This February 25th in Milwaukee, they are expecting amazing growth of the event and 1500+ attendees. Attendance is 100% FREE and 100% volunteer run. Well over 100 speakers in both large presentations and small groups discussions will be there. JobCamp activities include practice interviews, resume reviews, speed networking, elevator pitch practice, free headshots, social media training and networking events based on industry/function.

Dave Carhart, JobCamp Volunteer, told me that most people come as part of an active job search, but many come just to network or to brush up on their job seeking skills. He also said this JobCamp will have a big focus on helping job seekers with networking, social media and self-branding, in addition to resumes and interview skills.

The organizing team of nearly 20 people is a diverse group. Some employed, some not, several recently re-employed (mostly through strong networking) and some students. They represent a broad range of industries–several HR & recruiters, and the core team includes project managers, graphic designers, marketing and communications/media professionals. Many have taken their own layoffs as an opportunity to share their skills in these areas.

JobCamp is executed on a 0 marketing budget. The web space is donated and the primary channels are social media and word of mouth. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter (@JobCamp) are all huge parts of the effort. Relationships with local job seeker networking groups are key as are those with career centers (both government and school). The event is so good for the community they have received great press coverage.

Watch Todd Nilson, Founder of JobCamp talk about what makes it different than a job fair.

Milwaukee job seekers are so LUCKY to have this resource in their community and a group of caring and enterprising volunteers to help them. Here’s a public thank you to Todd, who I had conversation with a couple of months ago. He was very kind to help me brainstorm how I could start to rehab job fairs and job seeker events in the community where I live.

What are you are doing in your community to help job seekers?

How many job seekers even know what gatekeepers are and is it reasonable to expect they should?

I don’t think so…

Would you expect someone who focused on the job they had the past 10, 15, 20 years or more to know how to look for a job in the web 2.0 world? I’m talking about nurses, accountants, quality assurance analysts, paralegals, draftsmen, and even those in HR professions like benefits specialists, coordinators, etc. In fact, a lot of people do not use use the Internet, and many not even computers, in their jobs. Think manufacturing, transportation, construction and agriculture to name a few of the very important and fundamental industries that make the world what it is.

While so many of us are caught up in the “ether” of social media, the fact is, many more are not quite there yet and we don’t have a right to demand they participate or learn to love it.

I sent a co-worker a Google doc so we could work on it collaboratively. She sent an email back saying she absolutely refused to get create a gmail account because she does not want to “have an Internet presence”. She is a talented professional and spreadsheet whiz who simply refuses to go online. Her job never requires Internet use and those times she does use it she surfs anonymously.

One could argue that if she wants to move ahead in the world she should do what a few thousand recruiters using social media want. But, is it a reasonable expectation?

Another co-worker has flat out told me the Internet will be the downfall of mankind. I went in his office one day to show him the animoto photo video I created of a recent event. His computer did not have the required software installed to view it. His comment was that he only uses Microsoft Office products on the hard drive and has never used the Internet. He does not have a personal computer at home. He used to work for IBM.

This isn’t uncommon. I manage a human resources task force made of HR professionals in the community who, with the exception of one member, are leery and confused about social media. Very few of the companies they work for have a social media presence and none of them are involved, even those who are generalists and recruiting is a part of their job. The most they do is use major job boards.

I’m assisting a grad student doing her thesis project. She needed to make a contact with someone at a particular research company. I suggested she search my LinkedIn contacts and I would make an introduction. She asked what LinkedIn was.

I could go on and on. In real life is a different demographic than in the social media sphere. Online applications and assessments are scary to a lot of people.

This brings me back to cover letters and the recent dialog regarding them. Justin Hillier makes a case that the best way is the video interview in his Social Recruiting 360 blog in response to my post Standing Out in the Crowd, on the art and purpose of cover letters.

Two days ago I received a resume and cover letter from a downsized 15 year VP of a bank. I searched him on LinkedIn, he wasn’t there. I searched him on Google and there were some mentions of him in corporate newsletters. That was it. I doubt suggesting he ditch his finely constructed explanatory cover letter in lieu of a video production is the practical way to go at the moment.

What do you think?