United Way for Southeastern Michigan

Allow me to just lay out on the table that I am slightly addicted to the Internet and staying connected. It's how I get things done. I mean, I honestly don't know what I would do if I didn't know what all my friends on Twitter were eating at the exact moment they're eating it. It's vital information. Of course, I'm kidding, though I do admit to being a victim of basing too much of my life in the virtual world. However, I do wish that we could find more ways to plug 2-1-1 On the Go! clients into that world in a way that makes sense for them. Even something as simple (dare I say primitive) as email is foreign to the majority of our clients, and it's hindering them from accessing a whole host of employers who prefer to communicate through email, for example. But we're slowly finding ways around their technological barriers, and trying to encourage them toward solutions that will help them land the job, without having to know all the ins and outs of the Internet.
So with that said, I have to say I'm probably a little behind the times when I mention how excited I am about RSS feed. I seriously just discovered this. I've always seen the little RSS icon on different websites, but never bothered to learn what it does. But seriously, this is the best invention ever! It dawned on me one day last week that we could make great use of this tool for our clients' job searches. So we went ahead and set up a Google Reader account for 2-1-1 On the Go!. It's set to gather all the latest job leads in relevant categories from Craigslist, Monster, and Indeed. It also pulls articles from blogs that discuss tips on how to write a great resume, make a good impression in an interview, and ultimately land the job you want. We wrote up some real easy instructions on how to access and use it, and have sent those instructions out to our clients who have email. The rest will receive that information when they get next month's bus pass. We will be encouraging our clients to use this tool for their job searches, and to use it often. Hopefully this will make their job searches a lot more efficient, and hopefully a little bit enjoyable.