Joblessness in a Time of Turmoil

The first part of the title for this blog was inspiration, but the last word just wouldn’t come, Joblessness in a Time of ___??____. Recession and depression just did not have the right ring to it, probably too long or too mushy of a sound. Enlisting the help of some friends resolved the matter.

The question posed:

“What’s another word for recession OR what would you call what our society is in right now? (preferably one word.)”

The fantastic responses received:

“We are in a depression, they just won’t admit it. Haha. How about crisis?” - Roseann

“Depression. Turmoil. Downturn. Does that help?” - Jason

“Turmoil.” - Reesie

“Economic debilitation.” – Matt

Though all the answers were appropriate and accurate, turmoil just had the right feel. Being jobless at this point in time certainly puts a person in a great deal of turmoil. Hunting for a job has to be the most depressing and boring process a person can experience. There’s the endless hours of browsing through jobsites, swallowing pride and asking friends for leads, walking into businesses and asking if they are hiring, speaking with headhunting companies, and going on endless interviews. There is nothing quite as horrifying as a job fair though.

The traditional concept of a job fair is so that one can meet face to face with employers and give them a quick impression then drop off a resume. It’s suppose to be a mini-interview or quick sales pitch for the job-seeker. A few years back when attending a job fair this is exactly what people experienced. Now what occurs is quite different. The employers have all the power and know it, what’s more is employees are rarely actually needed. There is no need to collect resumes, the HR person running the booth at the fair simply tells each person, “If you’re interested here’s our website,” handing out a business card or flyer, “go to it and fill out the application.” Rarely will they answer questions or be looking for a specific position. An industrious job-seeker will have researched the companies attending and know when employers have real positions open. These booths are swamped with people waiting to speak with a harassed and annoyed looking HR person, who after the three-hundredth job-seeker they spoke with they gave up.

The job fair at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 28th was a prime example of this recession age job fair. Upon arrival, vehicles were directed by lot attendants into a crowded parking lot with scores of people dressed in their best flowing down the aisles. People walked into the stadium by the thousand’s and were directed down the ramp to the main floor (where the field sits). The ramp is a series of switchbacks that seemingly takes forever to navigate, especially when wearing heels or carrying a briefcase. It is the ideal venue for job seekers to check each other out, as they wind dizzily down into the depths of the building. What was most shocking was not the people who had brought their children, but the ones that were wearing jeans and sweat shirts. These people received dirty looks from the suit wearers and it was likely the dark desire of many to give them a swift kick in the butt.

Things only got worse upon arrival at the main floor where the companies were set up. Half the stadium was used with four 50-yard long rows of booths with, long lines stretching away from each company. The more popular or desirable a company was, the more twisted their line became as it snaked away from the booth and in front of other companies. The shortest line there had to have been fifteen people, while the longest was hands down Grand Canyon University, with maybe seventy-five people at any point, twisting their way past the two booths next to them and out into the large open area near the entrance doors. This is the first sight that greeted people as they walked in the door. One would think that the crowded parking lot or the long circular trek down the ramp would have crushed their spirits completely but the job was finished upon the sight of those lines. Shoulders slumped, faces fell, and people had to stop and take a deep breath before they trudged forward to find a line to stand in.

Note:
Upon finishing this blog I went searching for an appropriate news link or picture to go with it, I highly recommend checking out the article I found, the accompanying picture, from this very job fair, is...breathtaking.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122531739353381779.html