November 11, 2012

A Job Fair in Chicago

Just wonderful -- from the Chicago CBS affiliate:
First Ever City Job Fair Leaves Many Frustrated With Hiring Process
About 3,000 people lined up for the city�s first-ever jobs fair on Friday � some of them waiting in line for up to six hours � hoping to apply for work with the city, but many left frustrated after learning the only way to apply for a job was to go online.

WBBM Newsradio�s Bernie Tafoya reports Mayor Rahm Emanuel stopped by the job fair, expecting a warm welcome from job seekers, but instead ran into lots of ticked-off people.

More than 3,000 people showed up for the 55 posted job openings, but city hiring rules require all applications be filed online, so many of those who attended left frustrated at having to stand in line for hours, without being able to actually apply for a job.
Bzzzztttt!!! Two things wrong right there. First - the available jobs were only with the city -- government jobs, jobs that will grow the government at a time when it really needs to shrink. The second is that there was zero reason to get these people out in the first place -- there was no mechanism to hire them without their being online. A bit more:
City officials were not conducting job interviews, or hiring anyone on the spot. Officials said all job applications for city jobs must be done online, because of city hiring rules and the federal Shakman decree that bans political-based hiring for most city jobs.

However, city representatives did offer assistance in applying for jobs online using computers provided by the city, and also informed job seekers about workshops on r�sum� writing and job interview skills.
Bread and circuses -- if the city was serious, they could have coordinated with the various Chambers of Commerce and had local businesses also there to accept applications. Some more:
CBS 2�s Suzanne Le Mignot reports the event left many of those job seekers wondering why someone didn�t tell them from the start to use their computers to apply for a city job, rather than stand in line for hours in the cold.
Geeezzz -- if these widdle snowflakes really wanted a job, why didn't they sit down in front of their home computer and start googling. You are not going to get the good stuff handed to you on a silver platter -- if you want to work, work! A few comments:
Rodney Booker said, �I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.�
And:
Michael Williams compared the job fair to standing in a soup line, only to find out there�s no soup.
And this is the caliber of people who are applying for jobs with the Chicago City Government? And finally:
Despite the complaints, the mayor�s office said the job fair was a success, and another would be held next year.
Posted by DaveH at November 11, 2012 12:09 PM
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