Many thanks to the wonderful people who have commented on my blog. One person's comments really resonated with me:
From Conway1:
I am in the same position as you. I relocated to Pittsburgh earlier this year after several years of experience in a major cosmopolitan city. Although I have a graduate degree, many years of experience, and cutting-edge tech skills for our field, my best offers have been for salaries in the $30s. Some observations on top of what is already in your blog:
* I was told by an employer that although many corporations and PR firms have left Pittsburgh over the last 20 years, many individuals have stayed behind to do freelance work. Obviously, this gums up the market on the demand side of the equation and depresses salaries and opportunities.
* An observation on PR/marketing/communications executives in Pittsburgh -- while I have been proactively building skills and experiences, almost every executive who has interviewed me has never left Pittsburgh and has been squatting at his/her company for 15 or 20 years. Their skills are at least five years behind and they don't demonstrate an understanding of larger trends happening in the world outside of SW PA. Somehow, someway, PIT still seems to allow sentiment and status quo to trump talent and intellectual ability.
I could share more, but I will be direct in how I feel about PGH: I love Western Pennsylvania and its people; however, that strength is also its weakness. Pittsburgh has not adapted and is not adapting to the rapidly changing global economy. I don't buy the sloganeering by politicians and economic development organizations. I know what I have experienced in and out of Pittsburgh and what I read in the media and blogs.
While I had expected that my background would get me a reasonably good job (I had adjusted my expectations ahead of time to PIT conditions), I greatly overestimated the health of Pittburgh's economy in regards to our field. I don't understand why the city keeps erecting taxpayer- and resource-draining sports stadiums when there is a clear shortfall in talent, opportunity, and other essentials needed in the 21st century global competition. Economically speaking, Pittsburgh is a backwater and people aren't willing to make the sacrifices to change that. That goes for the politicians and those who elect them.
Perhaps the best approach is indeed to go to another city and get Pittsburgh out of your mind for a while. Then, someday, perhaps you'll either catch lightning and get that rare, quality Pittsburgh job in our field or you'll find that there are a lot of other places and people out there that can make for a nice home as well.
There are many elements of this person's comments that I agree with.
When I relocated to Pittsburgh four years ago, I was astounded at the number of business professionals I met who had NEVER lived anywhere other than the Western Pennsylvania region. After high school, these individuals attended a local college -- Pitt, Duquesne or maybe WVU -- and then, upon graduation, obtained a job at at XYZ Corporation, working their way up from grunt to supervisor of grunts to vice president of grunts.
What kind of worldview do you get if you've never left the area, except for your family's one week sojourn to Ocean City or Myrtle Beach?
I also concur with Conway1's statement that: "[These managers'] skills are at least five years behind and they don't demonstrate an understanding of larger trends happening in the world outside of SW PA."
Just five years behind??? Ha.
My last place of employment is a perfect example of what Conway1 says. The company CEO, bless his heart, was just not comfortable with technology -- especially the Internet. Same with the top managers. Their aversion to technology, coupled with the CEO's excessive frugality, means that this company will fall further and further behind. And as this business moves increasingly to the Internet, my former company will continue to lose ground to its competitors.
I give my former company five years, if not less, before it is taken over by a bigger, more technology-savvy organization. The top brass will retire happily with the funds from their stock options, golden parachutes and proceeds from the sale of the company; many of the rank and file workers will be out of luck.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
My observations
Writing about my experiences trying to find a job in Western Pennsylvania has been a real eye-opening experience.
I assumed I'd get a lackluster response from some of our elected officials when I contacted them. I just had no idea just HOW lackluster this response would be.
According to the U.S. Census, the Pittsburgh metro area lost 60,000 residents in the period from April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2006. If these folks' job hunting experience was anything like mine, I know why they're gone.
I personally can name at least ten people, including my two younger brothers, who have left Western Pennsylvania for opportunities elsewhere. Given that it's been a year here with no job prospects, I don't anticipate staying here much longer myself.
I assumed I'd get a lackluster response from some of our elected officials when I contacted them. I just had no idea just HOW lackluster this response would be.
According to the U.S. Census, the Pittsburgh metro area lost 60,000 residents in the period from April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2006. If these folks' job hunting experience was anything like mine, I know why they're gone.
I personally can name at least ten people, including my two younger brothers, who have left Western Pennsylvania for opportunities elsewhere. Given that it's been a year here with no job prospects, I don't anticipate staying here much longer myself.
