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By Jim10
#3125
This ties in more with Steve's original post: (and Steve, feel free to add to another pool if need be) What if people were hired on a project or piece basis based upon specific talents and abilities. Now, I know this happens all the time: eg...when you refurbish a house, you hire a tile man for the counter...and a plumber for the toilet. In this case you are drawing from a building trade talent pool to get the best people for the job. So what I'm propsing is no different than this...except to apply it to new areas or maybe just think about it differently. Suppose you have a small store front business that makes widgets but these widgets are not really doing well and you think you may want to expand to sell glompies...but are not really even sure about that. You could hire a "clarifier"...and this clarifier...would do nothing more than help you see where you are right now. And this clarifier would write a report with recommendations...one of the recommendations, before you make any decision... might be to organize the business in a new way...(which may even involve cleaning up the business) You would then hire an organizer...a creative guy or gal that knows all of the ways and products to assist in this) Now, at this point, a solution to the owner's problem may have been reached...working in a new, organized, efficient envornment may have inspired the owner to stay with widgets...or introduce a new product on his own. The clarifier and organizer merely helped him to "see" and realize what he already had...and with this quickly came a new, inspired decision-making capability that was before hidden. The other point here...is that the clarifier and organizer have found a niche...real work! And maybe these two specialists before were stuck in some job...maybe the organizer was trying to sell real estate and the clarifier was teaching first grade and neither one were either good at it or liked it. But since they made a list of talents-interests, they both were able to hone in on them and make a living in an area that utilized their talents! I can envision an employment agency that offered these specialists on a project basis. Now I used claifying and organizing as these are two talents I have...but there must be hundreds more...or there could be even subsets...eg: different types of clarifiers...Anyway...that's all for now. Jim.
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By Steve
#3130
Jim wrote:What if people were hired on a project or piece basis based upon specific talents and abilities.
Jim, I think you might really be moving too far away from the original post. My idea was to develop a method/strategy on how it might be possible to create backdoors in the current employment system so you can get jobs that would otherwise be out of reach. It's about how YOU (with the help of an agency or service) could get those jobs.

If I got your contemplating right, it's about what EMPLOYERS should do and who they should employ. In other words, it's a vision - wishful thinking, but doesn't involve a strategy on how to make it happen... :-?
By jojesek
#3699
I would love to be able to do that. I'm trying to switch from a "career" to a part time job, nobody wants to hire me. It seems they all think I will bolt as soon as something better comes along. They don't get I just don't want to work long stressful hours anymore. I could also use a "reference bank" because all my previous employers are long gone to different jobs and I don't know where they are because the firms have split up. What's a girl gonna do? My dream job is finding a way to make a little extra cash on the internet which I'm working on but it's tough. I could use a creativity coach. I've always been too practical, I can't think outside the box. Plus I'm a scaredy cat.
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By Michael D. Grissom
#3712
Jim10<--- your idea sounds a lot like S.C.O.R.E. http://www.score.org/ which is an organization that I have been using for over 15 years now. They do what you suggest but for free.
By extro
#6067
Getting back to the original idea for this thread, I have also contemplated building an online service along these lines, however my concept takes a different approach.

The idea is to leverage multiple degrees of separation to reach out to a broader base of people than is normally possible, by providing your immediate contacts (people you know personally such as your friends, relatives, co-workers etc) with permission to see and contact each other and potentially help each other out.

[Prepare for over-simplified example]
  1. I register myself
  2. I have a friend called Bob who is a web developer.
  3. I also have a friend called Pam who runs a web development company
  4. Bob and Pam don't know each other, but I know they are both great people.
  5. If I give everyone whom I know personally access to see each other's public information, then Bob will quickly see that Pam may be able to use his services.
  6. Given that I can vouch for Bob, and Pam trusts me, we have created a new potentially beneficial relationship that otherwise may never have existed.
OK, now that was long winded and very simplistic, but what if we were talking 3 or 4 degrees of separation, suddenly people may find that they really have a very large base of contacts who can help each other out. If I enter 20 people into the system, and each of them adds 20 and each of...you get the picture.

There's no point in faking or lying, or building a system that helps people to get things they don't deserve, because it will never grow. My idea is to build a model that is self-reinforcing and based on shared trust.
By treadair
#6081
Something along these lines is already be developed by the guy who came up with Netscape (Mark Anderson?). His software package will go through members email address books, determine who works where doing what, and then let you find a contact by keying in the desired company/job. The chain of contacts that lead you to that contact will also be displayable.
#6117
That is what Audio Visual And Technological Artistic Resource is.

I created I because I work in a phone technical call center of 1500 people, where their talents are being wasted.

Sadly, our website is not updated (ironic, since we have made a few since then for other people) – but we are cycling up again for January 2005.

We have 36 members, and some amazing ideas and projects.

We currently are working on a 30-40 ft (not including truck) Christmas float. It is going to be incredible, (500 + Christmas lights, and an artifical snow blower) 2 of our group members already influenced the city float comittee and changed the theme to "A story book Christmas".

We have professional make-up artists, hair stylists, web developers, and artists, video producers (amateur), you name it we got it!

We developed 2 documentaries, one 20 minutes, one 1 hour and 20 minutes, and produced 3 major websites (while ours is still under development)

We plan to expand next year, and start moving our connections out of town (Chilliwack)

If you are interested, check out our site at http://www.myavatar.org
(Like I said, it is nothing to look at, but it’s a start)

Since I started this (I was the original), I have been the producer to the two films, and made incredible connections to all sorts of people.

Because of this, I plan to open a new business with the help of a few of the members in early 2005, and hopefully make enough to quit my job as a Senior Phone Tech.
(3 years in the front lines, ranging form tier 1 – Sub system project manager for the engineering center)

I am currently getting my level 1 of accounting to make this business more profitable (Already have the BA requirements), although it is built on the concept of “non profit” (it is actually a limited proprietorship – I gave up many of my rights to an advisory council of 5, Audio, Graphics and Webpaging, Administration, Programming, and Video Adviosy councilors.

We have the contracts, and have ironed out most of the bugs, we are getting them notarized in early January too (they were approved by a 3rd year law student so far).
Check us out!

I guess great minds think alike!

If you are interested in learning more, please ask, we are planning to get big enough to try for multi city/ USA Canada by late 2005.

The way we keep it honest? Credit system, people earn the ability to make a “pull” on other peoples talents. All volunteer, and we encourage people to break off and make new businesses without giving AVATAR any money, since we still help them and they still help us. What is theirs is theirs, what is AVATAR’s is AVATAR’s.

BTW: it took about 14 hours of brainstorming of 7 people to put together the original drafts of the contract/handbook (originally 16 pages in all) BEFORE edits…heh.

http://www.myavatar.org

"The closed projects" only show 2 of the 8 projects we have done.

PS: we Started September 1, 2003, then "materialized" Jan 1st 2004, with a legitimate business liscence.

Your Reward: When we expand to the "next chapter" - we will need a new leader (called a "head" ) for each city to control that chapter. I've seen how active you have been! Amazing! don't be surprised to be asked if you are interested in the position for your area, and ask for YOUR input!
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