Fired for Now: Getting fired, laid off, and hired again

Isolation is a slow-to-build enemy of the newly unemployed. It doesn’t have to be. Thanks to a social media site called meetup.com, it’s surprisingly easy to find others in similar circumstances and get support.

Don’t be mistaken though. This isn’t about connecting in cyber space.

Meetup was developed to facilitate meeting face-to-face – yes, in ‘real’ life — with others who share similar interests, be those careers, politics, hobbies, health, fitness, books, hiking, just about anything really. (There are groups for Cryptozoology, Ayurveda groups and Wingman groups, if you’re so inclined.)

And, yes, there are a whole lot of groups for the unemployed and for jobhunters. Currently, the site lists 72 groups across North America that fall into those categories. Meetup operates worldwide as well.

However, its business model leaves almost as many members registered and looking to join a group like this as currently belonging to them.

This is why. It’s free to become a member of meetup.com. Once you have an account, you can search groups by category, by city, or by your zip or postal code. If you find an existing group of interest to you, you can join.

However, if a group you’re looking for doesn’t exist near you, then it’s up to someone to start it, or in meetup.com’s language, to become the organizer of that group.

Now Meetup doesn’t technically charge you to create an account, join a Meetup Group, or attend Meetups.

However, every Meetup Group is responsible for paying a monthly fee billed to the Organizer. As the FAQ’s on the site explain, “Most Organizers treat the fee like a restaurant tab, sharing the fee with the Meetup Group members by setting membership dues or charging at individual Meetups.”

But this does mean that someone needs to step forward at the start and be accountable for those fees, which begin at $19 per month and go down in price if you take advantage of a 3- or 6-month plan.

However, here’s the good news. Meetup offers a 30-day guarantee. This gives you the chance to start a group, use the group for a month, contact members, set up meetups, and then judge if the group members show enough interest.

If you decide at the end of 30 days that it isn’t working, you can get a refund. No questions asked.

Given the low risk, it’s surprising that more of the thousands of registered users looking for groups haven’t taken the initiative to start one. If you’ve been recently fired or laid-off, the benefits can be significant. The chance to commiserate, network, compare job-search tactics, survival strategies, resume tips and simply to feel a sense of belonging to a group can be of tremendous help.

Meetup believes “that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.”

Maybe it’s time you became an Organizer in your city? Money-back guarantee.