Craig's List Ad: Networking for Jobs/ Solving the spam problem

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

Hi there,

I'm responding to some of the recent posts in this job forum regarding abuse by spammers and other illegimitimate/ unethical advertisements. I agree. I also think we can do something about it.

Despite the great free resource Craig's List offers, I understand why it is not supported by moderation in Chico. If you look at Sacramento, for instance, they charge for ads and therefore are incentivised to keep the boards clean. This won't happen on the Chico board and I don't have any interest in putting in the work to take on all the spammers. It's really a regenerative army out there. I'm amazed how they find enough business to sustain their activity.

I worked as a General Manager for a local Chico business and was highly involved in the HR functions. Consider the alternative ad resources besides Craig's List. My first choice was always the ChicoER because that's where everyone used to look for legitimate jobs. The internet resources such as Monster and Career Builder were not really utilized and there are costs associated with those too. ChicoHelpWanted.com takes the online resource and makes it a substantial utility with unlimitted ad space and other tools. However, they are out to make money too and are sort of dominated by Enloe, Rush, Sperion, Anderson, National Guard, and some other core accounts. For my effective advertising dollar, I got the best responses from the ChicoER and Craig's List.

All that said, I'm interested in developing a solution to fit the needs of both employers and professionals in our community. I have better standards in mind and believe there is a niche that can be filled relatively easily and essentially for free. With all the layoffs and terminations out there, now would be an incredible time to tap into all the professional capital out there. It's hard understanding it is not very easy to find jobs in Chico even in good times. Abusing our free job board with spam, scams, and false representations only adds insult to injury. It's also a violation of Craig's List posting terms I have to assume are unenforcable.

I have a big task ahead in delivering my idea of service and I'm looking for help to make it happen from within the Chico community. Fortunately, I believe I have the tools to do it. I've got a couple social networks I'm just getting started. They are projects where you can do more than say what your professional qualifications are. You can show what you can do.

I am not charging anyone anything, but hope to create some services that are worth paying for and far more competitive than what is currently available. If you are finding yourself online and looking for jobs in Chico, then I'd like to network with you. Perhaps there is something that can come out of this such as jobs for both of us! Maybe we can even make a business out of it where no opportunities would otherwise be available.

I think creating services you can outsource or put to work on 1099 self-employed project basis is going to make sense in the coming years. That is going to be a more constructive use of your time while looking for a job. Plus, it gives you a way to get your foot in the door and show what you can do for a company. As I put this together, I just consider the needs and perspectives I had as a Chico employer. I know there is an unmet need so invite you to contact me to discuss working on the projects if you have the time and energy to spare.

Here are the networks I am setting up. www.arealight.ning.com where you can find the service ideas I am developing. Also, Chicoplace where we can create an online community around Chico people, professionals, and businesses. I'd like to work out a way to offer services that work in conjunction with Craig's List and perhaps some of the other employment related resources out there.

In terms of compensation, I stand by "an honest day's wage for an honest day's work". We are both businesses if you look at it. Generating revenues really depends on delivering some things that either make or save money to others. So when I say compensation is negotiable, I mean that literally on a case by case basis!

Best,


Anthony

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

The ad hasn't posted yet. Maybe I need to give it some time. This concept expands to communities and professionals outside of Chico as well. So as we get into the geographic networking theme, I'll be interested in extending this project to other locations.

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

I don't think my ad posted despite sending it twice. I bet it was likely deleted for not complying with the guidelines for legitimate job postings. However, I do think it would have been appropriate given there were a handful ove rother posts complaining about the spamming. I'm probably going to sleep on this a bit, but it does raise some considerations to my own professional projects.

Craig's List is worth contemplating use of as a tool- especially for communicating my message in my local community. However, I kind of don't like the limitation I ran into. I don't operate well in boundaries. I can do it by the book and look good doing it- I just don't like to!

I have been thinking about redoing my video portfolio. This one is so long! Plus, I've been thinking about redoing my resume. I know it's not the greatest. It does suit me well, but when I consider things from the perspectives of the audiences I might be presenting that to, I know I could be more productive if I made it more conventional. Again, this is just something I prefer to do my way. I have the professional skills to do things mainstream. I've got some food for thought now on adding my proprietary twist. I've been very busy as a student and as a business in research and development. To me, these count as professional experience that is relevant to modern business. I just know it doesn't hit home with most employers. What I can say is that I continue to stay very busy improving myself through direct experience of doing things. The ideal employer for me is really going to appreciate that.

I also reflect on what value social networking and trying to create your own ventures like this has in terms of resume bullets. Probably not much to most if you don't have profits or money to show from it. However, you are learning and refining skills and immersing yourself in the real new emergent world of business. I think this does have asome substantial value. As I reflect on all the professional backgrounds of people on these sites I run into, I continue to think there are constructive ways of using our time to accomplish professional goals if they would just be organized. So it's one of my goals to do just that- for my own benefit and as a service to other members here. I'm also doing a lot of work offsite on my own ventures- one of them being the development of my Professional Consulting line. To some degree, I see that being integrated into the complexity of Area Light through Area Light Member Services, this group, as well as activities I might put my time into doing that work directly for others should the opportunity present. Doesn't seem like anyone's really paying attention to this project here yet. However, I'm going to keep working on it.

Best,

Anthony