Careerlink
What's my problem with Pennsylvania Careerlink?
Simple: the jobs listed with Careerlink are awful, at least the ones on this side of the state. They're mostly dead-end, 'one-step-above-McJob' positions.
Let's see...within a 25 mile radius of my zip code, some of the jobs listed on the site include:
Simple: the jobs listed with Careerlink are awful, at least the ones on this side of the state. They're mostly dead-end, 'one-step-above-McJob' positions.
Let's see...within a 25 mile radius of my zip code, some of the jobs listed on the site include:
- carpet cleaning technician
- cater delivery driver (I think they mean caterer or catering)
- portrait studio sales consultant
- general office clerk
- housekeeping aides
To be fair, there are a few jobs listed on the site that require an advanced level of knowledge, scuch as licensed practical nurse and chemist, but for the most part, the majority of the jobs lon Careerlink are pretty sad.
Great Suggestions From a Fellow Blogger
I sent the link to this blog to Michael J. Madison, University of Pittsburgh law professor and author of Pittsblog (http://pittsblog.blogspot.com/), commending him for his sharp, insighful commentary on the state of affairs in the 'burgh, and asking him if he had any suggestions for finding a job here.
Bless his heart, Mike replied promptly and suggested that I do the following:
1 -- Network with Pittsburgh's intermediary institutions. Have to introduced yourself to the gang at Innovation Works? Have you gone to Entrepreneurs' Thursdays? Met the folks at the new SBDC at Duquesne? Somewhere on my blog there's a list of most of these organizations -- economic development firms, agencies, etc. etc. There's a networking event on the North Shore next week -- the HELP launch. My blog has links and details -- just about anyone who has juice in Pittsburgh will be there.
2 -- Can you leverage the blog itself? I'll post and give it a tiny nudge, but if you can manage a post or two a day, and include some that are personal (not too personal!) and a few that are more detached and analytic, then you might build yourself a brand in Pittsburgh: The go-to person for strategizing a new professional career in the reinvented Pittsburgh. There's no way to guarantee yourself a job this way, but it's a voice that Pittsburgh doesn't have right now.
Great suggestions, both of them. (And that Mike didn't suggest Pennsylvania Careerlink earns him an even bigger gold star.)
1. I am in the process of following up with these intermediary institutions, per Mike's suggestion.
2. His other idea, to leverage the blog itself, is less appealing to me. While I have been urged by others to blog professionally, I started this blog as a way to get hands-on experience with blogging in general, and to vent about the miserable experience of trying to find a job here. I would prefer to not be the poster child for Pittsburgh's gawdawful job market.
Mike, thank you for your great suggestions and for getting back to me so quickly.
Bless his heart, Mike replied promptly and suggested that I do the following:
1 -- Network with Pittsburgh's intermediary institutions. Have to introduced yourself to the gang at Innovation Works? Have you gone to Entrepreneurs' Thursdays? Met the folks at the new SBDC at Duquesne? Somewhere on my blog there's a list of most of these organizations -- economic development firms, agencies, etc. etc. There's a networking event on the North Shore next week -- the HELP launch. My blog has links and details -- just about anyone who has juice in Pittsburgh will be there.
2 -- Can you leverage the blog itself? I'll post and give it a tiny nudge, but if you can manage a post or two a day, and include some that are personal (not too personal!) and a few that are more detached and analytic, then you might build yourself a brand in Pittsburgh: The go-to person for strategizing a new professional career in the reinvented Pittsburgh. There's no way to guarantee yourself a job this way, but it's a voice that Pittsburgh doesn't have right now.
Great suggestions, both of them. (And that Mike didn't suggest Pennsylvania Careerlink earns him an even bigger gold star.)
1. I am in the process of following up with these intermediary institutions, per Mike's suggestion.
2. His other idea, to leverage the blog itself, is less appealing to me. While I have been urged by others to blog professionally, I started this blog as a way to get hands-on experience with blogging in general, and to vent about the miserable experience of trying to find a job here. I would prefer to not be the poster child for Pittsburgh's gawdawful job market.
Mike, thank you for your great suggestions and for getting back to me so quickly.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board
I'm particularly dismayed by the lack of any response from Ron Painter, CEO of the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, to an email I sent him almost a MONTH ago.
