Job Fairs Aren't!

When I was young I loved that Animal Fair song with the lyrics, "I went to the animal fair; the birds and the beasts were there..."
I really don't know why I liked it so much because when you analyze the words it's quite lame.  But when you're a kid you don't think about that.
Kids are not obligated to delve deeper into the meaning of things or question every word that comes out of a grown-ups mouth.  Lucky for the parents they don't or the phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do," would be quite overworked.
Yesterday I, and many other Human animals went to another so-called Job Fair.  I say 'so-called' since they don't really offer any good jobs and are by no means fair.
What most if not all companies are looking for when they set up these unfortunately necessary diversions from sitting at home are sales rep.  In other words if you can sell their product so that they can make more money then they will let you work for them but you must prove it!  And the pay, while not minimum wage is nevertheless far below your worth.
All companies pay their workers less than they are worth, that's a fact of business.  You cannot pay a person who is bringing in $50K to the company coffers a salary of $60K!  Generally it's a safe bet to double the numbers.  If you are worth $100K you will make around $50K.
So what's wrong with that?
On the face of it nothing.
But those of us who are unemployed are not children anymore and we don't automatically believe that a baboon is sitting combing his auburn hair by the light of the moon.
Many of the jobs that are being offered involve ridiculous hours.  And when you factor those hours into the imaginary 'doubling' equation above you come up with an approximate four or five timer.  Your compensation from the company these days is far less than your worth.
And they can get away with this because we are all assuming things are awful out there.  AND THEY ARE!
But not as awful for corporations as they would like you to believe.
The stock market just had a tremendous drop but look where it sits in relation to start of the recession.  Look at the bottom lines of the major companies and note that the unemployment numbers are nowhere near the same point on the recovery graph.
One company I spoke with proudly touted that their call center would soon extend its hours of operation from 7am until midnight!  And if you are lucky enough to get an interview and be hired you are required to work weekends.  And the plan is for customer service department to eventually be open 24 - 7.  Your compensation is set but your hours and days are not.  As with most vultures, I mean company heads these days they are demanding much more work and far more stressful hours for the same pay.  And you do not need a math degree to figure out that is virtually a lower salary.
Now when you are out of work and in need of an income, any income you are inclined to take anything that comes your way rather than sit around like that monkey.
But don't rely on the elephant or the party in Congress represented by it for any help.  They have not changed their tune.  For the most part they are the skunks we are bumping into every time we seek help.
And watch out when the elephant sneezes for as the song goes, 'that will be the end of the monk, the monk, the monk.'