I went with #2 Son to apply for a part-time job for him while he is home for the summer. We went into the main lobby and he took his application and found a table in the dining room to fill it out. The hotel was offering all kinds of jobs from high-level positions to busboys in their restaurant.
The people applying ran the gamut from teenager to men and women in their 60’s.
I couldn’t help but notice this one older gentleman and his sense of frustration. He sat at the table next to us, a man about 60 to 65, dressed in an old suit, with an uninspiring tie and shirt, an outfit which said: “I’ve been around the block and then some.” He wore a beard and his hair was thinning but a little scraggly, and he was slightly overweight.
But what I noticed was that he was waiting for his interview, and he seemed very nervous, and fidgety. He must have been out of work for a long time, and really needed this job he was applying for.
Another gentleman walked in, about in his mid 40’s to early 50’s. He wore a very crisp suit and with a shirt and tie that said: “I am very good, however circumstances beyond my control bring me here!”
The older gentleman watched the younger guy as he walked in, and immediately his face turned sour. He looked concerned that his chances went way down if this other man was applying for the job. There seemed to be a sense of desperation on the old fellows part, and it really upset me. I wanted to go over to him and say: “Guy, you have to dress the part, feel the part, and most importantly be the part. Look at you! You could cut your hair way back to a clean look, shave off the beard, and look a few years younger, and you could pave those worry lines in your face with a smile! And one more thing, get a nice tie.”
It’s a shame with this economy: the poor fellow has this to deal with. Probably dreaming of retirement that he will never see, and maybe on the brink of financial problems that are getting bigger by the day. He may have grandchildren he can’t enjoy, a lovely wife that needs to work and kids that worry about him. Sometimes I hate myself for imagining all that I just surmised!
2 comments:
Sad reality in the post-Madoff, post home mortgage meltdown era. I feel for people who really want and need to work but who can't find a job. In time they might be tempted to join the "W.T.F. Entitlement Army", people who would rather stay home and spend your money and mine rather than even try to find a job. Sadly there are already too many people in that outfit.
Ava's school advertised for a one-year temp position as a grade 2 teacher (for a teacher gooing on maternity leave and got over 400 applications. I don;t think, after being out of the work force for this long, I'll ever get another teaching job. Good thing my only career goal these days is to work in a wine shop.
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