The Modern Job Market: A Journey to an Unknown Land Known as Hell
It is happening all over: economic down-sizing which leads to those harrowing lay-offs, and I know, dear readers, because I have been a victim of this three times over the last twenty years. It hurts to get comfortable on a job, after all the time it takes to learn and become skillful, not to mention establishing friendships with co-workers, only to be forced to leave and begin all over again. But, it’s a sad fact of life.
Then there are those who get fired, some because they deserve it due their blatant unreliability, and some for no reason, save perhaps the color of their skin, or their sexual orientation, and sadly enough I have witnessed the latter very recently, because two of my good friends, who happened to be excellent, dependable workers were victims of this crime,and my disgust prompted me to terminate my own employment and leave behind them. That, as well as the fact of the very real likelihood that my payroll check might bounce if I tried to cash it.
What outrages me most is the fact of how little you can do when such an injustice has been committed. It all boils down to your word against theirs, and the word of the “little man” means squat, in many cases. Employers of low caliber stick together no matter what, forming their great wall of phoniness and haughty judgment of their employees. But what can you do? These are the people holding the cards, and God help you if you work for them.
Well, I’ll tell you what to do, and I’m afraid as trite as it sounds, it’s still the best advice there is: Don’t give up. Life is not easy for anyone, and all you can do is be kind to others, and do the very best you can. I am not a very religious person, but I do believe God will reward you for it. Stay in the fight, and when you get knocked down, get up swinging and smiling. Keep searching and you will find something that suits you.
I know how you feel, rejection is hard. Times are tough. Some of our soldiers are coming home from the war to sleep in their cars because they’ve lost their homes. I read an article recently about a homeless man who sold his blood just so he could eat and afford some gas in his car, only to find a ticket on his car windshield when he came out of the clinic. If you think about it, no matter how hard it your struggle is, you are not alone.
I am at a point in my life where, at times, the job front looks hopeless. I have an education, which the leaders of our country tell us is “the key” to success, but after the myriad of applications I’ve filled out, the dozens of resumes I fax, I am still looking. But I realize there are millions of us looking. I try to suppress my occasional depression, and fight the urge to just give up and become a stunt tester, or take to the open streets to organize a dance school for monkeys. After all, I still have my health, my strength, the love of my family, and my hope which keeps me going. And my advice to anyone searching for anything that occasionally borders on futility is just that: Never lose your hope or your faith. Get up swinging and smiling!