On August 16, I sent Mr. Painter an e-mail message inquiring about possible job leads, suggestions or ideas that he might have. To date, I have heard nothing back from him or anyone at TRWIB.
Last week, I followed up with a phone call to Mr. Painter, and ended up speaking with a woman named Laura Holden. I emailed Ms. Holden the same message I had sent to her boss, Mr. Painter.
Still nothing.
According to its site, the TRWIB ' is an employer-driven policy-making entity that supports and oversees the local workforce development system in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, including a network of PA CareerLink centers that serve jobseekers and employers.
Our board members are appointed by the mayor of Pittsburgh and the chief executive of Allegheny County.
TRWIB, Inc. is the corporate entity and fiduciary agent for the TRWIB. All TRWIB funds, including federal Workforce Investment Act funds, are managed by TRWIB, Inc. '
I'm confused. TRWIB is more than willing to accept MY federal tax dollars, ostensibly to help retain jobs in this area, but no one at the TRWIB is able to return my phone calls?
On August 16, I sent Mr. Painter an e-mail message inquiring about possible job leads, suggestions or ideas that he might have. To date, I have heard nothing back from him or anyone at TRWIB.
Last week, I followed up with a phone call to Mr. Painter, and ended up speaking with a woman named Laura Holden. I emailed Ms. Holden the same message I had sent to her boss, Mr. Painter.
Still nothing.
According to its site, the TRWIB ' is an employer-driven policy-making entity that supports and oversees the local workforce development system in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, including a network of PA CareerLink centers that serve jobseekers and employers.
Our board members are appointed by the mayor of Pittsburgh and the chief executive of Allegheny County.
TRWIB, Inc. is the corporate entity and fiduciary agent for the TRWIB. All TRWIB funds, including federal Workforce Investment Act funds, are managed by TRWIB, Inc. '
I'm confused. TRWIB is more than willing to accept MY federal tax dollars, ostensibly to help retain jobs in this area, but no one at the TRWIB is able to return my phone calls?
And please, please, please -- for the love of God, do not direct me to Pennsylvania's Careerlink to find employment. The jobs available at that site are an utter joke. I have no interest in being a convenience store night manager or an underpaid telemarketer. Thanks but no thanks.
When do you say 'Enough!'
I'm sitting here in front of my computer, reviewing all the jobs I've applied for and for which I didn't get an interview, and looking over the list of people I've contacted who can't even muster the effort to make a one-minute return phone call or even send a one-sentence reply.
And I ask myself, "What is the point? Why am I putting myself through all this nonsense just to try to get a job here? Just write off the Pittsburgh area, pack a bag, and get the hell out of this town before your career goes into even more of a death spiral."
And I ask myself, "What is the point? Why am I putting myself through all this nonsense just to try to get a job here? Just write off the Pittsburgh area, pack a bag, and get the hell out of this town before your career goes into even more of a death spiral."
Friday, August 31, 2007
...And Don't Let The Door Hit You On the Way Out
Western Pennsylvania’s leaders have, in large part, indicated that they are committed to stemming the tide of people leaving our region. So, with that in mind, I drafted and emailed the following missive to several prominent local individuals:
As I prepare to concede defeat on finding a good job in the Pittsburgh area, I am contacting you to inquire about possible job leads, suggestions or ideas you may have, before I ‘throw in the towel‘ and relocate elsewhere.
I would very much like to stay in the tri-state area and develop my marketing communications career here, so I welcome any input or insight you may have. (Unfortunately, jobs on sites such as Pennsylvania Careerlink, Monster, Careerbuilder, etc. tend to be of an entry-level caliber and the compensation offered is not competitive.)
I invite you to visit my job-hunting Web site at [redacted], which features my résumé and links to samples of my work, as well as my ‘Job Hunting in Pittsburgh’ blog at http://findingajobinpittsburgh.blogspot.com/.
I would be happy to meet with you to discuss any ideas you have; I am available at your convenience.
Thank your for taking the time to read these materials; I look forward to hearing from you.
And of course, I included my name, email address and telephone number in the message, so I could easily be contacted.
While a few of the people I sent this email to were exceptionally gracious and replied almost immediately (thank you, Susan Caldwell!), I was appalled at the number of people who just couldn‘t be bothered to respond.
