This was a wonderful new addition in assisting 'job seekers' in finding creative means to networking, building meaningful professional and personal relationships with prospective employers, and creating new avenues to getting 'noticed' in the professional marketplace.
Whether your a new job seeker out on the market or someone who has been unemployed for some time there's something in here for everyone to take away and build upon.
The only issue I'd have is with the fact that gaps in employment for those of us who're raising families solo are not addressed. Nor is the fact about re-entering the workplace after long term unemployment and wage gap fillers using volunteering as a tool.
I've been divorced for many years and I've found that age is also an issue for older Americans even in our mid 40's with extensive backgrounds and higher education such as with my case having obtained my Masters.
Rebecca addressed some HR members reporting back that they couldn't afford to pay higher educated workers or that the higher education was a stumbling block to being labeled 'overqualified' but it was briefly addressed.
I've found that upon requesting an evaluation and helpful advise after a non-hire that HR executives said I'm overqualified, in a highly competitive field with numerous applicants, or that they found someone with more extensive qualifications even if the job was advertised as entry level with no prior work experience required with on the job training. I continue seeking full time living wages while in extreme poverty to this day.
What complexes my situation is the age requirements. As we all know age discrimination is a major issue these days as companies downsize and utilize cost cutting measures.
It's becoming increasingly difficult when salaries are stagnant, superiority is non-existent, and job security with benefits is all but obsolete.
Workers today should be paid around $20 hourly to stay in tune with the cost of living yet, many are just paying poverty wages at $7.25 hour.
Due to the pandemic many are tossing in extra hiring incentives such as 1k bonus for new hires but this is a drop in the bucket when you see the salaries or the wage increases after performance reviews.
I've worked to death at a factory as a teen. I was injured on the job and left to get a college degree and Masters. I had over 30k in student loan debt upon graduating that accrued to over 100k with deferments plus divorce, medical expenses for having kids to the tune of another 30k in collection, and other debt from having to live with zero income awaiting child support for kids while having medical disabilities that resulted in additional debt. I was paid $7.25 hr., just under full time hours to prevent full time status, top producer in two departments (CTH/GTH), received $25 one time bonus (pre-tax) and ten cent raise for producing 200 units per hour. The guy taking my garbage earned $8.00 to start.
People don't realize the work to death mentality is a farce. I have major medical problems from this theory of work hard, pull up the bootstraps, hard work pays off.
It doesn't and it only led to additional problems that now can't be solved. For example, I now suffer from severe spinal stenosis, asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis and a ganglion cysts (repetitive movement) and I attribute these issues directly to this factory in which we had no clean air and diesel fumes from loading docks as a non smoker.
Folks, we can discuss the niceties but the reality is that I've even tried the cold calls. I've sent the emails. The thank you letters.
I've been interviewed by the President of the United Way who told me I came across as 'entitled' because I'm no longer able to work for free after volunteering for the past twenty years. I cried all the way out the door.
I'm the one who was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Community Service Award by Maternal Family Health Services but when I applied multiple times for a job with them was declined and told the other individual had more billing and coding experience even though it was on the job training and no experience necessary.
I was the one who volunteered with Pocono Raceway as a fan council member and consistently submitted my resume yearly only to have my boss hired and sent to Daytona.
I was the one who applied for the Wilkes Barre Chamber of Commerce position and was told by boys just out of college that I wasn't a good fit for the job. Upon scheduling an interview to further ask for tips on job hiring I was left to sit in the waiting room even with a scheduled appointment.
The construction men on site actually assisted me and upon seeing the President of the company leaving after a meeting I was the one who introduced myself and seized the golden opportunity to ask about the declined position. I was later told numerous applicants and to keep trying.
It's a dog eat dog world in which I've had multiple entry level and low salaried jobs declined including jobs at my alumni colleges for 14k a year (before taxes) bookstore positions declined even while working unpaid for over 11 publishers as a trade blogger and reviewer as the TOP 37 of all Time reviewer at Goodreads with 1,214 books read last year alone -for free while seeking a living wage since twenty ten.
I'm the gal who has applied to the same position multiple times , declined, and reapplied after it was reposted for the same job.
I've even applied for paid jobs on Facebook in my local area only to be told they didn't place the ad or that it's volunteer position which seems a wee-bit odd.
I've come to realize that in today's day and age it's not about networking it's about wealth. It's about money. It's about donations to colleges in exchange for kickbacks and perks. It's about the big boy network only helping their own. It's not what you know but what political affiliation and who you are surrounded by on a daily basis.
I know this because I've watched guys with criminal records such as Greg Skrepnak have jobs set aside for them at local law offices ie. Fellerman and Ciarimboli. A job that I graciously applied for with a Masters in Criminal Justice having worked for the Public Defender's Office as an intern. I was declined. The individual who applied was a convicted felon and I won't bother to go into his educational background.
I've also been the one who watched my own ex-spouse get hired with a PFA violation and arrest for an ICC violation on record. Also warrant issued for failure to pay and appear for court after 15k accrued in arrearages. He was hired with Wilkes University for a grant funded position.
He was a major Democratic donor to the college and an alumni.
I know people have to make money.
I also know people will be nice and say, "Keep trying" or they'll note, "something is bound to come up." Ten years and going strong here.
The reality is without money you are nothing in this world. Credit is everything. Woman who gave up careers to raise families are never reimbursed for the time lost. We can't get that time back.
It's impossible to get hired when women are paid less than men with families to raise and support. When woman are treated inhumanely at the hands of men. When women cannot be reimbursed for the greatest and hardest job in the world and must do so alone without assistance for childcare expenses which are enormous. While many have it rough imagine being on our end.
I've recently applied for a content writer with ENX2 marketing. I figured I was a well qualified candidate having extensive history as a freelance writer, trade blogger, reviewer, and the like over the years in this field. I passed two writing test and was told my interview went extremely well. Yet, they hired a young lady who was right out of college with yearbook experience. I kid you not with this small mediocre company with less than 20 employees for this start up business.
While I'm thrilled the younger workers are being hired it's sad that older workers with extensive obligations cannot be extended the same opportunities.
It's sad to say that women are at a loss in a man's world.
No comments:
Post a Comment