CSIX Connect Gives Job Seekers Leads And Support

SARATOGA (KPIX 5) Looking for a job can be pretty discouraging, even depressing. This week's Jefferson Award winner has helped countless people find jobs in Silicon Valley through a free networking service.

Hamid Saadat teaches job seekers what he himself has learned. When he lost his Silicon Valley job 17 years ago in the dot com crash, he asked a stranger out to lunch.

"I told him listen, the reason, the goal for today is not to be alone and have lunch with someone," Saadat said. "And I'm out of a job, operations background. What about you? 'I'm out of a job, too.'"

They started meeting each week.

"Before we know it, we had 100 people, 200 people, and everybody was required to bring some job leads," Saadat explained.

So Saadat founded the nonprofit, CSIX Connect in 2001, a free, in-person and online job resource.

C - Communicate your goal.  S - State your goal.  I - Improve your networking skills.  X - eXchange job leads.

In its first years, during the height of Silicon Valley's recession, an average five people a week were getting jobs through CSIX.

CSIX gathers weekly at Saratoga Federated Church to network and share job leads over lunch. The church offers the space rent-free and helps offset meal costs. In the all-volunteer program, guest speakers give job hunting tips, and employers share openings.

Pam Livingston described how she landed a job at a startup a few years ago.

"I found that opportunity because I spoke to the gentleman who stood up and said he might be looking to hire someone," Livingston said.

She became director of business development, and later she hired others she met at CSIX. The meetings give hope, encouragement, and support to job seekers like laid-off program manager Geoffrey Indrajo.

"You come here, you have a friendly environment, and you learn something," Indrajo said.

And the face-to-face networking continues on the outside. For example, Saadat has weekly hiking and motorcycle meet-ups.

Today, CSIX has grown to more than 7,000 members.

So many, Saadat says it's tough to track the number who's landed jobs through its connections.

But Pastor Arwin Engelson says there's no doubt Saadat is making a difference.

"We're so fond of his energy, his good will, his attention to the person," Engelson explained.

"It's a great feeling," Saadat said. "You go at the end of the day, say, 'Ah, I helped someone to land a job.'"

So for providing networking opportunities and hope for thousands of job seekers, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Hamid Saadat.