One of the most notable in this latter category is David Fawcett, an at-large member of Allegheny County Council. Two weeks after I sent him my email, I called him to follow up. The most salient portions of the telephone conversation are as follows:
Me: Hello, Mr. Fawcett, I was calling to follow up on an email that I sent you a few weeks ago, in reference to my difficulties with finding a job here in Pittsburgh. I sent it to the email address on your [Allegheny County] council Web page….Did you receive my message?
DF: Yes, I remember reading it.
Me: Ok….did you have any thoughts or suggestions for me?
DF: I don’t have any job leads for you. I’m not a job hunting service.
He then mentioned something about the county council job being a part-time position before concluding the conversation. I thanked him and hung up the phone, appalled at what had just transpired.
Let’s see if I have this correct:
1. Yes, he HAD read the e-mail from a constituent, but over the course of a two-week period, he couldn’t be bothered to write a response -- ANY response -- at all. Nor could he be bothered to pick up the phone and call me.
2. His comment that he was not a ’job-hunting service’ was impolite (and not the savviest thing to say to an unemployed constituent). I did not ask him for a job, I asked him for ’possible job leads, suggestions or ideas’.
3. Mr. Fawcett actively campaigned for a seat on County Council. One of the responsibilities of ANY elected official is responding to his or her constituents. If he is unable, for whatever reason, to perform this task, he may want to think about resigning from council.
4. As a member a governmental body that is responsible, in part, for “the passage of balanced annual operating and capital budgets,” Mr. Fawcett is aware of how important it is to keep taxpaying citizens in our area. The fact is, if I can’t get a professional job here, I will be forced to relocate elsewhere and pay taxes in that community. Allegheny County’s loss will be some other community’s gain.
As I prepare to concede defeat on finding a good job in the Pittsburgh area, I am contacting you to inquire about possible job leads, suggestions or ideas you may have, before I ‘throw in the towel‘ and relocate elsewhere.
I would very much like to stay in the tri-state area and develop my marketing communications career here, so I welcome any input or insight you may have. (Unfortunately, jobs on sites such as Pennsylvania Careerlink, Monster, Careerbuilder, etc. tend to be of an entry-level caliber and the compensation offered is not competitive.)
I invite you to visit my job-hunting Web site at [redacted], which features my résumé and links to samples of my work, as well as my ‘Job Hunting in Pittsburgh’ blog at http://findingajobinpittsburgh.blogspot.com/.
I would be happy to meet with you to discuss any ideas you have; I am available at your convenience.
Thank your for taking the time to read these materials; I look forward to hearing from you.
And of course, I included my name, email address and telephone number in the message, so I could easily be contacted.
While a few of the people I sent this email to were exceptionally gracious and replied almost immediately (thank you, Susan Caldwell!), I was appalled at the number of people who just couldn‘t be bothered to respond.
One of the most notable in this latter category is David Fawcett, an at-large member of Allegheny County Council. Two weeks after I sent him my email, I called him to follow up. The most salient portions of the telephone conversation are as follows:
Me: Hello, Mr. Fawcett, I was calling to follow up on an email that I sent you a few weeks ago, in reference to my difficulties with finding a job here in Pittsburgh. I sent it to the email address on your [Allegheny County] council Web page….Did you receive my message?
DF: Yes, I remember reading it.
Me: Ok….did you have any thoughts or suggestions for me?
DF: I don’t have any job leads for you. I’m not a job hunting service.
He then mentioned something about the county council job being a part-time position before concluding the conversation. I thanked him and hung up the phone, appalled at what had just transpired.
Let’s see if I have this correct:
1. Yes, he HAD read the e-mail from a constituent, but over the course of a two-week period, he couldn’t be bothered to write a response -- ANY response -- at all. Nor could he be bothered to pick up the phone and call me.
2. His comment that he was not a ’job-hunting service’ was impolite (and not the savviest thing to say to an unemployed constituent). I did not ask him for a job, I asked him for ’possible job leads, suggestions or ideas’.
3. Mr. Fawcett actively campaigned for a seat on County Council. One of the responsibilities of ANY elected official is responding to his or her constituents. If he is unable, for whatever reason, to perform this task, he may want to think about resigning from council.
4. As a member a governmental body that is responsible, in part, for “the passage of balanced annual operating and capital budgets,” Mr. Fawcett is aware of how important it is to keep taxpaying citizens in our area. The fact is, if I can’t get a professional job here, I will be forced to relocate elsewhere and pay taxes in that community. Allegheny County’s loss will be some other community’s gain.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Why I Want to Stay In Pittsburgh
Why do I want to stay in Pittsburgh? Let me count the reasons:
1. My parents, who both live in the Pittsburgh area, are getting up there in years. I very much like being accessible to them. Additionally, one of my parents is battling cancer for the second time. I don't know how much time this parent has left; that's why I want to maximize my time with them.
