Help Carol Get Connected

Carol Castle and Alexis Grant live in different worlds.

That became starkly obvious shortly into the March 25 show of Think Out Loud, the public radio program I host. The show is a daily talk show with a Northwest perspective. 

On March 25 we were talking about how people really find jobs. Carol was laid off in 2009, from a paper mill near Portland, where she'd worked for almost 25 years. Alexis is the careers editor for US News and World Report. They were both guests on the show.

Carol does most of her job hunting online, especially through the state jobs database. She doesn't use Facebook, although she's heard it's a good way to share photos with grandchildren. Alexis got her job in large part because of her online social networks. Her tips for getting hired include figuring out where you want to work, who there does hiring, and getting that person to follow you on Twitter.

Different worlds.

Alexis recently wrote about the challenges digitally un-networked people face in today's job market, highlighting Carol's experience as an example. They both agreed to try an experiment with me. Hearing the wide gap between them on the show, I wondered if people who are linked in to social networks can help those who aren't by offering access. So Alexis and I put word out about Carol and this experiment on our personal social networks, trying to broaden her exposure to people who might be hiring.

You probably found this page by clicking through such a link. In the off-line world, this might be akin to providing an introduction for a friend of a friend. It's a bit different in this case, since neither Alexis nor I really know Carol (or each other!) We didn't meet her through friends either, but through our journalism work. And that makes this even a bit more unconventional: Our jobs are not to help interviewees find work.

I might even argue this experiment crosses a journalistic line. But I'm curious enough about the social network divide to see what happens.

So if you're looking for someone to do data entry, administrative assistance, or reception work, or you know someone who knows someone who is, read on to learn more about Carol or see her resume. You can comment here too, or email me or Alexis. Tell me what you think of this experiment or your own experiences with the digital network divide.