Everyone knows the "wise" saying, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." it suddenly struck me how inaccurate this really is. It is great to have job training. However, so many well-qualified people are unemployed for long periods of time. And so many other less-qualified people are successful. In fact, there is a more accurate saying, "It's not what you know, it's whom you know."
So going with the original saying, I think the person in question should provide the right fishing equipment to the man, teach him how to fish (although he may already know how), and then provide him an entry into the fishing field by offering him a fishing spot where he will definitely succeed in catching something. (And not just telling him suggested places, but actually brining him there and making sure that the others already there make room for him.) And lend him interest-free some money to live off of while he builds his fishing business.
Here are things people have done for us that are not helpful with regards to jobs: tell me to look at a website, tell me about some vague position they've heard about third-hand and suggest that I cold-call the person who they think might know something about it, tell me about a position that pays minimum wage and/or is 10 hours a week.
Here's what actually helped: lending us a significant sum of money so that we could actually make a dent in our debt, personally delivering my resume to the HR department at the company they work for, serving as a reference, calling to see how we're doing and if we need anything, speaking to potential investors on my husband's behalf regarding a business he would like to start.
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5 comments:
Just hang in there. Things are tough in our current society. Even though employed, my fiancee is going through the same thing. She is about leave her current position because she is over-qualified and under paid. But finding a new job is tough--especially when you are employed full time.
great job modernizing that old saying, it's so true what you say.
I do wonder however how many people will go through such lengths to help someone find a job.
Giving references, suggesting to call someone etc.. is not that much but it’s better than complete disinterest.
I totally agree. I have had 5 jobs since I graduated from college, and 4 of them I got because of some connection. The one I got in the "normal" way, I quit after 2 weeks, it was such an awful match for me. I wish you a lot of luck and I wish I knew anyone in Ohio...
Hope we haven't been a disservice. :)
Hang in there. Something will come. I'm removed from the job market for a while now. But, I remember the wait for a professional job to be frustrating as heck. And, then when the job finally came, they didn't want to start me for another 3 months, so it was off to find temp work in between to keep the money flowing.
Goodluck.
I know that the whole thing will work out in the end. Even lining up investors doesn't always pan out.
I am guilty of "helping" my out-of-work friends the same way, by sending them jobs I hear about or suggesting companies to call. Some of us help where we are able, with advice. Like any advice, you can filter out what works and what does not...
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