MoveOn's "Geek Organizer" Online Job Fair

[Geoffrion, Ron P [ITS]]

I don't mean to spam the list on my first message, but I thought this could turn out to be an 
opportunity for some, especially if you're job hunting.

Ron Geoffrion 

-----Original Message-----
From: Wes Boyd, MoveOn.org [mailto:moveon-help at list.moveon.org]
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 5:43 PM
To: Geoffrion, Ron P [ITS]
Subject: MoveOn's "Geek Organizer" Online Job Fair

If you've got the political and technical skills to be a Geek Organizer, click here to take the 
test and join our online job fair.

Organizations: If you need this kind of talent, post your opportunity here.

Dear MoveOn member, 
Are you an organization that's working to use technology the way MoveOn does, to help people 
connect and mobilize? Are you having trouble finding the right people to make it happen?
Are you one of those people who could fill this need?
Today is your opportunity to make the connection.
Within our team, we've identified a crucial role we call (affectionately) the Geek Organizer. No, 
that's not an organizer of geeks. It's a person who combines the leadership and communication 
skills of a political organizer with the technical skills of a computer nerd. How rare are these 
people? We don't know. But we know they exist, because we've built our organization around them.
At MoveOn.org, we need these people, right now. And we know that among our contacts are many 
progressive organizations that have a similar immediate need. We're betting that among our 
membership we have the talent we're looking for. So we'd like to invite you to join us in an 
experiment: A two-week campaign to identify Geek Organizers and match them to opportunities in the 
community. It's a virtual job fair.
Week 1: Postings. For the coming week, we're inviting organizations and individuals to step up and 
identify themselves.
Organizations: Geek Organizers Wanted. Organizations describe their opportunities by filling out a 
simple form. They'll post a job description and a synopsis of what their organization's about. No 
cost, no obligation. To post an opportunity for a Geek Organizer type, click here:
http://www.moveon.org/gojf/post_opportunity.html
Individuals: Take the Geek Organizer self-test. If you have what it takes to be a Geek Organizer, 
why not raise your hand? (We'll respect the confidentiality of your job search by holding your 
contact information securely. No resumes at this stage - just a personal statement to show off your 
writing skills.) To take the Geek Organizer self-test and join the job fair, click here:
http://www.moveon.org/gojf/post_personal_profile.html
We'll be taking sign-ups through Wednesday, March 3.
Week 2: Introductions. We'll match talent to opportunities and facilitate anonymous contact through 
our web site. If you posted an opportunity or a personal profile, expect mail from us next week 
with a list of matches.
We are just making introductions here, not pre-screening candidates. But we know there's a lot of 
talent out there, and we hope we can put some of it to work where it's needed most.
We do ask you to let us know if you hire anybody through this program. It'll encourage us to do it 
again.
What makes a Geek Organizer? 
Leadership instincts. They know the levers to pull and the right time to do it. They know when 10 
Letters to the Editor will turn the tide and when 1000 phone calls to a senator won't. It's 
political jujitsu. 
Technology savvy. HTML, mass e-mail, and databases are the tools of the trade. 
Communications skills. None of the above is useful if you can't craft a message that moves people 
to action. 
In our experience, this potential is often underutilized. Some are programmers by day and bloggers 
by night. Others work for a nonprofit, then get their technology release by running a family 
website. But when they can apply both halves of their brains to the same job, they can do 
extraordinary things. 
Spread the word.
If you know somebody who ought to be a Geek Organizer, or know an organization that needs one, 
forward this mail or invite them to the job fair through our web site:
http://www.moveon.org/gojf/spreadtheword.html
Obviously, the more the merrier.
Sincerely,
- Wes Boyd, Joan Blades, and Jack Eastman
  MoveOn.org Geek Organizers.