Is Lubbock Phoenix Doing Any Good?

We’ve been at this for a couple of months. I’ve not only been impressed by the number of folks who have asked me to “review my resume,” but by the number of folks who are really seeking out the other human resource professionals and asking them all sorts of questions and asking about contacts.

Networking is one of those off shoots of Lubbock Phoenix Employment Project (LPEP) that I anticipated would be a significant part of the process, but wasn’t sure how many would take advantage of the opportunity.

Advice Is Fine, But…

I know advice is great, but what people need are jobs. I’ve even mentioned this to the numerous groups of under- and unemployed I’ve been talking with about LPEP. So, to use a business term, bottom line, what’s happening with all the great advice?

Around 70 people have attended our discussions. That’s an incredible number of folks who have given up two hours on a Tuesday evening and come to talk with us. And, I haven’t asked anyone to keep me updated with their progress, but I know of several who are now employed and are either blaming (if they hate their new job) or crediting (if they like it) Lubbock Phoenix.

One of my best friends is employed again after an almost two year hiatus following a downsizing. He called me and told me “Rex, I’m employed again.” His voice cracked. He said after his downsizing that he’d been progressively more depressed and melancholy and had sort of given up. He was still sending out resumes and still filling out applications, but he said he really wasn’t putting any effort into the process.

Getting a job was a full-time job. Unlike a full-time job, however, he didn’t have a boss to kick him in the seat of the pants, and that’s what he said he needed. His boss was himself and he had let himself down. Lubbock Phoenix didn’t give him this kick, but what we did do was told him “if you’re not going to actually try, why pretend,” or at least that’s what he heard.

He revamped his resume, redid his letter, took his suit to the cleaners, shaved and got ready. A phone interview (where he wore his suit) was followed by an in-person interview where he showered and shaved right before the interview, put on his suit and freshly polished shoes and researched the company. He followed up the interview with a nice thank you note expressing his desire to be employed.

He received an offer a couple of days later.

But, Rex, that’s only one.

Another lady connected with one of the HR professionals on the panel and even though she was offered a position with a government entity she chose to interview with the HR person’s company and was hired using the advice the HR person on the panel had given her. Perhaps this success story is more of a self-fulfilling prophesy, but I’d need to ask the lady who got the job if she cares. I doubt she does.

But, Rex, that’s only two.

That’s only two. There are a handful more.

But, Rex, that’s only a handful.

There is a point where this stuff we do won’t work. There are folks who regardless of how they dress, how their application looks, how they present their resume will struggle mightily to get a job and maybe won’t succeed in securing employment. That’s just the facts.

But, as I survey the rising tsunami of the unemployed, which is sweeping across much of the country, I ponder how long Lubbock remains insulated. I know of one company here who will cut it’s workforce by about half because of the downturn nationally in their industry. And although some of the economic indicators are turning up, the one that matters, people, isn’t. It’s heading in the opposite direction largely because the fastest way companies can save money is by cutting people—short-term.

So, that’s what the folks with the shiny shoes and new cars do because they have to impress the other folks with the shiny shoes and the new cars.

That’s simply reality.

I ponder as the tsunami continues to gather energy how much of that will splash over into the Lubbock market. We’re at approximately 4% unemployed today. We may see 6% or 8% or 10% before this thing is all done.

I ponder, then, if we're insulated on the downturn are we as equally insulated from the upswing?

My hope is, though, that the people of the South Plains, as we often do, aren’t looking to “Obama” for the answers, and not because he’s “Obama” and many on the South Plains would have preferred someone else, but because we tend to quit perseverating on things we can't control and simply help one another when we’re in trouble. We’re in trouble now, but we’re helping one another. That’s what we do here.