No dinner with the Obamas, but letter from the president helps

 

We wanted dinner with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Wanted to share our experiences talking to unemployed people across the U.S., and ask, Where are the jobs?

No White House dinner for Hire Your Neighbor, but we did get this form letter from the president:

Dear Friend: Thank you for your kind note.  Your thoughtful words join a chorus of millions of Americans who are eager to lead our Nation towards a brighter tomorrow. Each day, I am inspired by the encouraging messages of hope and determination I have received from people across the country.  With the magnitude of challenges we face, we will only overcome them if our imagination is joined to common purpose. The future we leave to our children and grandchildren will be determined by our willingness to shoulder each other’s burdens, take great risks, and move forward as one people and one Nation.  With your help, we will build on what we have already achieved and lay a new foundation for real and lasting progress. Sincerely, Barack Obama

What to do when a layoff seems like the end of the world

Marcus Tolero is about to graduate.  Again.

He was full of hope after graduating with a BA in journalism from San Francisco State University in 2003, landing a full-time job at a community newspaper after a three-month internship.

That led to another internship at one of his city’s most prominent, glossy magazines, then a full-time public relations job at a small, boutique firm.

Tolero was pursuing his passion — writing — and polishing skills, such as fact-checking.

Then the 2008 recession hit; the p.r. firm lost clients; and Tolero was among a few young workers laid off.

“Everything got turned upside down,” he recalls. “It was the first time I had been laid off in my life.”

It was such a blow, Tolero acknowledges now it was difficult to know what to do, when unemployment was climbing in San Francisco.  All his friends had jobs, were getting married, and starting families.

He was 28.

“I took a year off,”  says Tolero, now 31. “I surfed and biked, stayed healthy and active.

“Financially, I knew I had to start over again. But I just didn’t want to go back … that was the toughest part.”

Tolero spent so much time searching for work, and tapping social media, that he took a lesson from former client, digg.com.

“They were doing some really cool stuff — they were pioneers in social media — and I was looking at all these websites, to see how they function,” Tolero says. “That’s how I decided to go back to school.”

Tolero registered at City College for a certificate in web design, plunging into a field he admits was daunting.

“It was a big leap,” he recalls. “I was nervous. Could I do it? It was something I’d never done.”

While other friends were enjoying the gains of early careers, Tolero started over again, learning humbly how to be a returning student.

“I had to make a lot of sacrifices, financially and time-wise,” he says. “But my mentality was so much different. At 18, you don’t really know what you want to do. You’re at school for the scene.

“But this time, I knew I wasn’t there to party. My mentality was much different. I don’t consider myself a computer whiz. I never knew how to design anything.”

Tolero’s answer to this struggle?  “If you’re faced with something tough, you just have to do it. I’m studying really hard.”

He’ll graduate this spring with a two-year certificate in web design and multi-media graphics, in a city where dot.com jobs have led the surge in end-of-recession employment.  San Francisco’s “beta city” economy is known for such successes as Wikipedia, Twitter, craigslist and Salesforce.

“It’s exciting, but a little nerve-wracking. I’m wondering how I’ll do, up against the guy who comes out here from Harvard with a (web design) degree,” Tolero says.  “I’m optimistic because everything is mobile — there’s such a big demand for mobile applications.

“There are definitely more opportunities in the Bay Area now. A lot of companies are looking for designers for mobile (apps), and the Bay Area is in the forefront of technology and social media.”

Tolero says his post-B.A. years have taught him to be flexible and network more, and keep building marketable skills.

“I’m still debating whether to go for more training after I graduate. Am I qualified enough? You never stop learning,” he says, with enthusiasm.

“I’m having a lot more success networking — more than I did the first time at school — and I’m hoping, I would love to, get a job in a small design studio, an intimate studio where you have a little bit more on your plate.  I want to be able to design a website, from functionality to typography …

“I pride myself on my work ethic,” Tolero emphasizes. “If I don’t understand something, I’ll try to figure it out myself. If I have a deadline, I’ll work hard to finish it early, then I’ll refine it, do the follow-up.”

Tolero’s networking already has paid off in a pre-graduation community project that has big potential beyond San Francisco.

It’s called Chinese Whispers, about disenfranchised workers who built the railroads that spurred American industrialization, and were a huge, yet unrecognized part of the Gold Rush that transformed San Francisco.

Something like young workers just getting their start in San Francisco — a city so rich, the average annual income is estimated at $115,000.

“I’m not overly optimistic,” Tolero insists. “After everything that’s happened to me, professionally, I would say I’m optimistic, with some skepticism.”

His goal, after a second graduation?

“Just get a job.”

It’s Martin Luther King Day, a day of public service

By David M. Lieberfarb

Why volunteer? For the under-employed, volunteer work can be a life-saver. While I did lots of volunteering while I was fully employed, it’s even more meaningful and fulfilling now. Mainly because it gets me out of the house and away from the computer on which I’m typing, a stealthy thief that steals huge blocks of my time playing games.

As a volunteer, I play to my strengths. Always facile with numbers, I once wanted to be an accountant, like two of my favorite cousins. As a young homeowner, I felt the need to be able to prepare my own tax returns. So one year I took an H&R Block course. That led to a part-time job during the 1983 tax season, but I hated working for H&R Block.

After my buyout three years ago, I wanted to learn how to prepare taxes on the computer instead of by hand. Rather than buy a commercial tax program, I volunteered for the AARP training. I met some dedicated people whom I really admire and am now on their team for about eight hours a week during tax season. Our clients often offer gifts, but AARP is very strict about accepting gratuities, and the gratitude we receive is enough.

As for Meals on Wheels, I enjoy driving and doing anything that has to do with food — except dishes. Years ago, I drove cancer patients to their treatments and was a volunteer and board member of an organization called SHARE (Self-Help And Resource Exchange) that provided low-cost food for people. The deliveries take up even less of my time: about two hours twice a month, but it’s very gratifying.

Since I’m not earning as much money as I did when I was working full-time at The Star-Ledger, I’m being somewhat less generous with my monetary donations to charities this year. I might have sent $100 before, but now I’m sending $25 or $50, so therefore volunteering makes me feel better about pinching pennies.

David Lieberfarb is a freelance writer, based in New Jersey.