Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
Behold, the Hall of Education! Go forth and learn!
OK, that sounds corny. No, I wouldn't use that introduction for . . well anything . . . but that's what I've christened an professional-geek oriented Idea I want to suggest for your conventions.
The Hall of Education (come on work with me here).
So after a bit of a break, it's back to the "I have a job they don't" series, where we look at just what you, the employed, can do for those who don't have a job.
This week? I want to encourage you to involve people in a project.
Your unemployed friends are quite likely to A) need to learn more skills, B) need to network, and C) feel depressed. Involving them in a project is a way to address all of those issues at once.
Maintaining a blog? Invite them to blog for you to hone their writing, get work out there, and meet your readers.
Running a con? See if they want to help out, and give them a chance to use whatever relevant skills they have for big, public event. In some cases it might be worth listing on a resume or a LinkedIn profile.
Run a newsletter? Come on, your friend with the Tech Writing skills can help with formatting!
If you're any kind of geek, you're always juggling a few projects. Inviting your job-seeking friends aboard gives them a lot of benefits.
Best of all, it helps you stay friends – which can be tough in times of economic stress.
Cosplay conventions. If you've ever been to one – and you're not much of cosplayer – it's a surreal, wonderful world. There's amazing craftsmanships, characters brought to life, characters remade in new genders and genres. You're not only through the looking glass, but everyone in Wonderland looks fabulous.
Cosplay cons, with their specific focus, may not seem ideal for career events. I, of course, beg to disagree, since I think any convention is good for a career event. Obviously I have some suggestions for how you can add career events to Cosplay Cons or this would be pretty short . . .