Let's Not Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover

[AMMOCAN]

*Title Should Be: Let's Not Judge a Book By It's Cover


Well, this is my first post back from another long disappointing summer, which I will use to share my experience that may or may not hit on some subjects that have been discussed in the past.

For those of you who don't know much about me, I will give you a brief summary. I am a man in my thirties currently residing in Northern California and recently just graduated this past May with a B.A. in Animation and Digital Media. I also possess five various A.A. degrees. While achieving my higher education I was employed through both profit and non-profit organizations. For the profit organization, I was employed by the university and community college through the Federal Work-Study program and the VA Work-Study program as a web designer and as a digital scanner. For the non-profit organization, I was and still am employed by both the C.I.P. and SUCCESS organizations at the university as a tutor, volunteer, and as a digital media specialist.

Before I started my journey to achieve my higher education I served in the United States Army on two separate occasions combining my service to be about ten years. However, due to injuries I was given a Honorable Disability Discharge. Although my responsibilities while in the Army varied, I made my living more on brawn than brains.

As you all may or may not be aware, but in 2009 events took place that has definitely had a negative affect on America. Now granted it has affected some more than others, but the fact remains that it has been a change never less that seems to keep snowballing.

In my area the unemployment rate was at 17.5% for the month of July from the 16.6% rate the month before. The State's collective unemployment rate is at 12.4%, while the country is at 9.3% as of last month. I know most of you could care less because you are currently doing just fine. However, it is a problem that we as a country need to care about, and it shouldn't have to become something that personally affects you or a family member before that happens.

For over a year I have proactively tried to gain employment both in and outside of my professional expertise, but due to my service connected injuries I am limited to applying for jobs that I could only possibly due within my own physical limitations. However, my physical limitations only limits me from doing physical labor which is repetitive and/or exerting, so I still applied for jobs outside of my professional expertise like fast food jobs, retail jobs, restaurant jobs, delivery driver jobs, etc.

Through my experience of looking for work I have learned a lot about our current employment process and realized how much our current economic state has affected it. Here are a few things that I have found:

1) Our Employment Process is Impersonal
2) Employers Are Looking For Experience Period
3) Employers Are Wanting the Most for Their Money
4) Employers Are Using Questionable and Discriminating Employment Tactics
5) There is a Disconnect Between current Employment Education Professionals and the Current Employment Market

I found that our current employment process is impersonal because when I first started looking for a job I went in person to many different types of businesses in my metro area and not one of them would accept my resume or give me an application, as the majority of them said to go online and a few of them basically said they weren't hiring. Also, out of the hundreds of jobs I have applied to about 99% of them don't have any way for you to follow up with them and the 1% that do never respond back. In some cases, I was able to eventually get a hold of some sort of HR person, but I was always told the same thing, which was they will contact me if they want to pursue me for the position.

Through my experience in looking for a job and speaking with every employment/temp agency in my metro area it is clear that employers are wanting people with experience and that is even for an entry level position. Not one employment/temp agency would take me because they all said the same thing, that their clients (employers) are looking for and wanting applicants who have at least three years experience. For those agencies that specialized in finding employment for applicants outside of my expertise, they said one of several things, that I was over qualified because of my education and past experience, that because of my education and past experience I am not the type of applicant their clients (employers) are/would be looking for, or simply that I don't have any or enough experience. I found these same responses to be reflected through my own job searches that I conducted each day for a minimum of four hours over about twenty different job sites.

There is no doubt that the current employment market is flooded with plenty of applicants for employers to choose from thus possibly the reason for them requiring an applicant to have extensive experience just for an entry level job regardless of the profession. However, through my job search I have found that at least in my field of expertise employers are wanting the most for their buck and it isn't just within the experience department. After speaking with a friend of mine he told me he has been seeing and hearing the same thing from employers in regards to the IT/CS field. Employers are wanting applicants who can do the duties of multiple professionals, but at the same price it would normally cost them to hire just one of them. For me, I found this to be true when finding jobs related to digital artist, web designer, graphic design, etc., as they also want someone who can do CS related stuff like programming, IT, networking, etc.

I found that companies are using your credit report as part of their hiring process, which is currently legal to do in this state. Also, companies are using your information for their own marketing purposes when filling out their application for employment. I know this because of the crap I have been receiving both in my email and mail boxes since I started applying for jobs.

Right now there is a clear disconnect between how employers are hiring and what they are looking for from what the employment education professionals are advising applicants on. I have been through several different employment programs, which include military, state, and education, regarding cover letters, resumes, job searching, and interviews spanning from 1997 to present and they all have been giving the same advice/recommendations. Yet, things are hardly the same in our current employment market than they were even two to three years ago.

Through my hundreds of applications for employment over a year's time I have only received a handful of interviews, which only two of them were upfront about their reason for not wanting to hire me, as the others just said they decided to pursue other applicants. The two upfront responses I heard were: 1) that they felt I didn't have enough experience, and 2) that they are looking for someone who they believe would be better suited for the position in the long term. The first response was from a website/advertising firm and the second response was from a packaging company in reference to my degree, as they were eluding to them not wanting to spend the money and time on me just to have me possibly leave them for a job more related to my education and past experience.

Now, if you were to take a look at me you would think I am a healthy individual, as I have no missing limbs, disfigurements, etc. However, I have internal injuries to my knees, chest, and back that are severe enough to keep me medicated and to alter my way of life, but not quite severe enough yet to have surgery or the need for a wheel chair. Obviously, this is why I am no longer in the military and can no longer pursue any employment that requires physical labor, which was one of my main motivations to pursue my higher education right after my separation from the military.

