Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Work Worth Doing - 3rd in series on Theodore Roosevelt Quotes - as published on ClashDaily.com

Written by Candace Hardin on November 11, 2014 https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5136591818701317992#editor/src=sidebar
The problem with the United States right now is a lack of viable jobs for its citizens. The new corporate way is more work for less employees. During a recent job search, I found that today’s employer wants a tailor made person for their position. Their standards are extremely high and the pay does not come close to matching the qualifications. I found a fine example of the ridiculous on a popular classified website. “Our digital agency is growing and in need of a full time writer for our unpaid internship with the possibility of hiring. Intern must have an English degree from a 4 year college and basic knowledge of marketing / public relations.” The ad goes on to relate the various duties that will be required of this unpaid position. Their list is the perfect job listing for a copywriter, normally a fairly well paid job by a professional. People with four year English degrees are not necessarily versed in marketing as a matter of course. Those skills usually come under the curriculum of a BA in Business. Here is the problem with this ad: The company is wanting an employee without compensation. (Not sure this is legal either, the Dept. of Labor may need to be consulted.) The company has very specific demands as to whom shall be qualified for this free work. The company wants this person to come pre-trained, and ready to jump into the flow without adding any training or input on their own. Our economy is consumer driven. There is no other way to explain it. A large portion of the year’s GNP is determined by consumer spending during the Christmas holiday season, as well as other factors. America has lost so many middle management jobs and manufacturing work. These were and will continue to be the backbone of our economy. When people made a living wage, they had some purchasing power. They had the confidence to borrow for the things they wanted, and money was available for lending. After the bailout and with all the TARP money that banks were given, loans are still very hard to come by six years after the fact. Most people are afraid of incurring debt as the job situation is more precarious than ten years ago. Teddy Roosevelt once said that, “Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” This is true. Work is healthy for the body and the mind. It inspires confidence in a person and allows for the realization of dreams that everyone has for the way they would like to live. If highly skilled work is allowed to be unpaid or underpaid, it is a formula for despair. Despair is the reason that so many people have left the workforce. Unless workers are given an opportunity to work hard at work worth doing, that is properly compensated, the economy will never truly recover. People need an opportunity to have pride in their performance and in the life they provide for themselves and their families.

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