“What have you been doing since you got laid off?”
It’s a question that can send shivers down the spines of the unprepared. Not so Jim Drewniak, he’s got the perfect answer: Since he got laid off, he’s been working with a group of technical professionals in a similar situation. Together, they are developing smart phone applications, advancing and enhancing their marketability.
“I can answer that question that I’ve been helping facilitate this group [that works on projects to enhance our skills] and helping others answer that question as well,” said Drewniak. “I just recently went on a job interview and I did use this as the premise for staying active in my field.”
The Technical Skills Share Group meets each Wednesday at the Chelmsford Library. It draws members from across the Merrimack Valley and greater Lowell area.
Dwerniak, laid off from a position as an assistant project manager in August 2009, joined in October 2009 after hearing about it through the Acton Networkers group.
History
The group started under the guidance of Vidhu Joshua and Neil Rosen, who met in another networking group after being laid off in May 2009. The two decided to set up a technical group to maintain their skills while searching for another job, according to Steve Rubin, a Chelmsford resident and member of TSSG.
The Chelmsford Public Library agreed to sponsor the group and provide meeting space.
The membership is transitory. As members find work, they drop out. Now, Dwerniak, Rubin and Pushparathi Pandian, a software engineer and Westford resident, run TSSG.
“As a self-sustaining group whose goal is to get people back to work, I’m happy to report that many of the founders are now working and don’t participate,” said Rubin.
Last Wednesday afternoon, Pandian was getting ready to lead a discussion for the six other members on the application the group is developing for the Motorola Android phone. Pandian decided to volunteer as one of the three group managers to expand on her management skills and broaden her experience.
The group is working on developing mobile phone application to access the website BostonEventsList.com, a networking site many members use. The group hasn’t decided yet if they will sell the application once its finished.
“The whole purpose is really not the end product,” said Dwerniak. “It’s really the journey along the way. These are the things that allow people to improve their skills.”
The function
While group members devote some time out of the multi-segmented program each Wednesday to networking and interview practices, the most rewarding part members say is the hands-on learning from working on projects together and hearing from presenters on the latest developments in the field.
“I had a phone screen [interview] and was told by the interviewer that he was very impressed with my involvement with the group while waiting in transition,” said Rubin. “He said it showed enthusiasm and commitment to keeping up-to-date while improving my skills and hunting down the right job for me. This group continues to work well for me getting interviews.”
According to Rubin, it’s a lot better than saying he was watching TV.
The group runs on a flexible schedule and unlike other groups or events, members are allowed to answer cell-phones during meetings — in case it’s a job recruiter.
“Everyone’s excited when the phone rings,” said Rubin, after picking up a call from a recruiter at the meeting last week.
While about 80 group members are enrolled, attendance fluctuates from about 10 to two dozen, depending on the project or presentation. Like the Acton Networkers Group, TSSG communicates with its members through e-mail list servers and a Yahoo message group.
Good for all
Rubin, who helped the group develop an Internet application written in Java script, and Dwerniak said they are looking to expand the group’s membership. The group continues to post meeting agendas on the Acton Networkers site, Westford Networkers as well as the BostonEventsList.com.
Kathy Cryan Hicks, assistant director of community relations and programming at the Chelmsford Public Library, said when a group like this comes along with an interest that could help the community, it makes sense for the library to join forces with them.
“In this case, there wasn’t anything like this out there,” she said. “The group is offering a service and training to people who are unemployed, it just seemed like it was the kind of program that really needed a home and it made sense that it would fit in here at the library well.”