Before leaving I decided I would put Butler's diaper on him to see how it worked so hopefully I wouldn't come home to a big mess to deal with. And Butler is stylin' in his denim diaper too. Ok, obviously the job fair affected me more than I thought it did - I forgot to email the two photos I took of Butler in his diaper so I could insert them into this blog - wow. But.....the photo that wouldn't load yesterday showing Butler and all his toys did load so at least you get some type of picture today :)
Anyway - the job fair. It was at the Botanical Center and a very nice drive today since the sun was shining and not bad temperaturewise. I park and see the signs directing job fair participants to a separate entrance (not the main entrance). I'm in my power, black, interview suit with hose and heels and looking pretty good and feeling pretty confident. I run into two people on the sidewalk who were dressed professionally that evidently knew each other and one said to the other something like, "oh I've brought some inmates with me." I thought that was interesting to have said but on I go.
I am greeted by three to four professionally dressed men and women and asked to sign in - ok. There are four columns to complete: name, address, PAROLE OFFICER's NAME and I have no idea what the last column wanted because I never got past the Parole Officer column. I'm already bent over to write my name and look at the two professionally dressed ladies at the table and say, "Mmmmm I don't have a Parole Officer." They tell me that's ok and I say something to the effect I thought this job fair was open to everyone to which they assure me it was. The reentry job fair was mainly for people that were released from prison and/or in work release programs who were reentering the work force...........................
But I go ahead and go into the first of two rooms thinking there may be opportunities for me - you never know. I stop at the Marriott table and am informed that they are in the final processes of hiring an office manager - poo. I then skirt past tables that are construction, factory, manufacturing, trucking companies and stop at a table that the company will remain nameless. The HR director gives her pat speel to the guy in front of me and then it's my turn. I tell her I'm looking for office work, admin assistant, etc., and she tells me that they are looking for folks with basically more than a high school education to work in their office. I look at her and think - are you even looking at me and seeing how I look and am dressed lady? I ask if I can leave my resume with her and then walk away rolling my eyes.
I stop at the State of Iowa table to get information and another table that there might be a possibility to work in their office - who knows. I go to the other room and it's basically information for colleges, etc., and decide I don't need any information from that room. They do ask me to complete a survey about the job fair on my way out to which I mention to the gentleman manning the survey table I thought reentry meant returning to the work force after being gone for a while (and technically I guess it did) but not from the perspective I was looking at it. He chuckled and told me to complete the survery the best I could - which I did.
Now - I think this job fair was a very beneficial tool for the demographic they were truly reaching out to and I hope many of the men (there weren't a lot of women there) do find employment. I chuckled as I walked back to the car thinking I spent more time showering, shaving my legs and putting on make-up (REAL make-up not my basic cover stick and eye shadow) for the job fair than I did walking through the job fair :) I haven't worn REAL make-up in over a year!
But it did feel good to be dressed professionally again - it was a beautiful day out - and I was actually strutting as I was walking in my heels :)
