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I stumbled upon an article today about a local job fair. It basically said employers had a difficult time finding candidates that matched their hiring criteria, and job-seekers had a difficult time finding employers willing to offer more than entry level pay- nothing newsworthy there. But what caught my eye was the picture they posted with the article. (See attached)
I understand people are competing for low-end jobs that may in fact be beneath them; it's the nature of this terrible job market. I also disagree with the way employers are abusing job seekers by making them jump through any number of unreasonable hoops requiring extensive experience for entry level positions, favoring recent experience over a body of experience etc.
But what I don't understand is how people expect to be taken seriously when they represent themselves the way the job seekers in this picture are. I see about 50 people in that picture, and MAYBE 2 business suits (not counting the guy with a suit jacket thrown over his tee shirt). Most of these people look like they swung by the job fair on their way home from Walmart. I even see one guy wearing a hoodie. I understand we live in a world where it's appropriate to wear jeans to everything but a court arraignment, but do people honestly think they represent themselves well by meeting potential employers wearing whatever was balled up on the floor next to their bed when they woke up?
I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir; most of the people who post in this forum are here because they actually CARE about finding work, but a word to the wise: You are your own brand. Put some effort into how you represent/sell that brand if you want ANY chance of being taken seriously by employers.
One time I went to a job fair and I had to tell FIVE people the vent on their jacket/pencil skirt was still sewn shut. That X isn't a decoration! It's to keep it nice at the store!
One time I went to a job fair and I had to tell FIVE people the vent on their jacket/pencil skirt was still sewn shut. That X isn't a decoration! It's to keep it nice at the store!
Maybe they wanted to return in when they were done.
This was in Florida. I think the labor market is bad enough here without putting yourself at a disadvantage by looking like those people do.
I'm not suggesting everyone dress to the nines for a job fair, but no company wants to hire someone who is obviously too lazy to take some stock in themselves.
This is definitely true. I always kept my best suits still in their dry cleaner bags, unworn and ready for an interview (on those rare occasions I was lucky enough to get one). When I met with the cafeteria supervisor for my present job, I still wore a nice skirt, sweater and boots. A suit would have been too much, but at least it showed I was interested enough in the job to put some effort into my appearance.
Once when I was looking for work I went into a business that was looking for janitors. When I went in there were already several people filling out applications. One by one they would approach the receptionist to turn in their completed applications. Each time the receptionist would put their application in a bin without looking at it and send them on their way. When I turned in my application she did not even give it a once over or ask me anything. Instead, she escorted me to the general managers office. Without looking at my application the first words out of the general managers mouth was "The job's yours if you want it". He then explained that he could teach anyone to do the job. He said I was offered the job because I was the first person applying that was not wearing blue jeans or worn out clothes.
The woman with the baby in the stroller looks like she is with the man to her left. Perhaps they, as a couple, had other business in addition to the job fair. And if she is the job-seeker, why would this be a bad thing? People have children. The job fair is not an interview. It is a place to find out who's hiring and hook up with who's looking. If something looks promising for either one of them, the other parent is available to walk the baby away for few minutes while information is exchanged.
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