their current positions.
Being laid off was a major shock to them. It had been 20+ years since they last looked for a job. They new nothing about writing resumes and using the Internet tools required to find a job. Most importantly, they new nothing about the skills needed to survive daily life without a paycheck.
We (the founders of LSN) had spent our careers in volatile areas of I.T. After the completion of projects, the reward was often being laid off. We had many years of survival experience and realized that our experience may be beneficial to the recently unemployed.
The Layoff Support Network is not a blog. It is a full social network technically comparable to FaceBook. Since we both had been software developers for many years, we decided to use our skills to write the software needed to create the LSN.
We have both been laid off since the creation of The Layoff Support Network. Like the guy that runs The Hair Club for Men used to say “I am not only the president of LSN, I am also a customer” (at which point he would rip off his toupee).
3. What is your motivation to continue blogging and/or running the site?
* We have received positive feed back and thank-you-letters from hundreds of people. As long as the site continues to help people we will continue to fund its operation.
4. Do you think blogging or running your site will help you find a job?
* We learn new things from our members all the time so I would say yes.
5. What do you want to do next professionally?
* I plan to stay in my own field.
6. How will your blog change when you rejoin the workforce?
* I will continue to fund the site until (hopefully) it is not needed.
7. What’s new at your site and where does it go from here?
* We have new things going on all the time. The best thing at the site is the information contributed by our members.
Bonus Questions: Any final thoughts or words of wisdom for members of The 405 Club?
* Just “fight the good fight”. Keep at it.
Last but certainly not least, what is your favorite series/feature on The 405 Club?
* Its all good!
