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OPINION
Tri-State Defender
July 25 - 31, 2013
John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)
The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper
A Real Times Newspaper
• Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher • Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor
Retooling the employment strategy for today’s college students
Picking the right job candidate is not easy. I was given the task of recommending college students for summer employment for my organization. I promptly pulled together a team of seasoned professionals and recent college grads to make the job selection. We reviewed more than 100 resumes and interviewed several candidates. We had to make these selections quickly. To my surprise, I was flabbergasted at the lack of employment preparation by some people. For example, some students did not have the correct phone number listed on their resumes. In one situation, we missed a prospect on our call to set up an interview. He called us back with a list of times he was available to be interviewed. In other words, he expected us to work our interview schedule around his. We did not call him back. Sadly, these miscues in understanding the hiring process of employers could jeopardize these students’ future. We were fortunate to land two quality candidates. This article examines the current economic crisis and how students and parents can better position themselves for more employment opportunities. The current economic forecast looks bleak in the near term for college grads and those preparing to graduate in 2013. The U.S. Labor Department estimates that the unemployment rate for recent college grads between ages 21 to 24 has averaged over 8 percent. According to the Economic Policy Institute, recent grads will probably need to settle for lowlevel positions. In fact, about 52 percent of employed college grads under age 25 were not working jobs that require a college degree according to a Northeastern University economist. College grads and current students must find alternative strategies to overcome employment obstacles. Rising tuition costs, a stagnate economy and lack of career advancement continue to haunt ambitious young professionals. Seasoned professionals are too cautious to retire early due to the uncertainty in their own future with the rising health care costs as they age. In fact, getting a college education appears to be a big liability and financial load for students. As the clock struck midnight several days ago, interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford student loans jumped from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent until Congress can change it. Some estimates conclude that the average college student will see an additional $2,600 cost for his or her loan. According to the Project on Student Debt, two-thirds of 2011 college graduates had an average debt of more than $26,000. Consequently, millions of college grads will see themselves carrying
massive college debt loads with dim hopes of finding jobs in their majors. Columnist Hadley Malcolm summed up this situation best: “Like countless Millennials across the counDr. Daryl try, they find Green themselves tethered to that debt load, stuck between the desire to become fully independent adults and not being able to afford the financial and cultural milestones traditionally associated with young adults.” Employment opportunities have changed because the hiring processes have changed, yet most individuals do not realize this fact. Peter Cappelli, author of “Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs,” explains that employers have shifted their expectations on prospective employees: “With an abundance of workers to choose from, employers are demanding more of job candidates than ever before...To get a job, you have to have that job already. It’s a catch-22 situation for workers – and it’s hurting companies and the economy.” Regardless of where you stand on today’s college students, it is clear that some intervention is necessary if they are to be successful in this troubled market. The following is a short list of job strategies for college grads: (a) Get an independent assessment on your resume and job strategies, (b) Develop a personal brand that will create an image of indispensability and uniqueness, (c) Showcase your expertise on a variety of levels (blogs, media expert, etc.), (d) Obtain special training or certifications to become more competitive, and (e) Extend your network globally with social media platforms such as Linkedin.com. With the increases in college debt and lack of significant job opportunities, college grads must retool their job strategies. Additionally, with the continuing financial crisis, parents cannot afford to idly sit by and watch their child wander aimlessly through life. Individuals can help themselves by becoming knowledgeable in all aspects of the employment process. The road will not be easy, but planning will create the right environment for success in the future.
(Dr. Daryl Green is the author of “Job Strategies for the 21st Century: How to Assist Today’s College Students during Economic Turbulence.” Contact him at www.darylgreen.org or www.nuleadership.com.)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James Baldwin Source: Henry Louis Gates Jr./The Root SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mail subscriptions to the Tri-State Defender are available upon request. One Year, $30.00; Two Years, $55.00. Domestic subscriptions must be addressed to: Subscriptions, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Delivery may take one week. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries can be made in writing, by calling (901) 523-1818 or by e-mail. TELEPHONE: Editorial and Administration: (901) 523-1818. Display Advertising (901) 523-1818. Classified Advertising (901) 523-1818. Fax: (901) 578-5037. E-MAIL: Editorial e-mail (press releases, news, letters to editor, etc.): editorial@tristatedefender.com; Display advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): advertising@tri-statedefender.com; Classified advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): classifieds@tri-statedefender.com; Subscription/Circulation e-mail (subscriptions, subscription price requests, etc.): subscriptions@tri-statedefender.com; Production e-mail (technical questions/specs, etc.): production@tri-statedefender.com. The Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Tri-State Defender Publishing Co., 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103. Second Class postage paid at Memphis, TN.