2. Many of my other family members also live nearby. I like being able to have a positive influence on my nephews and niece. If my involvement in their lives means they become productive citizens who never see the inside of a jail cell, then I've done my part.
3. Pittsburgh has a very affordable cost of living. I am astounded at how much people in other parts of country -- especially New York City, California, Florida, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere pay for housing.
4. I like the friendliness of the Pittsburgh region. It's not uncommon in some regions of the country to not know your neighbor, even though you may have lived next to them for years. I know all my neighbors and often lend a hand to my elderly next-door neighbor, Betty. Whether it's trimming her bushes or bringing in her groceries, she's happy for the help and I'm happy to get the exercise.
5. I like the weather in the Pittsburgh area. It's blessedly unhumid most of the year and moderately cold in the winter.
1. My parents, who both live in the Pittsburgh area, are getting up there in years. I very much like being accessible to them. Additionally, one of my parents is battling cancer for the second time. I don't know how much time this parent has left; that's why I want to maximize my time with them.
2. Many of my other family members also live nearby. I like being able to have a positive influence on my nephews and niece. If my involvement in their lives means they become productive citizens who never see the inside of a jail cell, then I've done my part.
3. Pittsburgh has a very affordable cost of living. I am astounded at how much people in other parts of country -- especially New York City, California, Florida, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere pay for housing.
4. I like the friendliness of the Pittsburgh region. It's not uncommon in some regions of the country to not know your neighbor, even though you may have lived next to them for years. I know all my neighbors and often lend a hand to my elderly next-door neighbor, Betty. Whether it's trimming her bushes or bringing in her groceries, she's happy for the help and I'm happy to get the exercise.
5. I like the weather in the Pittsburgh area. It's blessedly unhumid most of the year and moderately cold in the winter.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Unproductive Hours
It's been a little while since I posted, but I've been using my time to conduct job-hunting activities that ultimately have gotten me not even one iota closer to a job.
Last evening, I headed downtown to the Rivers Club for a presentation sponsored by the Pittsburgh Foreign Policy Association.
Although I was interested in the presentation topic, I was more interested in the potential for job networking.
Surely some of the movers and shakers in the Pittsburgh region would be on hand, and after some light conversation, would hand me their business card, urging me to call them to discuss job opportunities at their organization.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the vast majority of the attendees were well into their retirement years.
Other than myself, three grad students from CMU's Heinz School and one or two others who were in their 40s or 50s, everyone else in the audience was considerably past their working years.
I sat there for a minute, mulling over my alternatives, and realized that if I left immediately, I still could make it to another event -- this one billed as an actual networking event for young professionals -- at Station Square.
I hurried to the Houlihans restaurant in Station Square where the Pittsburgh Young Professionals group was holding its 'Speed Networking' session. PYP's Web site stated that speed networking was "a great opportunity to not only meet new acquaintances, but also to catch up with ones that you have not seen for awhile, and it all happens at break necking [sic] speed. So bring your business cards, yourself and a high desire to interact with other individuals."
Why not? I had nothing to lose. So I joined the speed networking activities taking place, moving from one table to the next for a timed four-minute discussion with the person at each table, only to discover that many of those in attendance were there to push the multi-level marketing programs they were involved in.
Sigh.
Out of politeness, I sat through about half an hour of these brief networking meetings, then slipped out at an opportune time to get something to eat.....and mull over a relocation to a city with a better job market.
Last evening, I headed downtown to the Rivers Club for a presentation sponsored by the Pittsburgh Foreign Policy Association.
Although I was interested in the presentation topic, I was more interested in the potential for job networking.
Surely some of the movers and shakers in the Pittsburgh region would be on hand, and after some light conversation, would hand me their business card, urging me to call them to discuss job opportunities at their organization.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the vast majority of the attendees were well into their retirement years.
Other than myself, three grad students from CMU's Heinz School and one or two others who were in their 40s or 50s, everyone else in the audience was considerably past their working years.
I sat there for a minute, mulling over my alternatives, and realized that if I left immediately, I still could make it to another event -- this one billed as an actual networking event for young professionals -- at Station Square.
