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Aug 23, 2004 Recently, I have devoted much of my time looking for work -- the run-of-the-mill type -- and I often pause to ask myself, "How did this come to pass?" The answer is irrelevant. No matter what the answer, the problem still remains; I need a job. For a short time, I managed all right by doing the odd job of free lance work, or collecting revenue from one site or another by means of affiliate stores and such. Working for, or through, the Web has always been an out-of-the- box experience. It is still very young and open to new ideas and methods. Some are successful, and some crash and burn prophetically. The chances of any one of us being involved with an online company in any form these days is great, and a connection with such a company that has folded is also equally as such. As the Web grows, and the user base becomes thinner (or solidifies if you're an optimist), risk abounds, and profit for most sites gets slim. The advantages of working online are off-the-board, but tenuous. Failure has become inevitable. And so, here I am. On my behalf, I believe I have done well, but as I said, Web growth has limited resources. The excess that came, had went, and then came again, and has decided to once again vacate. Thus began the tedious task of looking for work away from the electronic frontier. The biggest obstacle I run into is the plethora of job search sites that claim to have 'Your job, waiting for you!' Out of all the Emails I have sent with résumé attachments, through the divine wisdom of such sites these have become thinly veiled ego-hanced cover letters, I have received only two replies. These were the electronic version of the dreaded thin envelope; 'Sorry, you did not meet our requirements.' It's not like I was trying to fill the Pope's shoes. But that may be just the problem. Every employer, or HR manager, wants to find the best person in their field to fill that position, and at a minimal rate. The going rate is always relative to what area of the country you are living in, which has become fortunate for most, and not so for others. I have previously been moved by a high pay rate, and I mean emotionally moved. What a thrill it was to be paid that much. To other people, it would not affect them so, but I have always had a strange affection for high pay rates. Okay, I digress. Unfortunatley, this could very well be the heart of the matter. I cannot accept a low paying job, not because I have a lifestyle that prohibits such a thing, but because the only way to survive demands it. Too many people live below the poverty level, and it does not need another. So why won't possible employers help me? I continue to tell them that, "I am the ideal employee, and will help the company grow," or, "Help the company fulfill its goals." Yet, you cannot boast so much as to let the employer think that they could not possibly afford to go on without you. Or that their whole business plan is for naught without a key associate like yourself. Who would want to bother with someone who thinks they are better than the executives? Psh, not me. So, ooh la la, here I am, a rock, ready to roll for you. Will you push me? Maybe that could be my interest, or skill, "I am submissive, and quiet." I am not sure if any of that is true, even though a submissive free thinker is needed at every company; nobody wants to be pushed out by the new hire. The next employee could be the greatest thing that ever happened to the employing company. The new worker could take the company high, or low, and might even fire HR. Would that not be a kick in the head? Could I be the next Angel of Death? ------------ About the author: Jim Cripps, writer and editor, usually wallows at his website, http://adjandadv.20megsfree.com/, and has carpal-tunnel-syndrome from keeping his hand out all day. Email: jimcripps@hotmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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