Cecil Harris Young & Recessioned: At A Job Fair, Trying To Find A People Job

Today’s installment of Young & Recessioned features Cecil Harris, who spent Monday afternoon at a Houston career fair trying to find some work.

I’ve been looking for a job since December, and it’s like, there are no jobs.

I was working as a dispatcher with an incorporated company for Continental Airlines. I was let go in more of a departmental lay off.

This is my first time at a job fair, so it’s going to be a new experience for me.

A lot of jobs these days are online. If I’m going for a job, I can pretty much forget about the paperwork, because they’re going to tell me to go online anyway. I don’t even have to leave the house.

Searching online is almost like luck. I don’t want to say just luck, but I feel like they’re putting your name in a hat and shaking it up and picking whoever’s name comes out.

I haven’t gotten much response. I got one rejection letter. Something about, ‘The position has already been filled, and we wish you future success in your job endeavors.’ Stuff like that.

I try to apply for any job where it’s about working with people. I like customer service, customer relations. Something where I can work with people and keep myself busy.

I’d like to find a state job. Maybe something with the county, something that’s dealing with people.

I won’t sit here and say, ‘No, it hasn’t been frustrating,’ because people need work. I need a job.

I’m not giving up hope. I’m still looking, and I’m out here today. Maybe something can pop off for me.

Got a tale to tell about being Young & Recessioned? E-mail Paul Knight at paul.knight@houstonpress.com.