Job Hunters Brainstorm, Share Ideas and Encourage Each Other

One can really use all the help he or she can get when job hunting, especially in a tough economy. Support, tips and sharing ideas with others in the same boat can really be helpful.

The Neighbors helping Neighbors peer led support group for job seekers has now expanded to Hasbrouck Heights, meeting every Monday afternoon at the . NhN which was founded by River Edge resident John Fugazzie has had numerous success stories built out of this group and the group itself has since expanded into libraries all over Bergen County and surrounding counties as well.

The Hasbrouck Heights group, which is only two weeks old, already has members from Hasbrouck Heights, Wood-Ridge and other areas of South Bergen. The group meets each week to share job hunting ideas, brainstorm, feed ideas off each other and just lend each other support, the members say.

A Wood-Ridge resident said she has attended meetings in other areas of Bergen County but is now glad to have one closer to home.

The Heights NhN group is the first one in South Bergen. Mimi Hui, library director said they are happy to be able to take part in helping people in their job searching by offering their resources. In the past the Heights library had a job searching club of its own but as time went by and more and more people eventually got jobs the club fell to the wayside. Now the library can be home to the continuously growing NhN.

Fugazzie said there were many members coming to the meetings who were from the South Bergen area that expressed they would like NhN to start up in the areas closer to their homes. He said the goal is to have meeting locations based in libraries in the neighborhoods where they are most needed.

“I am lucky to have a great group of volunteers who contacted many of the libraries in South Bergen to find one with a room and availability for our weekly meetings," Fugazzie told Patch.  "We are very happy that Hasbrouck Heights is hosting us in their wonderful library and it makes it more convenient to our South Bergen members.”

Hasbrouck Heights is also one of the four locations that does meet during daytime hours along with Oradell, Ringewood and Oakland, he said. Other locations meet at night.

Many of the members attending the Heights meeting said the daytime meeting worked really well for their personal schedules. As one person pointed out there are only so many hours one can sit in front of a computer job hunting therefore it’s best to go out during the days hours to interact and share tips with others.

The group meetings at the Hasbrouck Heights library every Monday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. For more information call 201-288-0484.