I have many intelligent, talented friends in my social circle, most with college educations and a wide range of skills, who are currently unemployed. Many lost jobs from being laid off during the downturn, many more have not had the opportunity to hold a career-track job since graduating from college.
I consider myself lucky. I essentially gave up on degree-track college, and occasionally take a class if I really want to learn something, and avoided tens of thousands of dollars of debt. I manage a wine bar, and do okay. I've had this job for almost 4 years, and it's served me well through my late 20's. During my early 20's, I would skip from job to job, with ease, essentially taking whatever job best suited my purpose at the specific time. I worked in child care, restaurants, photography, digital media, real estate, sales, retail, you name it. I'm a master of the cover letter, and my resume is amazing, because I know how to sell myself to potential employers.
The point of this is that I have never had trouble getting jobs, and I have always firmly believed that if you want the jobs bad enough, you aren't miserably unqualified, and you sell yourself properly, there should be no issues. The job will be yours, IF you play the game properly.
I no longer believe this.
Oftentimes, when my friends go though terms of unemployment, I end up helping them with their resumes, or just chatting with them about interviews, giving them tips, helpful advice. I've always believed and stated that if you seem informed, enthusiastic, and articulate, and don't have an amateurish resume, you'll do well, regardless of the interviewer. I've personally revised resumes and helped a number of my friends secure positions after long periods of rejections and lack of luck.
But something happened. The jobs suddenly dried up.
My friends continued to have trouble, despite doing everything I suggested. Their resumes were impeccable, they applied for jobs they were qualified for. Their cover letters were brief, enthusiastic, informative and confident. But no one received responses.
I began to doubt my own methods. Methods that have worked for me for the last 15 years of my young life. So I decided to try an experiment, and it's one I would recommend that every happily employed person do. I started applying for jobs I didn't want or need.
I would, once a week, scan through the wanted ads in the paper, Craigslist, the local job sites, and would find a few similar jobs that I was clearly qualified for. Then I would write individual cover letters and retool my resume to highlight their needs, and I emailed, faxed, and mailed them. I've ended up applying for over 100 positions over the course of a month, with excellent credentials, a well thought out pitch, the whole package.
Not one response. From anyone. I've yet to apply to a big-box chain store as a retail cashier, so I haven't quite swept the bottom of the barrel, but hell. It's really nasty out there. The jobs are simply not around. I'm extremely lucky not to be in need right now.
If you, or someone you love finds themselves starting to feel disdain for the unemployed, I would highly advise that they put their money where they're mouth is, and try to find a new job themselves, just for giggles, even if they don't want it. I assure you, it will be an enlightening experience.
We've gotta do something, and frankly, the idea of Americans receiving paychecks for searching for jobs that don't exist, while our country literally crumbles around us is idiotic. It's time for a BIG BANG job creation act that will put our unemployed to work, instead of helplessly pounding the pavement, in desperate competition with each other and with time for the private sector jobs that we keep hoping will materialize. These people will be proud to work improving our communities and neighborhoods. They will be proud to serve their country in return for an honest paycheck. We can give them jobs.
Let's get Americans out of the unemployment lines and put them to do the work we need in America. We need people to tend parks, repair potholes, build community gardens, tear down abandoned buildings, plant trees, take part in neighborhood watches. There are more than 10 million jobs that could be created instantly, doing things America needs, right now. We may not be able to pay a hefty salary, but putting people back in control of their own lives is what is needed to get our economy running again. The answer isn't more and more unemployment checks, but jobs. Let's make those jobs happen.