Well, after busting my butt and doing everything I could possibly think of I have been unsuccessful in finding employment. With facing the possibility of becoming homeless and ending up on the streets most likely having to resort to panhandling I searched out for any resource possible to prevent that from happening. However, most resources I could't use due to some private matters that are irrelevant in the context of this thread. The resources that I would be able to use I found out that I couldn't because they require you to have proof of income. So, I was able to contact the VA Education department regarding my remaining benefit balance and my current situation. I was told that they would grant me to use my remaining benefit at the community college.

I then enrolled back into college for the fall semester to take courses from their Web Development program. I am piled up on my bills and I am living off eating one meal a day. I was fortunate enough to make arrangements to pay this months rent at the end of the month, but will most likely need to make arrangements to pay next months rent late as well. I have also been finally given an appointment for Vocational Rehab, which isn't until next month. Even though I have a lot of positive things in the works and that I was able to prevent from going homeless for at least another four months or so, it hasn't come without a price. The sad thing is I know that there are people out there who are experiencing the same thing, but who are less fortunate than me.

That is why I think everyone should not judge someone or something just by it's cover or by your own judgmental stereotype even if you have had what you think is a similar experience. As individuals we are all different and our own experiences is one of the main reasons for that. However, many other variables play a role in shaping our own experiences, which make them unique and different from one another. Just because you might have gone through a similar experience five years ago, as someone who is going through it now, doesn't mean that if their outcome is different than yours, that they are doing something wrong or not at all.

I can personally tell you that there is no pride in losing everything and risk becoming homeless. I personally don't see how anyone, who is mentally healthy, would allow themselves or their family to starve and/or end up on the street. So, to automatically think that someone, who is having trouble finding a job or who is panhandling, isn't trying hard enough because of letting their pride get in the way is just plain out preposterous.

If you find yourself happy and financially comfortable despite all the problems we are having in this country, then consider yourself fortunate. I just hope that you will do your part as an American/human being to help others and possibly correct what is wrong instead of judging others.

[Honko]

It's no joke when people say that looking for a job (actively that is, not just sitting around hoping for something to drop into your lap) is a full time job. Best of luck to you sir.

[CynicalC]

It's tough right now, but not impossible. My father has been out of work for 9 months and finally starts a new job tomorrow. You can't blame employers for being picky right now. Whether you think it's right or not, they can get a lot for their money and if you can't offer what the next guy is, you're gonna get passed up. Just the way it is. Try to focus your efforts in one direction. Having a ba and five aa degrees only makes you look indecisive and flaky.

1) Our Employment Process is Impersonal
2) Employers Are Looking For Experience Period
3) Employers Are Wanting the Most for Their Money
4) Employers Are Using Questionable and Discriminating Employment Tactics
5) There is a Disconnect Between current Employment Education Professionals and the Current Employment Market

1) Yes. It's been that way since the internet was invented. You have to be resourceful to get in contact with a real hiring manager, and that resourcefulness will pay off.

2-3) Well yes of course. Who isn't looking for the most bang for the buck?

4) Yep. I know first hand from a couple of HR people in my family. Start filling out applications as a native american, or anything other than "white / caucasian" and you'll get more attention. They're not allowed to actually call you on it, and they don't actually care. As long as it says in your file that you aren't white, it makes them look good.

5) Don't rely on your "guidance counselor" to tell you where the jobs are. You're not in high school. Do your own research.

Tough love <3 Wish you the best of luck. Stick with it and you'll find something eventually. By the way, why do you have this idea that people are judging you?

[kyrider]

In my neck of the woods it is who you know that gets you work. Who you are related to, who you go to church with, who you play golf with, who you hunt with etc.

Then there are some jobs that can't keep people. They get hired and work a few days and quit or never come back after being called.

Is there any way you could relocate?

My sister has worked for a company many years and she had to relocate to Atlanta to keep her job.

I wish you the best!

[AMMOCAN]

A big thanx to all of you for your post contribution and support. It pleases me to know that most of you understood the message I was trying to get across despite using myself as an example. I just strongly believe that it is imperative that we not judge others/form an opinion of them based simply off our own experiences or on their appearance and/or lack of results without first walking a mile in their own shoes (knowing more about them and their circumstance).

On a separate note, I had the honor of meeting and speaking with a successful web development business owner this past Monday. The conversation was very inspirational to say the least, and it was nice to receive advice and constructive criticism from a fellow professional who truly understands both sides of our current job market. To summarize what he had to say; he basically said that he would not be the bit surprised if I personally never got hired both within or outside of my professional expertise in this current job market, while approaching gaining employment through the current point of view of an applicant looking to be hired as an employee to fill a position. He advised me that I will have better luck gaining employment in our current job market if I owned up on my talents, skills, and potential, and approached it from the point of view of a consultant rather than an applicant.

We spent a total of about two and a half hours talking to each other at Starbucks in regards to our current job market and my own personal situation, so of course there was a lot more said than what I summarized for you above. However, the bottom line is that it was nice to just speak with an employer/business owner first hand who not only gave me some insight to the point of view from an employer stand point, but also who gave me some advice on how to approach things in a different light considering my own unique circumstances. I have been chewing on all the advice and information he has shared with me and it has refueled my batteries so to speak. I am going to further pursue having my own business and will be presenting the idea to my Vocational Rehab counselor to see if he will support me in achieving this.