The harsh reality of the economy’s continued downward spiral is inescapable. Last week, the jobs hemorrhage continued, and the number of people receiving unemployment benefits hit an alltime high. All I know is that everywhere I turn and just about
The harsh reality of the economy’s continued downward spiral is inescapable. Last week, the jobs hemorrhage continued, and the number of people receiving unemployment benefits hit an alltime high. All I know is that everywhere I turn and just about everyone I talk to, the conversation turns to job losses and the lack of opportunities for the working class and professionals alike.
Those who find themselves job hunting for the first time in many years may be a bit rusty. But now is not the time to rest on laurels or settle for a resume that is just “good enough.” To truly compete in today’s shrinking job market, you have to be a standout, a real superstar.
A little over a week ago, I caught a startling glimpse of just how bad things have gotten. I participated in a job fair held at Salem Baptist Church of Chicago after Sunday service, and the response was overwhelming. Literally thousands of people stood in line to learn about opportunities, and I stood there with them for three hours in stilettos and stocking feet looking over resumes and counseling jobseekers.
I was struck by the number of attendees whose resumes revealed spotty work histories and few, if any, employable skills. I tried to convince those lacking experience to enter a job training program in an industry that is hiring but found that people desperate to work simply don’t want to hear that.
Cheryl Freeman-Smith, the director of workforce development at the Chicago Urban League, came later to assist me. She observed that a fair number of the attendees were not properly dressed to go on an interview. Still, others simply had not brought their best selves to the event in terms of their overall appearance and presentation.
“Even some of the highly educated jobseekers didn’t know how to position themselves,” she said. “They didn’t have an objective on their resumes. And they couldn’t really tell me what they wanted to do.”
I thought to myself, “How are some of these folks going to stack up when hundreds may be competing for one open slot? How do people expect to get hired with virtually no skills on their resume?”
It was a frightening scenario, one that has long-term implications for the African American community as wage and income gains in recent years start to slip away.
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