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Unemployment as a cause of unemployability

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USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#126: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:21:56 PM

I have no interest in boot camp.

Hey, you said you wanted a job. There's the recruitment office. It's the best we have right now. If not, then I don't know what to tell you. I really don't.

I am now known as Flyboy.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#127: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:22:52 PM

As long as you're not saying "if you don't accept the military, you don't deserve to be employed" then you are forgiven ;P

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#128: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:25:19 PM

No. I'm not that much of an idealist about it.

Though if I were President I would create a non-combat Jobs Corps as part of the military, and then at that point... wink

I am now known as Flyboy.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#129: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:30:19 PM

Screw that. If you're going to create a jobs corp, don't use the military for it.

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#130: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:35:15 PM

It probably wouldn't involve boot camp.

I'd actually attach it to the military largely for the purposes of PR. Not that I wouldn't try to make military discipline and unit cohesion a big part of it. I just wouldn't try and make it a secondary militia or anything...

I am now known as Flyboy.
Jeysie Diva of Virtual Death from Western Massachusetts Since: Jun, 2010
Diva of Virtual Death
#131: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:37:49 PM

Military discipline is overrated. We need more people thinking for themselves and learning how to apply critical thinking and question things that don't add up, not more people indoctrinated into following unquestionably.

edited 25th Oct '11 7:38:17 PM by Jeysie

Apparently I am adorable, but my GF is my #1 Groupie. (Avatar by Dreki-K)
USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#132: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:40:43 PM

...that's not how the military works.

In the military, they hand you a (complex) order, and you're expected to come up with a five paragraph outline of how you're going to complete that complex order, and then go about executing the outline you created. The military isn't a big beehive of nothing but mindless drones. Creativity is expected, generally speaking.

Now, granted, it's far from perfect, but I can say with some degree of certainty that your image of how it works is not how it really does.

I am now known as Flyboy.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#133: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:41:22 PM

It still sends a powerful-and bad-message when everything is funded through the mechanism we use to break shit.

BlixtySlycat |like a boss| from Driving the Rad Hazard Since: Aug, 2011
|like a boss|
#134: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:47:02 PM

The military is generally pretty useless for anything that's not military in nature, and that is all I have to say on the matter.

As for the thread topic, I have no idea. I think it's pretty ridiculous that employers would still assume "can't get a job=too lazy to get a job", but a lot of people seem to think that way, and I don't know why.

go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagine
USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#135: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:49:56 PM

It still sends a powerful-and bad-message when everything is funded through the mechanism we use to break shit.

The whole object is that it's useful for things other than breaking shit.

The military is generally pretty useless for anything that's not military in nature, and that is all I have to say on the matter.

Bull. Tell that to the soldiers who participated in humanitarian missions to Haiti and Japan, and helped try and rebuild Iraq in the middle of a war zone.

They're only useless for non-military things in our perception because the media only talks about the fuck ups, because fuck ups are what sells.

I am now known as Flyboy.
BlixtySlycat |like a boss| from Driving the Rad Hazard Since: Aug, 2011
|like a boss|
#136: Oct 25th 2011 at 7:52:14 PM

Bull. Tell that to the soldiers who participated in humanitarian missions to Haiti and Japan, and helped try and rebuild Iraq in the middle of a war zone.

I am well aware of those missions. Long story short; it has not changed my opinion, and that is the last we're saying on the matter because that is not the subject of this thread.

go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagine
johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#137: Oct 25th 2011 at 8:00:57 PM

Nice job keeping the thread on topic, TOMU.

I'm a skeptical squirrel
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#138: Oct 25th 2011 at 8:02:28 PM

Good point, the topic isn't unemployment in general, it's unemployment as it pertains to unemployment. Metunemployment?

edited 25th Oct '11 8:03:03 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#139: Oct 26th 2011 at 8:18:29 AM

Unemployment-22.

It's a old mindset from when there were enough jobs to go around. Probably the biggest problem the U.S. has now is letting go of old mindsets, although that may be a human flaw, not a cultural one. I'm not sure.

edited 26th Oct '11 8:18:42 AM by TotemicHero

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Jeysie Diva of Virtual Death from Western Massachusetts Since: Jun, 2010
Diva of Virtual Death
#140: Oct 26th 2011 at 8:26:13 AM

Yeah, it's like I was saying to Vericrat a while back. A lot of his—and employer's—reasoning actually would make sense in a market where there is plenty of jobs to go around, so constant unemployment and/or difficulty finding work is somewhat suspicious on the part of the job seeker.

