The New You

I'm starting to find it laughable so many companies out there claiming they can't find workers and so many people like me who've put in over 200 resumes and can't find work. Not just decent work but work. I thought it would be cool to apply for a garden variety job to do something different and there were 246 other applicants. My thought process was close to home, not long hours, low stress, decent money. Yeah, well, you put my resume up against 246 others and I'm highly overqualified for a ton of things and highly under qualified for garden variety. Can't win.

Employers today want 10 years' experience in a 25 yr old worker. No, I'm not 25 but it's the truth. Seriously, you just read that I have over 200 resumes out there. The expectations of companies today is outrageous. The NICHE has become EVERY SINGLE JOB out there. The criteria is impossible for the job and the pay is substandard. Think about it. You've seen the housing market, right? You can't find anything decent for less than $250k WITHOUT LAND try looking with land and it's 1/2 a mil or worse. Groceries go higher and higher every single week. I'm newly divorced. We downsized. The number of groceries coming in went down, the amount of money paying for them stayed the same. Gas over 3.29 a gallon if you're lucky some places are already topping over $5. We haven't seen these prices since 2008/2009.

The whole free world is fighting with one another. People don't even know what gender they are anymore and everyone is so easily offended it's not even funny. Seriously folks, God made man, he made woman from mans rib the end. Penis = boy; vagina = girl. There is NO in between. Have you ever heard of this thing called DNA? If your body says there is an XY chromosome guess what.. YOUR A BOY. Don't believe me? Read a human anatomy book. It's SCIENCE.

Ok back to my original topic... Jobs. People today are drowning in debt. They don't know how to live 'within' their means anymore. I'm not sure they ever really did. Economics and government classes taught your senior year of high school should also include "real world money handling and bill paying", "do your own taxes 101", "interviewing skills 099", "communication is necessary 098". I mean seriously. Some of the things they teach in school are completely irrelevant to the day to day beyond school, others things they should teach they don't.

They push college like there is no life without it, but there is. Plumbers can't find workers because they all went to college and no one knows how to turn a wrench. HVAC same thing. Mechanics pretty much have their own college. Have you seen these cars today? You've got to know how to program a computer to be able to work on one it's insane. I used to could do a ton of stuff myself now, I have to pay EVERYONE for stupid stuff. I'm not knocking college. I have a business degree. I'm just saying there are other ways to get into a good profession with decent pay that doesn't stick you with a mountain of debt afterwards. Not everyone qualifies for scholarships.

Here's the problem though. Employers want to PRETEND debt doesn't exist, covid didn't happen to the economy, and everyone is created equal. I'm sorry but, the 25 years career experience, the life experience, the education i have should entitle me to make more than the cashier at McDonalds but, to the cashier at McDonalds who opted to drop out of school because they didn't want to take algebra. I'm sorry but flipping a burger does not warrant $15.00 and yes, welfare should require a drug test and yes, food stamps should require a nicotine test & alcohol test. If you can afford cigarettes or ecigs and beer or liquor, you don't need food stamps. No exceptions.

Yes, I realize other things happen that are unavoidable, no that's not what/who I'm talking about because I've seen those people and worked with those people and they are tough, and smart and clawed their way into their jobs and they are fabulous at them)

These employers think that a college degree, in a 40+ yr old mom, warrants a $30k a year job. It doesn't. Companies want 10+ years specialized experience (this is funny - wait for it) on a program that was outdated 5 years ago to pay me 1/2 what I'm worth, uh, no.

I'm getting to the point I promise. So now it takes 20-30 minutes to fill out an application online when you've already spent hours creating a resume that has the EXACT SAME information in it. I literally copy and paste anything that doesn't pull in automatically. It's so stupid. I have to answer questions like - Gender = Boy / girl / Prefer not to answer / nonbinary. What even is nonbinary you either have a PENIS or a VAGINA. Remember penis = boy; vagina = girl. But... I'm not done. Then I have to tell them what color I am. Seriously if we're all "equal" what difference does it make. I'll tell you because they can't hire too many white people or it looks bad. It's these "WOKE" politics in the workplace.

What happened to the days where you had a job, you did it, and you had a home life? The 2 weren't connected. Cell phones and internet / email ruined that. It used to be that you went to work and at the end of your shift you went home. If something happened after you left they were SOL unless by some chance someone at your house answered the phone. You know the one that hung on the wall in the kitchen. Remember those?

Employers need to realize the days of "going to work" are over. Remote is the future. Work / life balance is the future. Covid changed things, especially for women. Women are the primary caregivers be it kids or elderly parents. Women are the ones who also make up a HUGE majority of the workforce. Particularly in office jobs. The last 2 years proved it. There is NO REASON employees can't work on the go. There is no reason that they have to be home tied to a land line. There is no reason that they have to have an "office space". The restrictions being put on employees because the boss 'says so' are ridiculous.

Take a look for a minute. The mandates. I'm going to go there. Tons of people were afraid to lose their job because they're providers so their fear of that loss and the love of their family forced them to take a shot they otherwise didn't want or need. Companies turned people out left and right because they didn't hit their timeline and dismissal was the alternative. Other companies were so wishy washy with it you never knew what they were going to do.

Covid woke people up. It made people realize some things. 1 of which is I'm replaceable at work and I'm reminded of it often. I'm not replaceable at home and I'm needed there. My kids need me. My animals need me. My parents need me. My friends need me. My job, ha, they were happy to see me go because I wouldn't take all their 'mandates' without asking 'why'.

Why do jobs that a year ago were 100% remote because they were forced to be now need people to be face to face again even a couple days a week? The job was done last year. It was done well. Obstacles were overcome. Are people not the same employees they were then?

Some people want to go back. That's cool. For those that do, let them. For those that like the half in half out. Let them. But... the rest of us. Those that don't seeing being remote as a downfall. Those that don't need to be in front of their boss every day to be recognized because that ever coveted pat on the back that never comes isn't a need for them. Let them have their freedom. Let them work from their RV park. Let them work from their parents' house where they can make sure their mom doesn't break a hip and work at the same time. Let them be available for their kids whose school might go remote next week if the urge hits.

You want to know the real reason people are quitting their jobs?

People.

Bad bosses.

Companies that don't listen to them.

Opportunities that are being taken away from them without a viable justification.

Their needs are no longer being met by their employer.

You want to know the reason companies can't find people to work?

Their requirements are outrageous.

They're not willing to train good people.

They don't use the tools they've been provided through the platforms that are used today.

They're not open to change.

They're not open to out of the box ideas.

They don't listen to what people need.

"It's not Gods plan if it's against God's word." - Unknown

He wants us to work, he also wants us to remember the science of being a boy or a girl.

So back to the title THE NEW YOU. I'm not sure how you become a new you. You live. You apply for the jobs you want. You don't apply for the ones that burnt you out. You look for the companies you like and you apply for the stuff you think you'll never get and some things you could. You keep plugging at it. You think outside the box. You look at other alternatives. You research. You plan. You put 300 resumes out. Something will turn up. In Gods timing, in his will. Whatever it is it will be 1000 times better than anything we could've thought of.