You don’t have to be an economist to know the economy sucks right now. Unemployment has yet to drop below 9% and in some states like my adopted home state of North Carolina, that figure is way above 10%. Fourteen million people out of work and those are just the ones still being counted. It’s downright depressing. This week the media is abuzz about President Obama’s job speech and the plan he’ll lay out to the American people. I hope it’s an innovative, ambitious and aggressive plan but when I look at the gridlock in Congress, I’m not that optimistic that anything will get done if we leave it to our elected officials. That’s why I was very intrigued by a grassroots movement that is slowly gathering steam across the US.
One Job for America is the brainchild of Carla Emil. She had a simple but powerful idea: what if every business in America, no matter the size, created just one job? It’s not a political movement endorsed or supported by any political party. Its premise is that ordinary Americans (that’s you and me) can do our part to rebuild our economy by creating jobs in our companies. Will it work? Who knows but I hope so. Is it idealistic? You betcha. But we are in desperate need of fresh ideas these days and this is one. That’s why I was really happy to see my local chamber of commerce in Greensboro, NC launch its own One Job program. My company is signing the pledge to create at least one full-time job to help create a total of 1,000 new jobs in our community. It won’t solve our problems but it’s a decent start.
Just last week, I posted this new position that we are hoping to fill in our Marketing Group. Some of my Twitter and LinkedIn friends helped me get the word out and we are getting great candidates. Imagine if every local business that had the means to create a single job got behind this effort! The positive impact would be undeniable.
Interested in signing the One Job pledge or learning more? Check out One Job for America’s website or check with your local chamber of commerce to see how you can help rebuild our economy one full-time job at a time.
This is so great! It is so cool to see who has pledged,where and how many have been hired so far. 🙂
(Just an FYI, your link to the Job for America website is not working)
Nyla, I agree. I immediately looked to see what businesses in my home state signed up as well. I hope with a viral campaign to get the word out, we’ll see more. Thanks for the heads up on the link. It should be fixed now!
Thank you for sharing this information. I have tweeted a link, shared it on Google+, and asked for help in taking this idea viral before President Obama’s speech this Thursday. Together, we can end this awful recession!
Donna Svei
AvidCareerist.com
Donna, thanks for spreading the word. I love the idea of a grassroots movement to help kick start job creation. I really do hope that more companies will sign up. We need innovative solutions to solve our economic problems and I think this is one.
What a wonderful idea. It seems to me that the solution to the economy is within us.
Blessing, yes. I think we need to accept that we can’t rely on our elected officials to solve this problem. The good news is that the US was founded on optimism, ingenuity and perseverance. There is not reason this grassroots effort can’t at least have a small impact if a few people in every community are willing to lead the way.
This is awesome. I think it is definitely worth a try, sometimes it is the smaller ideas that have the greatest impact. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!!
Yes! That is exactly what I love about this idea as well. It’s a big idea that comes in a small package with the possibility of huge impact. Let’s hope it continues to catch fire.
This is awesome. I love the simplicity and power that can come from this.
But I also think it’s important for people to take some initiative themselves. For example, all those folks applying for the marketing position could be pitching small business for contract work. As the author of a popular blog, I’m astounded at how little I get pitches for services I would pay for: help writing press releases, video and audio editing, transcription, personal assistance on miscellaneous tasks, etc. And I’m just one blogger! Not to mention help with gardening, cooking or cleaning. There’s actually a ton of work out there just waiting for some intrepid and enterprising person to capitalize on it.
Jen – I think you have a good point. Today’s job environment requires a lot more ingenuity than in the past. Part of it is recognizing what skills and services you have to offer. I think so many people haven’t thought about this at all or thought about it in long time. That’s why I think your Career Academy is such a great idea. I would wager that most people don’t think of themselves of entrepreneurs but that is exactly the mindset that is needed today in order to not just get work but to have a fulfilling career.