It's Take Charge Thursday and this week we're telling you about a program in Southwest Michigan that's growing to meet the needs of the unemployed.

The Michigan Works! Jobseeker Network is meant to help people looking for a job for the first time in years who need help navigating the job hunt.

The executive director of Michigan Works! says they started the program after they started seeing a different group of people coming through their doors: experienced business professionals who had a lot of different needs than some of their usual clients.

Membership is completely free, and this program aims to help them re-join the ranks of the employed as soon as possible by addressing those unique needs.

When the jobseekers network meets, the first thing they do is share success stories of former group members.

“This is a group that we wish not to see people return to, and so starting out with the success stories gives hope to individuals that are still in our group,” said Nicole Birmingham-Moersch with Michigan Works! She runs the bi-weekly jobseeker network meetings.

The goal is to give members the tools to make their own success stories happen; which starts with resume writing and interview skills.

“(For many) it's been years and the job search process has changed drastically, so there's a lot of support that's needed,” Birmingham-Moersch said.

“(I have) no interviewing skills, no real resume writing skills. It’s been a long time,” said Gerri Hercik, who attended a recent meeting. She was laid off after working at the same company in the manufacturing industry for 26 years.

In a recent session, group members presented their own ‘30 second pitches,’ a way to practice selling themselves in job interviews. Birmingham-Moersch says they rotate every other meeting between a get-to-know-you conversation-based meeting, and one with a presenter.

“They bring in speakers giving you extra information, (one time) job staffers coming in telling you what they're looking for,” Hercik said.

Michigan Works! also tries to direct members into some of their other programs, including those that offer grant money to pay for people to go back to school.

“Just because you've had experience and you've been in the work environment doesn’t mean that you don’t need help or you don’t need to go back and get some training,” said Todd Gustafson, Executive Director of Michigan Works!

Michigan Works! has also launched online resources at www.meetup.com as a way to add to the effectiveness of the program, and stress the importance of networking.

“(It’s) hybridization of friends. People that aren’t necessarily really close to you but they know enough about you they can say, ‘Hey Rick I just saw this. If you're not out there trying to develop that network you're never going to get that opportunity,” said Rick Murphy, who has been attending the meetings for a few months now.

But the in-person interactions offer even more than just networking.

“With the diverse group of people that we have there you get various tips from them as far as what their experience has been going through this (unemployment) process,” Murphy said.

There’s a therapeutic side to it too; you get to see a room full of qualified people in the same spot as you.

“(People) get a chance to come in and understand that it’s really not them, it's just the market right now,” Murphy said.

For more information on the jobseeker network, follow the links at the bottom of this story.

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