Help wanted





Recently I went to a “job fair” at the Los Angeles convention center. I am not to proud to admit that I had some level of excitement of being interviewed for immediate open positions by those that do the hiring. So I put on my dry-cleaning-required suit and drove my V8 truck to downtown Los Angeles in 105 degree heat with the air on full blast.

Upon entering the job fair I couldn’t help feeling a sense of despair in the room. Was it because people were applying for jobs while holding their children’s hands or pushing their toddler’s stroller? Or was it the builtin competition of the thousand or so people vying for the same open positions? Was it the prospect of leaving today without a job and having to fill up their vehicle for at least another $75? Could it have been none of the open positions met the even reduced expectation of those applying for them?

It’s possible that pasting a smile on your face for two hours, trying to politely explain time lapses in your resume, were what I saw in the interviewees’ eyes. The truth is any one of these “body weights” in and by themselves could cause frustration to the people applying for their livelihood.

Certainly, there is no guarantee that a job opening will be filled by a job seeker. After all, this isn’t a game of “match.” It doesn’t make it any easier for a job candidate like myself to stomach what I witnessed and felt today.

I hope that I and all those like me get the opportunity to secure and perform to our maximum abilities in an environment that is fair, challenging and rewarding. I trust that those in position to hire will act responsibly and fairly while evaluating those that are knocking on their doors.
Robert Rothstein
Calabasas



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