The Unemployment Dilemma

When I read articles about people living around us in poverty, I see the oft repeated refrain, "Go out and get a job!" from readers who comment at the end of the article. "Why do they expect to live off taxpayer money?", these readers mumble, disgruntlement a theme running down the course of the page.  I wonder, have any of the readers who judge others so harshly tried to find a job themselves after month after month of unemployment? Jobs can be hard to come by, especially in a climate of downsizing and companies only hiring based on ensuring the best employee to job match.

Imagine, as an example, that you are someone who has worked for the same company for twenty years. You love your job and the people you work with, and when you get into the office in the morning it feels as if you have walked into your second home. You do a great job and receive great customer feedback and if anyone is unsure of long forgotten business rules, they know they can ask you for assistance.

Unexpectedly your manager calls you into a meeting one day and tells you that the company is downsizing and that you may lose your job. You stare at him, aghast. But, we hired three new students last week, you stammer. Unfortunately we didn't foresee the difficulty the company has encountered since then, he stares at you bleakly, almost ashamedly. Your trust in the people who you saw almost as family is shattered.

When you walk out the office door a few weeks later for the last time, it feels as if your world has crashed in on you. The three new students now sit at the desk that has been your own for the last few years. You don't know where to turn and how to find another job. You thought you would always have a job with this company and you have not kept your skills current or your resume up to date. After a few days, friends who you thought would always be a source of support evade your tearful phone calls. Jobless days turn into months. Each company you approach tells you that you are overqualified or not skilled enough for the positions you apply for. You sink into a deep depression and it is all you can do to apply for yet more jobs you are now sure will lead to nowhere.

Losing one's job is not the only way someone can end up living in unemployment and relying on social security, assuming the country provides this. As an example, there are people who have grown up in what is called generational poverty. Their parents might never have worked, and the children may have received a sub standard education for any number of reasons, including lack of funds and being ignored and missing much school. There is no money for these children to go to extra curricular lessons, like piano lessons or soccer or horse riding, or even sometimes to bring a full lunch box to school so they are kept at home. Some children may grow up in a home where they experience domestic violence, and they then come to believe that the only way to get attention is to use their fists or to shout or to cause a disturbance. Some of the above mentioned children may grow up lacking direction and motivation and may not see the reason for a different way of life, and they may also know no other way of life. They may lack self confidence and may not understand the intricacies of social work etiquette to work in a routine office environment. When other people look at them, they may see someone who looks perfectly capable of getting a job. They do not see that mindsets may be as crippling as physical limitations.

It is truly a blessing to grow up in a family environment where one is loved and valued and where needs are catered for. To have enough food and clothes and toys and to feel no sense of lack. For children to try a few extra curricular activities and to have their malleable minds stimulated with a sound education. To develop a sense of confidence and resilience and to know that, in spite of whatever the world throws at you, that you will make a way forward. To walk purposely along the education journey and to choose your career with confidence, to complete a university education, and to find and keep a job with ease.

If you are someone who questions why someone is out of work and does not get a job, pause and ask yourself, what if you were in the same situation? What if you could not find a job? I believe were I in the same situation, I would appreciate empathy and for others to help me in my job search, not to point a finger at me.

Link to related blog articles:
Poverty and the Job Hiring Process 
How Does Change Happen When Rules Remain Static? (The Job Hiring Process)