I hurried to the Houlihans restaurant in Station Square where the Pittsburgh Young Professionals group was holding its 'Speed Networking' session. PYP's Web site stated that speed networking was "a great opportunity to not only meet new acquaintances, but also to catch up with ones that you have not seen for awhile, and it all happens at break necking [sic] speed. So bring your business cards, yourself and a high desire to interact with other individuals."
Why not? I had nothing to lose. So I joined the speed networking activities taking place, moving from one table to the next for a timed four-minute discussion with the person at each table, only to discover that many of those in attendance were there to push the multi-level marketing programs they were involved in.
Sigh.
Out of politeness, I sat through about half an hour of these brief networking meetings, then slipped out at an opportune time to get something to eat.....and mull over a relocation to a city with a better job market.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
For some time now, a little voice in my head has been telling me that trying to build a life in Pittsburgh will be the kiss of death for my career.
"Move somewhere else," the voice says. "Pittsburgh is not where you want to develop your talents." But where?
New York?
Ugh. In my opinion, that town's motto should be: 'The City That Eats Its Young'.
Chicago?
Not a bad city at all -- but I don't know if I'm up for schlepping back and forth to visit my family.
Atlanta?
I had enough of the South's insufferable humidity during my college days at the University of Missouri. Okay, so some may not consider Missouri to be the south, but regardless, the summer humidity was awful.
Washington, D.C.?
Ditto on the insufferable humidity. The fact is, I didn't like Washington, D. C. metro area the first time around, when I lived there in 1990, and I doubt that it got any better in the ensuing years. My main issue was that the cost of living, specifically rent prices, was insane. The only way to afford to live there was to share living quarters with several other people, and the lack of privacy got to be too much for me.
Sadly, if I cannot find a good job in Pittsburgh, I will more than likely end up relocating to the D.C. area. It's fairly close, situated along the Eastern Seaboard, and offers PLENTY of job opportunities.
And, if I do relocate to D.C., I'll join the hordes of relocated Pittsburghers who make the trek back to the 'burgh on the weekends to visit their families. Leave D.C. on Friday and be back on Sunday night. Sounds like fun.
"Move somewhere else," the voice says. "Pittsburgh is not where you want to develop your talents." But where?
New York?
Ugh. In my opinion, that town's motto should be: 'The City That Eats Its Young'.
Chicago?
Not a bad city at all -- but I don't know if I'm up for schlepping back and forth to visit my family.
Atlanta?
I had enough of the South's insufferable humidity during my college days at the University of Missouri. Okay, so some may not consider Missouri to be the south, but regardless, the summer humidity was awful.
Washington, D.C.?
Ditto on the insufferable humidity. The fact is, I didn't like Washington, D. C. metro area the first time around, when I lived there in 1990, and I doubt that it got any better in the ensuing years. My main issue was that the cost of living, specifically rent prices, was insane. The only way to afford to live there was to share living quarters with several other people, and the lack of privacy got to be too much for me.
Sadly, if I cannot find a good job in Pittsburgh, I will more than likely end up relocating to the D.C. area. It's fairly close, situated along the Eastern Seaboard, and offers PLENTY of job opportunities.
And, if I do relocate to D.C., I'll join the hordes of relocated Pittsburghers who make the trek back to the 'burgh on the weekends to visit their families. Leave D.C. on Friday and be back on Sunday night. Sounds like fun.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Why Did I Bother?
I made the unwise choice to attend 'Career Wise: A Diversity Job Expo' held today in the Lexus Club at PNC Park.
Attending the job fair was a complete and utter waste of my time. Here's why:
I'm a friendly, outgoing, articulate individual. I'm able to converse on a variety of topics and am very accommodating to anyone with whom I speak. Any employer meeting me could correctly assume that I would represent their company well and would be an excellent hire for their organization.
So one would think that some of the Human Resources representatives in attendance at the career fair, after a brief conversation with me, would hand me their business card, stating something like, "You sound like you handle yourself well. We have some job openings that you might be interested in...."
Unfortunately, this was not the case. Most, if not all of the recruiters at the fair simply directed job seekers to fill out an application or submit their résumé at their company's Web site. I could have saved myself the trip to the stadium and the $6 for parking if I knew that in advance.
