Ohio School Janitor Job Gets 700 Applicants

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When I am debating public policy with friends and family, those on the conservative side often say something like, “I don’t want my hard-earned money going to people who just sit at home living off the government.”

I usually reply with two things, “You are going to pay one way or another.  Maybe it will be through higher crime rates, or maybe something less direct, like a bad economy, low stock prices, or reduced value of the dollar.  Wouldn’t you prefer to invest in your community on the front, constructive-end over the unsafe, uncertain tail-end?”

And then I say, “Most people who are out of work during high unemployment and recession want to work….”

MASSILON, Ohio — Evidence of the slumping economy is stacking up at an Ohio school which has nearly 700 applications for one open janitorial job.

Officials at Perry Local Schools near Canton in northeast Ohio say they’ve extended the deadline until Monday to accommodate the overwhelming response to the week-old posting.

The full-time position at Edison Junior High School pays $15 to $16 an hour plus benefits.

Superintendent John Richard says many applicants are laid-off workers with heart-wrenching stories about the tough economic times.

Forty-nine-year-old Donna Croston says she applied after losing jobs at two nearby factories that closed.

Croston says her chances of being hired amid the hundreds of applicants are slim, but she’s hoping to get lucky.

Ohio School Janitor Job Gets 700 Applicants

The Price and Science of Happiness

Earlier I posted an article about jobs and spent some time talking about happiness.  The premise was that if you pick a job thinking it will or will not make you happy based solely on the amount of money it pays, you may be sorely mistaken - at least partially because, for most people, no matter how much money they have, it will never be enough.

Here is a good speech from Ted.com that touches on why that is exactly.  The speaker is Benjamin Wallace and his topic is, “The Price of Happiness.”  The best part is the final 20 seconds, but the whole thing is pretty good:

FYI - Usually when I post video from Ted.com, you have to pick your player first (either will do) and the video will play without taking you away from DaddyHogwash.com.

With great jobs being far and few between, here is how to find one

This list contains some pretty basic and common sense advice, and is probably more relevant in a strong economy, where everyone who wants to work is working.

I would probably add a couple of things to this list.  One of the first questions anyone asks when they are looking for a job is, “How much does it pay?”  I would also venture to guess that others may ask themselves, “What would my peers and family think.”

The pay question is the most complicated one.  If you are only getting a job because of the pay, chances are, you won’t be happy.  Consider pharmacology.  Yes, it pays $60+ an hour, but many people cringe at the idea of standing behind a desk sorting pills 8 to 10 hours a day.  Not only that, but considering the trends of American culture, many people never make enough money to satisfy their spending habits.  Take the pharmacologist again.  Apparently a high percentage of them buy a Mercedes upon graduation.  Good for them, but while they may make 3 to 4 times more than you, their car payment is 3 to 4 times more as well.  So, they get to have a job standing behind a desk sorting pills for 8 - 10 hours a day so that they can drive home at 8:00 PM in their Mercedes and impress their family and friends.  (Which thoroughly covers the second question.)

Don’t get me wrong, pharmacist are very important, and many people are psychologically cut out for that line of work, but I think you get my point.  Just in case, as long as you have money for food, shelter, water, and clothing, after that, no matter how much money you make, it will never be enough…unless of course, you are one of the minority of Americans who do not base their happiness on the material things that they have accumulated over the years.

Consumer Tips: Empowering YOU to be a savvy consumer Blog Archive - Do this to find a great job « - Blogs from CNN.com

2. Once you think you know those broad areas, open yourself up to what else might rouse you. Here’s a simple technique to identify what that might be: Collect the last four or five issues of Fortune and go through them one by one. Rip out any article or advertisement that sparks a chord. Don’t over-think this. Spread the articles and ads out on the kitchen table and put them into logical groupings. You’ll notice patterns and areas that you probably didn’t realize you were interested in.

Can Obama’s Stimulus Plan Spur Green Jobs in the U.S.? - BusinessWeek

Here is another article in relation to the Pennies from Space article I posted yesterday.

Barack Obama’s plan to pull the country out of recession has a strong green hue. Conventional wisdom says Washington won’t have the stomach or the dollars to tackle long-term issues like climate change or dependence on foreign oil when the economy is in the tank and oil prices have plunged. Wrong conclusion, Obama says. These problems, “left unaddressed, will continue to weaken the economy and threaten national security,” he said on Nov. 18 in a video message to a climate summit meeting in California.

Can Obama’s Stimulus Plan Spur Green Jobs in the U.S.? - BusinessWeek.