Obama finally finds his voice on race The Root
by Keli Goff Six days after a jury acquitted George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, President Obama gave his first public remarks on the matter. He also gave his most indepth remarks on race since his famed “”ace speech,” “A More Perfect Union,” in 2008. The president surprised reporters by appearing before them unannounced. Unprompted, he began by reiterating his sympathy for the parents of Trayvon Martin, before doing something extraordinary. The president acknowledged his own experiences with racial profiling and how that experience and similar ones that disproportionately affect black Americans have shaped our community’s reaction to the Zimmerman verdict. He said in part: “You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African-American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it’s important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that – that doesn’t go away. “There are very few AfricanAmerican men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.” The president went on to talk about some of the other dehumanizing experiences that African Americans, particularly African-American men, encounter on a regular basis, such as having women hold their purses tighter in elevators. The candor with which the president spoke was extraordinary. It was
the first time he tackled the issue of race and discrimination in such a detailed way since taking office. While his speech on race at the height of the Jeremiah Wright controversy during the Keli 2008 election Goff was well-received, his later attempts at broaching the subject created political landmines that his advisers seemed uncertain how to navigate. His comments relating to the controversy that ultimately led to the White House “beer summit” resulted in a decline in his approval ratings, and his brief initial comments on Trayvon Martin – that if he had a son, he’d look like Trayvon – provoked criticism. As a result his seemingly risk-averse advisers steered clear of race at all costs, rarely broaching the subject. But the death of Trayvon Martin, which drew comparisons to previous civil rights martyrs such as Emmett Till, provoked a particular measure of passion, and the president’s silence on the racial dynamics of the case drew criticism from many, including me. As I said in multiple television interviews, I, and other critics of his initial response, recognize that President Obama was not elected to be the president of black America. But black Americans are just as American as everybody else, and while it’s arguable that we shouldn’t expect more from the president because he is black, we should also not expect less. Although he has aggressively waded into controversial issues affecting other minority groups, from same-sex marriage to immigration reform, he consistently shied away from doing so when it came to issues that disproportionately affect
black Americans, such as racial profiling. What made his unwillingness to address racial profiling even more galling is that this president is the first in our nation’s history likely to have firsthand experience with the issue, something he acknowledged today. In addition to referencing his own experience with being profiled, he talked about his previous legislative efforts to address the issue on a local level. He passed racial-profiling legislation as a state senator. But it is very possible that the president’s remarks today will prove far more impactful than a piece of legislation. The reason? The most powerful black man in the world validated the fear that has haunted most black Americans in the wake of the Zimmerman verdict – a fear that many who are not black dismissed as paranoia bordering on hysteria. It is the fear that no matter what school you go to, what neighborhood you live in, what job you have, how you dress and even if you have no criminal record, if you are black in America you may be feared and targeted, even in the age of the first black president. And if you are a young black man – or the mother, sister, father or brother of one – you are not crazy for feeling this fear and for giving voice to it, because it is a fear that the Ivy league-educated, half-white president of the United States has known. And thanks to his courage in giving voice to this fear today, more non-black Americans can put a face to this fear that they can identify with, and hopefully because of that they will think twice before they think the worst when crossing paths with a young, black teenager armed with a pack of Skittles, and they’re armed with a gun.
(Keli Goff is The Root’s special correspondent. Follow her on Twitter.)
Tavis Smiley defends Twitter hit on Obama The Root
by Lynette Holloway Despite the outrage over his Twitter attack on President Obama’s remarks on race in America following George Zimmerman’s acquittal, Black America reports that Tavis Smiley defended his comments Sunday during an appearance on “Meet the Press.” During the interview, he restated his tweet, saying he thought the president’s remarks were too little, too late, “as weak as presweetened Kool-Aid.” He then went on to criticize the president’s role as a leader.
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“I appreciate and applaud the fact that the president did finally show up,” Smiley said. “But this town has been spinning a story that’s not altogether true. He did not walk to Tavis the podium for Smiley an impromptu address to the nation. He was pushed to that podium. A week of protests outside the White House, pressure building on
1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed. 2. Racially unrestricted membership in all jobs, public and private. 3. Equal employment opportunities on all jobs, public and private. 4. True representation in all U.S. police forces. 5. Complete cessation of all school segregation. 6. Federal intervention to protect civil rights in all instances where civil rights compliance at the state level breaks down
him inside the White House, pushed him to that podium.” Smiley goes on to say the president is failing to lead on this issue and should “step into his moment.” “But when he left the podium, he still had not answered the most important question, that Kingian question, where do we go from here? That question this morning remains unanswered, at least from the perspective of the president. And the bottom line is, this is not Libya. This is America. On this issue, you cannot lead from behind. What’s lacking in this moment is moral leadership. The country is begging for it. They’re craving it.”
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