Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Employment Indifference




The only thing worse than defeat...? is Indifference. 

When you don't care any longer and when you are unresponsive to elements of life around you, you have arrived at a locale that has small windows that will prevent you from escaping because the windows are slowly but surely closing. Shutting you out…leaving you without emotion and feeling. 
The window of time for matters of importance is similar to the mathematics portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test; time will end most likely when you have mastered an application to tackle the problems. It is not the math hypotheticals that are stumbling; it is the way you chose to apply strategies. 

Today, I submitted a job application online that took me almost 90 minutes to complete. All this valuable time utilized during a potential paid moment that I could have used to pick up litter, my new job. Time wasted for a position that will require the selection of someone with less experience, less pay expectations, and less aptitude...

Yesterday, I received a letter of rejection for a managerial position with a reputable company. After, one 45 minute interview and an additional 90 minute panel interview, I received in the mail –not email or telephone call- a letter that had two sentences. A sentence of ‘Thanks’ and the other with the dreaded rejection. No reason why my experience was not a match or sufficient…no justification why my leadership and management skills/experience was not a match…Nothing but another piercing Rejection. 

This is what has come to pass in the United States of America....the experienced, skilled, and proven talented are not getting selected for jobs any longer. The men/women who are shamefully willing to be what the employer demands them to be are getting the offer letters that typically have an insulting annual salary of $22,000 -with an important sounding title- that the hiring manager presents as a Favor. 

It does not matter any longer if you are the exceptionally Qualified Candidate. That's completely irrelevant. The employer wants mediocrity so that the pay can support mediocre outputs. 
The company I interviewed with staged a panel interview that displayed incompetence from the beginning. One of the four questioners was so disinterested that he occupied himself on his laptop…he never asked a question, he never looked at me, and he projected a white Good Ole Boy Club affront. The other incompetent fumbled over his paperwork…my resume –and failed to articulate a decent interview question. One other nice but clueless interviewer was salivating…I could not determine if it was my handsomeness, the “he speaks well” ability, or if she wanted me to Mandingo her in the restroom afterwards. And, the final most competent interviewer was pleasant – but she was overly enthralled with my Peace Corps experience so much so that she preferred to discuss my training facilitation experience in Eastern Europe. Consequently, I participated in a pathetic sham...a Pretense that sadly encourages the following: 

Resumes are collated by top of the line keyword software that essentially does the work for the HR Generalist, applications are sorted by years of experience (a limited amount of years are surprisingly valued and the details within the application/CV’s are not thoroughly reviewed – but thoughtlessly scanned), a cover letter is deemed 'impressive' when it is only two paragraphs in length, indications noted on the curriculum vitae of advanced education e.g. Masters or PhD are professionally toxic (downplaying one's education attainment is a craftier approach), any evidence of labor union advocacy is an immediate rebuff, removal of significant accomplishment and work responsibility are encouraged, signs of passionate work energy are not positive personality traits, and speaking legitimate English during an interview is viewed as a threat to management. 

At the end of the day, companies/agencies are not hiring the top talent. They are securing talented actors and well coached androids...say this, do this, and you are hired...emulate what you are told and imitate what you learn from the inept senior authority. Then and only then are you considered a recipient of dynamic coaching. Coaching that does not teach you to really win…it is the loser-type coaching that teaches one to be an Opposite of what they are. 

All of this foolery implemented and used to build a 'strong workforce'...? 

The cemented result of this ridiculousness will be condoned poor performance from employees –and finality will produce lackluster employers that are knowingly deceitful when they convey a mission statement that boldly implies that their company values decency, dignity, and respect. 

Ultimately, millions of men and women will remain unemployed, become permanently jaded, lose faith in the process, forfeit the ability to be whole parents, male egos will be forever bruised considering man categorizes his worthiness via a job, education will become useless in the minds of aspiring degree seekers, and most sadly and personally, 

I have been defeated – and I have become Indifferent...this status after doing everything The System told me to do: 



The Shadow
01/16/13




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