Having to Compete for a Job in the Real World
Continually I hear people saying that all the homeless need to do is get a job. That's it, just get a job and everything will work out fine. This makes me wonder if the those talking have ever actually held a real job, or if it's been so long that they can't remember what it took.
I realize that many people go through life without ever having to compete for a job. Some people have no clue what it's like to apply for a job opening, with dozens (or even hundreds) of other applicants for that single opening, and then impress the employer that they are the best possible choice. Do they realize that if a person does get offered the job that it's necessary to be on time and perform well enough to keep the job, and also impress the employer enough to advance toward a wage they can actually live on?
Even in day-labor jobs (which are some of the worst) it's necessary to compete with those who are more physically capable or are willing to do the dirtiest work. If the boss on the job site thinks he can get someone else who will work harder for minimum wage, you won't be coming back again. If you aren't willing to take the worst job assignments they often will not consider you for anything, even if you are highly qualified for skilled work.
One job I've done is cleaning dog cages in an animal shelter. I could only get the job once in a while when a regular worker missed a day. Dirty minimum wage work, and it's hard to get.
Listening to some people makes me think that they have never had to compete for anything. It's true that in some jobs, such as with some unions, it isn't necessary to impress anyone with productivity once you're established as a regular employee. On some jobs just being on time and doing barely adequate work is all that's required. I've actually had people laugh at me for wanting to work hard to advance in pay since they always got away with not having to impress anyone.
Employment requirements keep changing with the times. For most jobs today it's necessary to have at least basic computer skills. For many jobs if you can't respond to a job ad by e-mail they aren't interested in hearing from you. I've offered to help some people get started with e-mail, and how to use the internet, but so far no one has been interested.
When a person has just completed a course of education that's suitable for the job market, and has housing and living expenses provided, it's an ideal time to find employment. After having been out of school for several years it's much more difficult to pass tests which were no problem while in school. Having experience and the real-world ability to get the job done doesn't impress some employers as much as scoring well on a test.
Several years ago after applying for a job in a repair shop at a university, I was called in for an interview. I was told that there were over 100 applications and I was one of 10 given an interview. I lost to someone with experience closer to what they needed. Months later there was an opening again, and I interviewed, but it was the same story. I've had plenty of similar experiences. Sometimes it's necessary to interview repeatedly over a period of weeks for one opening. Some people think  it's strange to have to go through such a process, since they've never had to.
After having impressed an employer enough to have been offered a job it becomes necessary to get there on time and perform up to expectations. Without  resources such as a place to sleep and shower, clean clothes, and a means of transportation, it may not be possible to do so. I frequently get e-mail from agencies that have job openings which I could very likely fill, except that I don't have the resources needed to follow through. I have to tell them "I'm not available at present", hoping that things will change somehow and I'll get back in touch with them.
I've been offered work many times which would require me to be at the job by 7AM, which is typical for production jobs, but had to turn them down since it was impossible to get there using public transportation. When the very first bus in the morning doesn't pass the job until sometime after seven (if it ever passes anywhere near the job), you just can't take the job.
While it's more difficult to get a job today that pays a living wage, there are jobs. In order to get and keep a job it's still necessary to have the basic essentials associated with having a place to live and adequate transportation. A stack of college degrees doesn't help if you can't even get to the job on time and presentable.
www.homelessamerican.com                          HOMEPAGE
There is always the problem of trying to get a job with a business owner, or manager, that really doesn't know what they are doing. When it comes to low wage work, many of the employers may not even speak coherent American english. Plenty of times I've had managers that were clearly incompetent and ridiculed their employees who were far more educated. Usually, these people fail in business, and over a hundred small businesses close every day. But, if you need work it's necessary to tolerate them until you can get a real job.
While computer skills are often needed, it amazes me how some people that manage to have good housing can't even figure out some of the simplest things. At the apartments where I live the trash compactor has a simple combination lock. All it takes is pushing the numbers two and four, then pressing number three, and opening the door. At least 20% of the people I see trying to put their trash in the compactor cannot figure this out. Just three digits and it's totally beyond their comprehension. I've seen people with expensive SUVs stop there and throw their trash on the ground because they are too ignorant to open the door. How do these people make a living?
Even for some of the dirtiest, back-breaking, labor jobs there is competition. In the area where I live it's typical for over a hundred people to show up at a day-labor office at 5AM every morning in hope finding some work, and there are dozens of these labor companies just in this county.