What do you get when you match job candidates with jobs that make them happy–and vice versa? Hired for the Holidays!

If you’re on Twitter, you may already have seen it mentioned on #careerchat, or you may have noticed an influx of the #hiredholidays hashtag. Hired for the Holidays is a completely free, not-for-profit collaborative effort founded by Mark Babbitt, CEO of YouTern.

Mark’s idea was born out of noticing that while job seekers are diligently promoting themselves on social media platforms by participating in Twitter chats, making connections and staying active in their industries, employers just aren’t giving them the attention–or the jobs!–they deserve.

That’s where Hired for the Holidays comes in. We provide job seekers that added push, needed advice, job search resources or just a commiserating shoulder.

I am proud to be a Hired for the Holidays sponsor with #careerchat helping spread the word.

How to get included?

Hired for the Holidays is actively seeking more sponsors – and candidates.

Career Experts Volunteer to Get Job Seekers Hired for the Holidays

The unemployment rate edged up to 9.8 percent in November, average duration unemployed remained about the same at 33.8 weeks (-0.1), and nonfarm payroll employment was little changed (+39,000), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in early December. To help job seekers find rewarding, gainful employment or career-enhancing internships, five career experts who met on Twitter are volunteering their time in a collaborative effort they’ve deemed, “Hired for the Holidays.”

“There were 3.4 million job openings on the last business day of October, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report,” said Mark Babbitt, founder of Hired for the Holidays and CEO of YouTern. “We know jobs exist. Many people just have a hard time properly marketing themselves and getting noticed by employers. That’s where we come in.”

After a recent Twitter chat, a discussion among several career experts concluded that many of those consistently contributing to their social media community were themselves unemployed.

“Collectively, we agreed that the holiday season is a perfect time to help our friends and colleagues – and Hired for the Holidays was born,” said Babbitt. “In just a few short business days following those initial discussions, Hired for the Holidays already had a ‘pay it forward’ mission, a website, and our first round of sponsors and candidates!”

In addition to Babbitt, the following individuals are founding “sponsors” (someone to help candidates stay prepared, motivated and confident):

• Becky B (me!), co-moderator of #careerchat
• Rich DeMatteo, founder of Corn on the Job and #jobhuntchat
• Heather R. Huhman, founder & president of Come Recommended and co-host of #internchat
• Chanelle Schneider, creator of #GenYChat

Each “charter” candidate, who was selected by a sponsor based on his or her avid participation in the aforementioned Twitter chats, will receive the following services:

• 8 to 12 weeks of one-on-one counsel with a career expert
• 30 to 60 minutes of scheduled phone time per week with sponsor to include:
  • Job search strategy and goal setting
  • Mock phone screen/interviews
  • Networking focus
• Access to several career experts
• Resume critique/edit/review by a professional resume writer
• Analysis of candidates online presence and reputation
• Introductions to hiring managers within the candidate’s field of expertise
• Name, bio and job search goals displayed on the Hired for the Holidays website

The charter candidates’ stories can be found on the Hired for the Holidays blog.

The Hired for the Holidays movement is actively seeking more sponsors – and candidates.

To become a sponsor, there are only three set guidelines:

• Your expertise must be such that you can personally serve as a sponsor – and help a candidate find meaningful employment
• All work done on behalf of the candidates is 100% pro bono
• We ask that individuals serve as sponsors rather than your organization (for example, Mark Babbitt, CEO of YouTern, can serve as a sponsor, but YouTern cannot)

Interested parties should tweet @HiredHolidays or send an e-mail to sponsors@hiredfortheholidays.com.

To become a candidate, you must:

• Be “coachable”; the input you’ll receive from your mentor will be practical, honest and – most important – will help you find employment.
• Be the “CEO” of your job search; the mentor’s role is to assist you – your role is to find work!
• Agree to the “pay it forward” nature of Hired for the Holidays – this time next year, you agree to sponsor a candidate yourself, and help them find work.

Additional details can be found here.

Happy Holidays pic from here.
You’re Hired pic from here.