Bad Economy? Help People Out

Everyone is being inundated with “news” about the bad economy. In some ways this is good. I see a lot more people biking to work and around town as well as more people using public parks for recreation (myself included). That’s great news. However, I also sense a lot of fear, especially amongst my friends who are just starting their careers.

My Friend

Last night I was chatting with a friend on Facebook. Pretty typical stuff about work, life, etc. When we were talking about her job she mentioned that she was looking for a better job but felt like she couldn’t find much out there. I could have offered a few consoling words and left it at that, but instead I thought “Hmmm. What can I do to help?”

My Network

I don’t mean to brag, but I realize that with just over 850 followers on Twitter I have more than the average bear. Amongst those is a cool guy who I know works in PR. I send over a DM and ask him if he knows about anyone looking for an ambitious, young PR person. (Keep in mind that the discussion with my friend and the Twitter DMs are happening simultaneously.) A couple minutes later I get a DM back asking for her resume that he can send along to a couple people. I hit my friend on Facebook chat and she emails me her resume. I forward it along and within just a few minutes her resume is in the hands of a well-connected PR guy who’s looking to pass it around to see if there’s any interest.

Okay, this story doesn’t have a happy ending yet and in no way do I want anyone to feel I’m showing off. This experience just reinforced a very simple principle I’ve been thinking about lately. The quickest way for us to get out of this recession is if we help each other out. Everyone has skills and connections, we just need to use them more often to help others. It can be as simple as getting a resume to new contacts or as complicated as setting up a non-profit. So what are you doing to help people out?