Further, by the time I visited the job fair at around 2:30 in the afternoon, many of the recruiters were tired and grumpy. They certainly weren't in the mood for conversation at that point. One recruiter even refused to give me his business card, stating brusquely that he "didn't give out business cards at job fairs." (My aim in asking for a business card was simply to establish a contact at that company.)
And while I didn't get this man's business card (which, after he was rude to me, I didn't want anyway), I did end up with a plethora of plastic junk -- mini flashlights, keychains, bag clips and pens, pens, pens -- all printed with the name of each company that was giving it away. And of course, I'm going to turn around and give most of these tchotchkes to my young nephews and niece.
Maybe I'll get a job as a result of attending this job fair, but I highly doubt it.
But at least I'm now the proud owner of a 'Dick Builds Quality' travel mug from Dick Corporation. That's worth something, isn't it?
Attending the job fair was a complete and utter waste of my time. Here's why:
I'm a friendly, outgoing, articulate individual. I'm able to converse on a variety of topics and am very accommodating to anyone with whom I speak. Any employer meeting me could correctly assume that I would represent their company well and would be an excellent hire for their organization.
So one would think that some of the Human Resources representatives in attendance at the career fair, after a brief conversation with me, would hand me their business card, stating something like, "You sound like you handle yourself well. We have some job openings that you might be interested in...."
Unfortunately, this was not the case. Most, if not all of the recruiters at the fair simply directed job seekers to fill out an application or submit their résumé at their company's Web site. I could have saved myself the trip to the stadium and the $6 for parking if I knew that in advance.
Further, by the time I visited the job fair at around 2:30 in the afternoon, many of the recruiters were tired and grumpy. They certainly weren't in the mood for conversation at that point. One recruiter even refused to give me his business card, stating brusquely that he "didn't give out business cards at job fairs." (My aim in asking for a business card was simply to establish a contact at that company.)
And while I didn't get this man's business card (which, after he was rude to me, I didn't want anyway), I did end up with a plethora of plastic junk -- mini flashlights, keychains, bag clips and pens, pens, pens -- all printed with the name of each company that was giving it away. And of course, I'm going to turn around and give most of these tchotchkes to my young nephews and niece.
Maybe I'll get a job as a result of attending this job fair, but I highly doubt it.
But at least I'm now the proud owner of a 'Dick Builds Quality' travel mug from Dick Corporation. That's worth something, isn't it?
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Networking
Tonight was my first foray into hardcore job networking.
I had networked informally before tonight, but given that my other methods of finding a job (i.e., responding to job postings on craigslist.org, applying to jobs posted at individual company web sites.) have produced zero results, I realized that some face-to-face time was in order.
My first stop this evening was at a meeting of 'Refresh Pittsburgh'. According to the organization's Web site, the goal of Refresh Pittsburgh is "to create a open community of designers and developers working to refresh the creative, technical, and professional culture of Internet developers in the Pittsburgh area.
"Whether you are a web developer, flash guru, programming wizard, graphic designer, project manager extraordinaire or just want to learn more and share ideas with like-minded people, we want you to be a part of our group."
And although I'm neither a designer nor a developer, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to familiarize myself with some of the local folk who do just that. The members of the group were approachable and friendly, but the get-together was a brief one and was over in less than an hour.
While at the meeting, I remarked to the man next to me that I had started a blog, which seemed to pique his interest, but when I continued, "it's about finding a job in the Pittsburgh area", he stifled a laugh.
Hmmm.
I had networked informally before tonight, but given that my other methods of finding a job (i.e., responding to job postings on craigslist.org, applying to jobs posted at individual company web sites.) have produced zero results, I realized that some face-to-face time was in order.
My first stop this evening was at a meeting of 'Refresh Pittsburgh'. According to the organization's Web site, the goal of Refresh Pittsburgh is "to create a open community of designers and developers working to refresh the creative, technical, and professional culture of Internet developers in the Pittsburgh area.
"Whether you are a web developer, flash guru, programming wizard, graphic designer, project manager extraordinaire or just want to learn more and share ideas with like-minded people, we want you to be a part of our group."
And although I'm neither a designer nor a developer, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to familiarize myself with some of the local folk who do just that. The members of the group were approachable and friendly, but the get-together was a brief one and was over in less than an hour.
While at the meeting, I remarked to the man next to me that I had started a blog, which seemed to pique his interest, but when I continued, "it's about finding a job in the Pittsburgh area", he stifled a laugh.
Hmmm.
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