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“I Just Want a Job!”

MANY countries are threatened by the alienation of millions of their people, especially the young. Why? Because there is no work for them. They are unemployed, and they are angry about it.

For example, in the United States the number of unemployed was about 9 percent early this year, a record high since World War II. That meant about 10 million people without jobs!

In the United Kingdom, of about three million without jobs, one fifth, 600,000, are under 19 years of age. A buildup of resentment and bitterness is inevitable. Expressing the underlying frustration, one teenager said: “I don’t care what I do now. I just want a job!”

Britain’s European trading partners share her problem. In nine Common Market countries about 8 percent of the work force is unemployed. And 400 out of every 1,000 of them are under 25 years of age! What will the story be in a few years if, as some experts see it, there are an expected 12 million jobless in Western Europe? This is a crisis, and every government knows it.

While the unemployment situation is worse in some other areas, such as in parts of Asia and Latin America, the situation is new to many people in Europe and North America. Why? What are the reasons for this escalating problem? A closer look at Europe, and Britain in particular, will be helpful in answering such questions.

Mass Unemployment​—Why?

With the end of the second world war, Europe entered an unprecedented period of economic prosperity. Merchandise of all kinds flooded into the shops. Employment was at its peak. ‘You’ve never had it so good!’ was the slogan used by Harold Macmillan, British prime minister of the early 1960’s, and this summed up the situation well.

But that was 20 years ago! Things have changed. Is full employment an attainable goal again for the 1980’s or, indeed, for any future time? Many authorities seriously maintain that it is now a thing of the past, just a memory of happier times. Why?

When the cost of oil, on which the Western nations base their economies, rose dramatically in the 1970’s, price increases and inflation went hand in hand. In an effort to keep pace, wage demands of workers increased rapidly. At the same time some market sources began to reach the saturation point, an added burden for faltering economies. Unemployment was the outcome.

Obviously there is no easy answer. For millions of people the prospect of getting any sort of job grows dimmer as the weeks go by. Such is the reality of the problem.

Youth Opportunities?

How are young people, especially those who finish school, coping with the situation? What is being done for them?

More than three years ago the British government initiated a Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) to help one in eight of those who finish school. It now seeks to cope with one in two. How does the program operate?

Every type of employer is urged to sponsor youngsters, usually straight from school, to work on their premises. The aims are twofold: To give them practical experience in a working environment and, in work-preparation courses, to provide some training in a range of skills.

In one 12-month period, well over half a million young people have been assisted in this way. But how successfully?

Many youngsters transfer to a second YOP course at the conclusion of their first attempt. There is no guarantee of full-time employment, of course, and often not much hope of it either. The project, good as it is, cannot solve the fundamental problem. As one YOP administrator candidly expressed himself: “It’s like giving an aspirin for cancer.”

Welfare payments prevent hardship and a bread-line existence, true, but they can be no substitute for job satisfaction. The Times of London pointed this out, saying: “For most youngsters, work is the key symbol of maturity, which is why they need it so badly.”

With the real prospect of 800,000 under 18 years of age being jobless by 1983, Britain faces a challenge. But it is one that also needs to be met by her European allies. Just what they will do remains to be seen.

Initiative Can Surely Help!

Are you one of the youthful unemployed? Do you lack experience in getting a job? Take heart! The situation is not without hope! Check the following information. It contains practical suggestions gleaned from managers, youngsters and others concerned about jobs.

With these in mind, use your initiative to apply for vacancies that come your way. Or as you have the opportunity make openings for yourself. It can be done, as many have discovered to their satisfaction. True, few jobs may be readily available at present, but one can be for you!

1. Be Prepared!

“After 15 years’ experience, I think that today’s youngsters are far less prepared for an interview than ever.” So commented one training officer. Why is this? “They don’t do their homework!” he exclaimed. What did he mean?

Consider this experience in answer: “I took an interest in the company I now work for. I asked questions at my interview, having found out beforehand the kind of things they did in different locations around London. I got the job.”

Would you be prepared to do such thorough research before applying for a vacancy? It could well make the difference between your getting the job and losing the opportunity. The effort is well worth it. As one employer put it: “Those who show initiative tend to get jobs ahead of those who sit back.” He should know.

2. Be Presentable!

“I was told by my business-studies teacher that it is best to write a neat personal letter for a job, rather than type it. She was right. I found it pays off.” So said a successful teenage girl. Neat writing creates an immediate impression. It indicates a personal interest. It’s a point well worth noting. Of course, if one’s handwriting is not clear and neat, then a well-typed letter would be better.

When presenting yourself for an interview, what about your attire? One youth commented: “I had four interviews before I was actually told I had the job. At the final interview there were just three of us. We were all from school and there was little to choose between us. But in the final analysis I think it was the way we dressed that counted.” Would you have thought of that?

One fashion clothing company is constantly advertising for staff. Why? “Many applicants turn up in dirty jeans and disheveled clothing,” lamented the managing director. If you ran such a business, would you want to employ such people? A tidy, neatly groomed appearance will enhance your chances of getting that job, just as an unkempt and untidy presentation of yourself can kill your chances stone dead. Most employers will tell you that. Don’t learn the hard way.

