...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.

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.