But this hasn't been a normal market for at least the past five years.

edited 26th Oct '11 8:26:52 AM by Jeysie

Apparently I am adorable, but my GF is my #1 Groupie. (Avatar by Dreki-K)
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#141: Oct 26th 2011 at 6:01:53 PM

"My strengths lie in providing support and knowledge resources to other people doing sales or management, not performing those tasks myself."

That sounds like consulting. I make about 25K a year doing that, except in the area of non-profit management and HR. Not a way to get rich, but better than nothing, and it will help fill in that gap in your resume.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Jeysie Diva of Virtual Death from Western Massachusetts Since: Jun, 2010
Diva of Virtual Death
#142: Oct 26th 2011 at 7:18:30 PM

@De Marquis

No, not consulting. More like just greeting customers, keeping paperwork sorted and flowing, getting information from customers or other venues, doing grunt work stuff like compiling and sending out quotes and shipping labels and form letters and whatnot, keeping company databases up-to-date; that sort of thing. My expertise isn't coming up with stuff to do; it's finding out what people need done and figuring out the best way to do it.

So, you know. Not the kind of work you can do freelance or that you can turn into a business, as you need to be regularly working for other people.

edited 26th Oct '11 7:20:02 PM by Jeysie

Apparently I am adorable, but my GF is my #1 Groupie. (Avatar by Dreki-K)
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#143: Oct 27th 2011 at 7:29:41 AM

Everything you just described is a function that small to medium retailers love to outsource, because they dont have the staff or the time to do it themselves.

And dont forget, when you embark upon a career, you start at the bottom and work your way up.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Jeysie Diva of Virtual Death from Western Massachusetts Since: Jun, 2010
Diva of Virtual Death
#144: Oct 27th 2011 at 7:48:17 AM

@De Marquis

Er, you can't outsource being a secretary. Everything I mentioned, you can't just blow in, do it for a few days, and leave again. You have to stay long enough to get a feel for the company and its workers and figure out how to get everything sorted, then you have to continually maintain/do it.

And, I already did work my way up to where I wanted to be as a secretary. Until the housing crisis and later economy dip threw out all the progress I had made. Hell, it even gave me negative progress. Back when I first started out, you could count on retail always being available and hiring anybody, even if you didn't have the skills or experience to rate anything else. Now I can't even get hired at Target or Sears.

Apparently I am adorable, but my GF is my #1 Groupie. (Avatar by Dreki-K)
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#145: Oct 27th 2011 at 9:58:54 AM

It's called "Office Management" and yes, you can outsource it. Just because you only work for a given client a few hours a week, doesn't mean you are there only for a few days. Even temp workers generally stick around for months. Sears and Target are too big, of course, they have their own in-house staff for that, but what about local family owned retail? Anybody with more than 5 employees and less than 100 probably needs this kind of service.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Jeysie Diva of Virtual Death from Western Massachusetts Since: Jun, 2010
Diva of Virtual Death
#146: Oct 27th 2011 at 2:13:29 PM

@De Marquis

Any small business that needed this service would just, you know, hire a damn secretary.

And no, it's not management. I don't do any kind of management or tell anyone what to do (mainly because I have anti-charisma so nobody cares what I say or do).

edited 27th Oct '11 2:14:37 PM by Jeysie

Apparently I am adorable, but my GF is my #1 Groupie. (Avatar by Dreki-K)
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#147: Oct 27th 2011 at 3:54:34 PM

Well, I'm officially out of ideas at this point. All I can say is good luck.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#148: Oct 27th 2011 at 4:04:58 PM

Speaking from personal experience, I imagine small businesses that don't need them won't have secretaries and the like just because they can't afford to hire them.

I am now known as Flyboy.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#149: Oct 28th 2011 at 5:35:14 AM

You would be amazed at how many business people dont actually know what they need, esp. if their business is growing.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#150: Oct 28th 2011 at 7:30:31 AM

@ boot camp for a job: it's feasible if you have the time to do it, but not exactly an option for a college student.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

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