3. Be Pleasant!

What kind of person would you be to work with? Are you pleasant and kind? Do you smile? Can you laugh at yourself and your mistakes? Or, are you moody? Do you take yourself too seriously? Ask yourself: What kind of person would I choose to work with?

“School does not teach you what a vital dimension personality can be,” reflected a woman in her early 20’s. How true that is! Over the years higher education has concentrated on academic qualifications, often at the expense of character growth.

“Does the course concern itself with the development of my personality as well as my intellect?” is one of the questions The Observer Study Service suggests young people should be asking themselves. It follows that a pleasing personality is not dependent upon one’s ability to pass examinations, and a prospective employer may well be impressed with you as a person, rather than being influenced solely by certificates of education.

4. Be Persistent!

With an acute shortage of jobs, employers can afford to be choosy. To balance this, you need to be persistent! Do you recall the well-known Bible story of a widow who kept going to a judge to get justice for herself? She got what she asked for in the end, because of her persistence.​—Luke 18:1-8.

The same can be true of you. One employer relates that he gave a good job to a youth just out of school simply “to get him off my back!” Persistence not only pays off, but it indicates to prospective employers your own sincerity and concern. That in itself can earn their respect.

“I’m glad I didn’t despair after one bad experience,” recalls a young person. “The only way to cope is to bounce back into something else.” Do you have that kind of resilience? You will need it if you are going to be successful in job hunting.

5. Be Practical!

The world does not owe anybody a living. Yet many prospective employers are concerned about those who finish school and who set their sights too high and demand rights that they have never earned. A spokesman for the Association of Professional Employment Agencies explained that many young people “insist on holding out for more money than employers are prepared to pay. They’re too choosy.”

If you are going to price yourself out of a job, what is to be gained? Surely it is far better to start and get the initial experience of work. Such a position can then be the stepping-stone to something better as you gain that valuable experience.

“Young people consider it degrading to do a service job,” observed a hotel owner. Be practical! People will always pay for a personal service. In fact, many young people have started their own businesses on this basis. They offer their services in an endless variety of ways​—grass mowing, garden pruning, window cleaning, baby-sitting, car washing. These are just a few examples. They are well worth pursuing.

6. Be Positive!

So you have tried to get a job many, many times and you are still unsuccessful. What then? DON’T GIVE UP! Agreed, it is not an easy thing to do, but keep a positive outlook.

“Sell yourself!” was the advice of one experienced job hunter. Show your prospective employer what a fine asset you would be to him. A good reference testifying to your honesty will go a long way in this regard. Even if he does not have an immediate vacancy, he may be well disposed to keep your name on file.

Never become overly aggressive, either in outlook or at an interview. Remember that there are many more in the position you are in. If you are turned down, ask why. Maybe you can learn something to help you with your next application.

Never lose your sense of humor and, above all else, maintain your dignity in the face of adversity. Who knows about the next job? Approach it in a positive frame of mind​—it could be yours.

Is There Any Permanent Solution?

There is no doubt that much frustration and anger are caused by the difficulty of finding a job. Similar frustration and anger often come with having a job that one does not really like.

Then, is there no hope that someday people can not only have full employment but also really enjoy what they are doing? From the actual conditions that exist in this world, the answer would seem to be, No.

However, the very conditions that exist today in this trouble-filled world, including high unemployment, are evidences that this unsatisfactory system of things is nearing its end! Long ago many Bible prophecies foretold the awful things that would take place in our age, giving evidence that the time was nearing when the Creator, Jehovah God, would intervene in human affairs and wipe out the entire man-made structure now oppressing people.​—Matthew 24:3-14.

In our lifetime, in “this generation,” as Jesus called it, God will use his almighty power to crush what is bad and restore what is good to this earth. (Matthew 24:34) “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”​—Proverbs 2:21, 22.

The final prophetic book of the Bible, Revelation, shows that “a great crowd” of honest-hearted persons would survive this world’s destruction, ‘coming out of the great tribulation’ to endless life on earth. (Revelation 7:9-17) Then, under God’s direction, a great work program would begin to transform this earth into what Jesus called Paradise. (Luke 23:43) That there would be such a building program was foreshadowed by these words of the prophet Isaiah: “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. . . . the work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. They will not toil for nothing.”​—Isaiah 65:21-23.

Since God created humans with a desire for satisfying work, that hope will indeed be fulfilled. After God’s execution of judgment against this present system, the earthly subjects of his rule will have before them a worldwide cleanup work that will eclipse any this earth has ever seen. The wreckage caused by the final war will be cleared away. (Psalm 46:8, 9) Lovely homes will be built. Gardens, parks and crops will flourish, the work happily being done by humans who are blessed by their Creator.

In addition, “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) Think of all the upbuilding work that will be done on their behalf! They will be taught God’s laws, be provided with places to live and will have work to do. Since “death will be no more” (Revelation 21:4), there will be plenty of time for all to cultivate skills in work, in the arts and in the sciences. Yes, indeed, ‘the work of their own hands they will use to the full,’ so that each day will be a delight. Forever gone will be the curse of poverty, unemployment and undesirable work.

Hence, while life today is full of uncertainties where making a living is concerned, you can have full confidence in God’s promise of a soon-to-come new system that will do away with all of that. No more will persons say in frustration, “I just want a job!” There will be more than enough creative, upbuilding, useful and satisfying work for all!