"Can You Give Me A Job"

"Can you give me a job?" If you are having to ask this question right now (or any time for that matter), you are in serious trouble. There is not a much more dehumanizing experience than looking for a job. Getting your work history together, making a resume or resumes in some cases, completing tedious on line applications, "networking" and hoping for the phone to ring is misery. Life is in turmoil from day to day, week to week, month to month and for some year to year. It effects all aspects of life. The hardest part is not knowing when it will end. Then there is the build up of hope when you get an interview and feel you aced it only to be let down. Many companies are bad about letting people know in a timely manner the result of an interview if they do at all. How inconsiderate. As time goes by, it is harder and harder to put on a positive face. Many have been out of work for more than a year. We identify ourselves by what we do, our work. After your name, what is most often the next question? What do you do? For someone not working this usually leads to an awkward pause an an explanation of the kind of work they have done. The things I've described go on and on and take a huge toll on individuals, their family and close friends. We expect people to go through this ordeal most any time they switch jobs. Having to wait for someone to 'give" you a job is a hell all it's own. There are other ways...

One alternative is self employment. For some, this may be a way out o job search hell. And for young people a way to avoid it all together. You can mow lawns or move large objects for people but the pay is usually low and it takes a toll on your body. No, a better way is using your mind. For example, if you can learn how to talk to groups and share useful information with out fear, you can make a business. If you can write, make some blogs and sell advertising. Create ideas. It may be over stated but it is true, use your gifts. We all have unique valuable skills. If you have Been living the job search nightmare, think about what you alone may have to offer. For example, think about three skill sets or characteristics you have and then think of a way to combine them into something truly unique. Me? I don't mind talking to groups, I know a lot about conflict resolution and I'm handicapped. I can talk to professionals about hiring and working with diverse groups. There are alternatives to the job search nightmare. Email me (pdlavack@yahoo.com) and let's see what we can come up with.

If creating a business from scratch is not for you, the next best thing is having a high enough demand skill where people come knocking on your door! These are not skills that you can develop over night. There is no magic bullet / simple solution. Health care, computers / IT and the new field of green technology are all still looking good right now. These are also areas that are more resistant to outsourcing. It is too bad we have outsourced most of our manufacturing. What remains is high end, like building aircraft. If the economy does really start to recover, transportation is another are to consider. It is still possible to find jobs in trucking where a company may pay for your training. It may not be 9-5 but the pay can be pretty good, starting around 35k and going up from there.

What will happen when all of the unemployment extensions finally run out and there are still few jobs? Let's save this one for next time.

Buzz words...

How do we get people back to work in an economy that no longer makes things? The buzz words retrain, adjust and stimulate somehow come up short in our current situation. We have gone from an industrial power house to the new FIRE (finance insurance & real estate) economy. The link gives a so so explanation of it but you will get the idea. In my state, North Carolina, what do we do with thousands of poorly educated textile and furniture workers? Back 30 or 40 years ago a job at the local plant was today's government job. You had it made! The company took care of everything. Sure. you were never going to be rich but you always had a roof and a place to be 40 plus hours a week. Down turns came and went. Draw a little unemployment until things turn back around and repeat. Now how will it work? So many of these jobs are gone for good this time. Will the stimulus plan work? Sure, with that kind of money being thrown around a lot of people will go back to work doing something but for how long?  Where is the long term answer? The business people get on TV and warn us all of not going back to "protectionism" and "isolation" but these are not the same people trying to get by on a small weekly unemployment check. Sure, we cannot go back to the world of 200 years ago where we did our own thing  but do we have to compete with places with terrible human rights records, wages measured in pennies and no environmental regulations? Somehow this is supposed to benefit our economy and help create jobs here. Immigration is a great way to keep America healthy and dynamic. The way the powerful are using it today merely to drive down the cost of labor for their own short term financial benefit is making it much harder for people here to find work paying a living wage. In typical American fashion, many here blame the poor slobs fleeing terrible living conditions in their own country. It is divide and conquer at it's finest. They would be better served to follow the money where ever it leads... We hear a lot about change, another buzz word, lately. The current system here is broken and WILL change. Will we be able to manage the real change on the way?        

The mirror...

The Mirror...

We can sometimes be our own worst enemies... Victimhood, insecurity and denial can get to the best of us from time to time. If a job search goes on for long enough one or all of these things begin to creep in.  A job search is 100% self marketing and when we start to think less of ourselves it gets worse and worse... We deny our own part in why we are not getting a job looking for a cause everywhere but the most obvious... the mirror. This is the hardest part of going between jobs. It is good to question yourself but not blame yourself. Ask what can I do better and do not say or think I cannot do better. 

Try to think creatively, make different resumes and try to think of hidden skills you may have. A man came into see me one day looking for "anything." After talking with the guy a few minutes I learned he was from Afghanistan and knew Farsi and Pahstun in addition to being fluent in English! I told him he could tutor (there is a lot of military in this state), go work for an NGO or perhaps even the federal government with those skills. When they leave me I do not know what happens most of the time. Hopefully, I showed him a new door to open. 

Look in the mirror, keep it positive and creative and overcome...