How can I help friends find better jobs?

I happen to have a fairly extensive network of contacts online, but any time someone comes to me looking for work, it surprises me how I don’t have a “go to” list of people who are hiring. Of course, I don’t spend time cultivating such a list, so it’s really no surprise … but, I think it’s time I start.

Certainly, the employment situation is challenging, but there’s a lot of talented people out there who are either un- or under-employed at the moment. Conversely, there’s lots of businesses out there who still have a lot of work to get done and maybe not a lot of money, but at least enough, to hire the right person if they can do the job well.

I’m not a huge fan of recruiters and hate telling friends to contact one. If I were hiring, I’d rather get a recommendation for a candidate from a trusted contact who simultaneously vouches for the person they’re recommending. Similarly, if I knew someone who was looking for a job, I’d rather put them in contact with someone who can really help them get a job rather than someone who’s just going to submit them as a candidate, along with 20 others from a pool, for a single position.

So, now, I’m going to try and do something about this. Are you in a position to hire people? Are you looking for work? I’m going to play “employment matchmaker,” building these two lists of contacts. I certainly know enough people that I should be able to pair folks up, a win-win for everyone involved.

Either contact me privately by email and let me know what you’re looking for, whether it’s candidates or employment. I’ll handle deciding who to introduce to whom, as appropriate.

Lets see if this can bring about some great opportunities for my friends.