by Elaine Durbach
NJJN Bureau Chief/Central

March 12, 2009

These days, some very gifted and successful people are out of work. That’s both the upside and the downside of the unemployment picture, according to local job hunters.

“You look around and there are such impressive people, it’s obvious that there’s no shame in being laid off,” said a woman attending a March 3 networking event at the Wilf Jewish Community Campus in Scotch Plains. “On the other hand, if people this good can’t find work, what can I do?”

About 55 people turned up for the event, which was hosted by the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey and the JCC of Central New Jersey, both housed on the Wilf campus. The initial gathering of the Central NJ Networking Group was organized by The ETP Network — “ETP” stands for Empowering Today’s Professionals — a mutual help organization whose members teach networking and job search skills.

Aaron Cohen, a computer scientist from Westfield who is on the ETP board, ran the meeting, with assistance from his wife, Laura. Those present — about four-fifths of them men — had high-powered track records in information technology, marketing, law, education, and finance. Even attendees who described themselves as homemakers turned out to have resumes long in community organizing and fund-raising.

Most had lost their jobs within the previous few weeks. Some were working part-time. A handful said they had recently found employment — an acknowledgement that drew applause each time — but were keeping their options open.

Even for those with jobs, effective networking is the key to success, Aaron Cohen said. And while blanket submissions of a resume might be a salve to your conscience or keep an anxious spouse at bay, he said, it’s disheartening and usually futile to blindly send such a curriculum vitae into the “black hole” of Internet listings or to employers with whom you have no personal connection. What works much better is linking up with as many people as possible, building a bond of shared interests — around kids or sports or whatever — and finding out how you can benefit one another.

“You give, and then you get. That’s the only rule,” he said.

Confessing to being a reluctant networker himself, Aaron said he learned that focusing on what he could offer the other person was the best way to take the “creepiness” out of the process.

Despite that disclaimer, he is a networker par excellence, as is his wife. They are both leaders in the Central Jewish community, active in their congregation, Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim in Cranford, as well as with the federation and with the YM-YWHA of Union County. Laura, as a result of Aaron’s having multiple sclerosis, is also a major organizer of the annual Cranford walk to raise funds for MS research.

Aaron Cohen explained that the core principles of ETP, formulated by its founder, Rod Colon, all flow from the idea of reframing your self-image, from powerless employee — or job seeker — to “the powerful, in-charge CEO of Me, Inc.” Jobs, employers, layoffs, etc., he said, are not personal; they are just part of business.

In addition to work they enjoy, everyone, he said, needs a back-up plan and multiple sources of income that do not conflict with their main source. Individuals also need a network of at least 200 people whom they care about and who care for them — “networking,” he said, “is about giving and relationship building, not just looking for a job.”

Aaron said he decided to form the Central NJ Networking Group because of the increasing number of people looking for new jobs and because the best-established networking group in the area meets only once a month — on a Saturday.

To get the ball rolling in forming the group, he had everyone present give the brief “elevator speech” version of their resume. They spoke about their passion for their chosen work, described what would be their dream jobs, and expressed their shock at the sudden end of longtime positions they had assumed were secure.

“I thought I was going to run the firm some day,” said Jonathan James, a lawyer from Short Hills with 24 years of experience. The paper company where until recently he was vice president has laid off about half its staff of around 500.

In the spirit of giving that Aaron recommended, people at the event offered all kinds of help — in writing resumes, or in some cases, providing contacts with former employers. One man said he hoped to have his own business soon and was seeking future staff members from among those in the room. Another said there would be “lots of opportunities in engineering and IT in green industries,” and invited people to contact him for leads.

James said ideally he would like to find a job with another firm, but meanwhile he is willing to help people on a free-lance basis with wills and estate planning. He is also volunteering with an emergency medical service. “I drive ambulances; I don’t chase them,” he quipped.

Aaron Cohen urged people to join ETP, to register with the networking site LinkedIn, and to get in on ETP’s morale-boosting Wednesday conference call discussions.

A couple of days after the meeting, he sent out a list of the names and contact information of those who had taken part, and invited suggestions as to topics and speakers for their next encounter — on Thursday, April 2. The list, he emphasized, was “only to enhance your ability to connect with each other and further each other’s goals. Please use it accordingly.”

For more information about the Central NJ Networking Group, contact Aaron Cohen at centralnjnetworkinggroup@gmail.com. To learn more about ETP, go to www.etpnetwork.com.

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