I Googled "pounding the pavement" -- I guess that even Elmo is hustling for jobs these days.
I tuned into Turner Classic Movies' Meryl Streep marathon last night and it was fantastic. "Manhattan" was some good old-fashioned Woody Allen -- with not much Meryl in it really -- and it is so depressing that I still have never been to New York City and my mother has convinced me that I will get mugged. Woody Allen always romanticizes New York and "Manhattan" is the epitome of that -- gorgeous cinematography -- and I started to wonder, does anyone ever get mugged in one of his movies? Someone stole Carrie Bradshaw's Manolos once on "Sex & the City."
Anyway, the second film was "Kramer vs. Kramer," which was also excellent, with Meryl and Dustin Hoffman, each at the peak of their fabulousness. There is a scene where Hoffman's character, Ted, vows to find a new job in 24 hours. He breaks out the classifieds, circles anything worthwhile (at a glance, it looked like there were 7 to 10 ads circled), and goes from office to office in his suit and tie. This is on Dec. 22, the Friday before Christmas. He shows up at the last place on his list and demands an interview on the spot, and when they say they'll get back to him before the holidays are over, he says he wants an answer right then and there. It's not long before 5 p.m. and the company Christmas party is going on. After a few moments of private discussion, they offer him the job. And so, Hoffman nabs that new job in his chosen field in a single day.
I found this to be really inspiring -- although not inspiring enough to pound the pavement myself -- and at the same time, depressing. I wonder if finding a job within 24 hours in this economy was a realistic goal. I don't just mean any old job -- I mean a job that you want. While I readily admit that many of the job seekers of my generation are relying too much on impersonal communication, like e-mail, and aren't hitting the streets like they should be, I looked at the Sunday classifieds in two newspapers. There were three possibilities that I could possibly be qualified for, and just one in my chosen field (that I've already applied for). Not much to circle.
I think I'll keep my PJs on.
Anyway, the second film was "Kramer vs. Kramer," which was also excellent, with Meryl and Dustin Hoffman, each at the peak of their fabulousness. There is a scene where Hoffman's character, Ted, vows to find a new job in 24 hours. He breaks out the classifieds, circles anything worthwhile (at a glance, it looked like there were 7 to 10 ads circled), and goes from office to office in his suit and tie. This is on Dec. 22, the Friday before Christmas. He shows up at the last place on his list and demands an interview on the spot, and when they say they'll get back to him before the holidays are over, he says he wants an answer right then and there. It's not long before 5 p.m. and the company Christmas party is going on. After a few moments of private discussion, they offer him the job. And so, Hoffman nabs that new job in his chosen field in a single day.
I found this to be really inspiring -- although not inspiring enough to pound the pavement myself -- and at the same time, depressing. I wonder if finding a job within 24 hours in this economy was a realistic goal. I don't just mean any old job -- I mean a job that you want. While I readily admit that many of the job seekers of my generation are relying too much on impersonal communication, like e-mail, and aren't hitting the streets like they should be, I looked at the Sunday classifieds in two newspapers. There were three possibilities that I could possibly be qualified for, and just one in my chosen field (that I've already applied for). Not much to circle.
I think I'll keep my PJs on.
