The popularity of MySpace and Facebook has spawned dozens of copycats trying to get a slice of the social-network pie – but none have sought quite the audience layoffspace.com has. In case you can’t tell from the name, layoffspace.com is a social-networking site devoted to the unemployed, which just launched Friday.
The site seeks to offer support for the jobless by allowing them to connect with one another, but also to help them get back on their feet and find job opportunities. Layoffspace.com users will be able to include their experience, education and aspirations in profiles. They will also have access to career counseling, information on constructing a resume, links to other career resources, and a job board. Employers will be able to peruse potential candidates and post job opportunities for free.
“We created LayoffSpace.com as a place for people whose lives have been shattered by unemployment to find what they need to pick themselves up and create bright futures,” said Jake Ludwinski, founder of the new site, in a statement.
If users have a little extra time to kill – and let’s face it, they probably do – there will also be blogging features to vent on the frustrations of being unemployed, and a chat room for support from others.
Future social-networking entrepreneurs had better get on the ball, all the niches for these sites are almost filled. We have Facebook for students, MySpace for wannabe rock stars who have never been employed, and now layoffspace for the recently unemployed. Who’s going to step up and create a site for the nine to five crowd? Iron workers like to share their favorite movies too, you know.
