Read Commencement Page 18

A few weeks ago, Allen made his first visit to an employment agency. They couldn’t find anything for him that day, and told him to call back every couple of days to see if anything came in. Every time he called to check on his application, the receptionist gave the same reply, “We haven’t found anything yet”. So Allen decided to try to improve his chances by applying to several other employment firms. Today he was on his way to the Black Tie staffing agency. It was located in an impressive 70-story office building just off Madison Avenue near 51st Street. Based on what he had heard from one of his Harvard colleagues, they specialized in matching Ivy League Graduates with top-notch firms. He had already e-mailed his information in advance and had made an arrangement to speak with an employment specialist. Upon arriving at their premises, Allen was even more impressed with the business like atmosphere and clientele. As he looked around the waiting room, he noticed many of the people looked like serious businessmen and businesswomen in their crisp, dark suits, and polished footwear.

  “Good morning. I’m here to see Barbara West”, said Allen as he walked up to the receptionist.

  “Fill this out and have a seat.”

  “I already filled out my form on-line.”

  “Then just have a seat, and she’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

  As he waited to meet one of the recruiters, Allen managed to strike up a conversation with a few of the other job seekers who were also waiting. One was a man from Minnesota, who was seeking employment in marketing. Another was a young Indian woman who had already registered with the agency and was on a call back for an interview with a well-known bank for a position as head of client services. One other gentleman was leaving the investment-banking field to find something in human resources. They all had a lot of experience in their respective fields, not to mention several advanced degrees and certifications. Allen would have felt a little intimidated, if he had not been told about how this firm preferred Harvard Graduates over others, since the proprietor of the business had been a Harvard graduate himself. Surely they would be able to find a suitable position for him.

  At this point, based on the exigency of his situation, Allen was willing to settle for smaller positions like bank manager or accounts manager. He even thought about the possibility of starting out in accounting or as an office manager. Allen was willing to do almost anything that would help him to earn some money and stay on the path he had chosen for himself. Eventually, he would be able to go back to school and get his MBA. Then he would definitely be on his way to achieving his goals.

  “Allen Sharpe”, a voice called sharply, almost like a reprimand.

  Allen looked up to see an older woman with graying hair and a neat silver shark-skinned skirt suit. She didn’t smile or show any trace of emotion. Seeing her reminded Allen of a mean elementary school librarian from his past.

  “Yes”, Allen responded.

  “Barbara West”, the woman blared extending her hand for a brief shake.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Let’s go back to my office so we can talk.”

  Allen followed her through a door next to the receptionist desk, into a beehive of activity. There were cubicles everywhere, and Mrs. West led the way through the maze of felt boards until they reached one in a small corner in the back. Her set up was impressive for a cubicle. The cubicle itself was fashioned of dark, berber felt. There was a neat little mahogany desk with a state-of-the-art Mac computer, two leather chairs, hers being a recliner of course, and a mahogany file cabinet with silver plated hardware.

  “Please, sit”, she said gesturing to the smaller leather chair opposite her desk.

  “Thank you”, said Allen politely as usual.

  “So, Allen”, West began as she perused his file on her computer. “What kind of position are you looking for?”

  “I’ve heard that you specialize in placing people in the finance industry. I am currently looking for a position as a financial analyst or consulting associate, but I am open to lower level managerial positions like…”

  “Finance?! You’ve got to be joking”, she laughed.

  The bluntness of her words and manner shocked Allen like a glass of cold water thrown suddenly on him. After a few seconds, however, he was able to recover his wits. Allen was determined to stand his ground and was ready to defend his position.

  “I am aware of the fact that there has been a lot of downsizing and layoffs recently, however…”

  “They’re hemorrhaging jobs out there in the financial sector. There’s no way a kid like you has a chance out there. The young people like you are the first ones they cut. Even some of the big pros are having their hats handed to them.”

  “I understand that, however, I’m sure there must be some entry level positions out there that are open, especially for someone with my credentials and experience. I was under the impression that this firm specialized in placing talent with high caliber positions.”

  “And that’s what we try do, but let’s face it, we’re not miracle workers. Look, I’ll be honest with you. We haven’t been getting a lot of great jobs here. Most of our accounts are drying up. We used to have the inside track on jobs with the big advertising agencies, financial firms, public relations giants; you name it. Now a lot of them have been pulling back. The one’s who are still with us want people with a proven track record, with portfolios and the like. By the looks of things, you don’t have that.”

  “You don’t understand…all of my life…what else am I going to do?” stammered Allen.

  “Well, you would need a career counselor to determine that, and we don’t provide those services here. What I can do is hold onto your application and see what comes up. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of Human Resources stuff, Education, and Health. I’ll see if they have anything on the business side that you could do.”

  West reached over to the caddy on her desk, picked up a card and handed it to Allen.

  “Give us a call in about a week or so.”

  “Thank you for your time”, whispered Allen as he took the card, placing it in his jacket pocket as he rose to leave.

  “Good luck, kid.”

  So far there was none to be found.

  Seventeen