Get a haircut and Get a Real Job

[Ben]

Interesting article on German unemployment. Apparently a Green Party member was rather upset that one of Merkel's people pulled a reality check and told this guy to make himself presentable if he wanted a job.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6285866,00.html

Unemployed German Man Stirs Debate


Sunday December 17, 2006 3:16 AM

By VANESSA GERA

Associated Press Writer

BERLIN (AP) - Henrico Frank went from being just another of Germany's 4 million unemployed people to a media celebrity overnight. All it took was a haircut and a shave.

Now, Frank may even have landed himself a steady job, thanks to an unexpected run-in this week with a politician in central Germany.

Frank's luck began to change on Tuesday, when he was cruising through a Christmas market in the city of Wiesbaden, wearing grubby clothes, a pair of nose rings and a thatch of partially bleached, punk-inspired hair.

The 37-year-old, who has been without work for six years, chanced upon Kurt Beck, chairman of the Social Democrats - the center-left half of Chancellor Angela Merkel's federal coalition.

Beck was a perfect target for Frank's frustration, and he harangued the politician for what he saw as the failure of economic reforms aimed at lifting people like himself - a construction worker - out of unemployment and into a better life.

Beck's retort? ``If you would just wash and shave, you'd find a job, too.''

Two days later, Frank lopped off his locks, shaved his dark beard and removed his nose rings. Then he organized a news conference.

``I am ready to change,'' Frank told reporters, saying he was fed up with living off handouts from the unemployment office. ``I'll take any job.''

Frank instantly became the talk of German media, with one newspaper splashing his before-and-after photos on its front page Friday.

And his makeover seems to have worked. Beck plans to present Frank with several job offers next week from construction, house painting and cleaning companies.

Frank's story has prompted serious debate and soul searching about whether German leaders are focusing enough on reining in chronic unemployment in Europe's biggest economy. Last month, unemployment slipped to 9.6 percent in Germany, the first time in four years it was less than 10 percent. But nearly 4 million Germans remain without work.

Beck was accused by some of attempting to shift responsibility for the country's jobless rate from the government to the unemployed. One Green Party member, Thea Dueckert, told the Die Welt newspaper that Beck was stigmatizing the jobless.

``With 4 million unemployed, you cannot seriously claim that the people themselves bear guilt for their destiny,'' she said.

[Matthew Carberry]

``With 4 million unemployed, you cannot seriously claim that the people themselves bear guilt for their destiny,'' she said.

Give me some time and I bet, from a photo line-up alone, I can find quite a few individuals who do themselves "bear guilt for their destiny". 

[Standing Wolf]

When I've interviewed people for assorted jobs, those who show up late and/or poorly dressed and groomed get crossed off the list.

[Sindawe]

When I've interviewed people for assorted jobs, those who show up late and/or poorly dressed and groomed get crossed off the list.

Same here, although the grooming part is depended apon the nature of the work involved.  When in the Bloodmines, the length of one's hair and/or beard did not really matter, since we were all wearing hairnets and beard covers (for those of us who had beards/mustaches) anyway.  I was more concerned with the person's knowledge of things biological, chemical and mechanical.

I can understand, and have no issue with employers requiring a particular style of grooming for their employees who interact with the public or if its a safety consideration.

[Monkeyleg]

I've had scruffy people just walk into my business and say, "yo, you got any jobs?" Real professional.

Once I was trying to find some Goth types for a magazine ad. I went to a Goth bar and took Polaroids of people who fit the bill. One was a woman about thirty years old. She had a patch of brightly colored hair on the top of her head. The sides of her head were shaved, and she had tattoos of peacocks on either side that extended from the sides of her head down the neck and onto her shoulders.

I asked her what she did for a living. She said that she was a graphic designer, but was having a hard time finding a job.

Hmmm. Wonder why.

I got my first "official" job as soon as I turned sixteen. I went to the interview wearing a tweed three-piece suit and tie. The job opening was for a dishwasher, and the job paid 95 cents an hour.

[Stand_watie]

...The 37-year-old, who has been without work for six years, chanced upon Kurt Beck, chairman of the Social Democrats - the center-left half of Chancellor Angela Merkel's federal coalition....

In North Korea maybe that's possible without any fault on the part of the un-employee, but I doubt Germany.

My own job has no appearance requirement, all clothing rules are safety related. I could get a four letter word tattood on my forehead tonight, and tomorrow at work face no more serious repercussion than personal humiliation of being laughed at by all the guys at work.

Knowing that I showed up for my interview in a suit/tie with a fresh shave and haircut. One of the three plant bosses that was part of the committee that interviewed me is a Harley guy with a mid back length braid. He still appreciated that I thought enough of the job opportunity to show up looking my best. I got the job over a bunch of other guys, some more qualified than me.

[wingnutx]

Having a mohawk never kept me from getting a job when I was a welder. I just kept it under my hat.

[roo_ster]

Hey, it is his right to neglect personal hygiene if he wants.  It is my right to not consider the loser fit for employment.

[Eleven Mike]

I must say the Kraut govt. bears as much responsibility as the unemployed construction worker.  Unless I am mistaken, Germany is one of those workers' paradises that has regulated itself into high unemployment figures.  If the evil capitalist construction firms weren't forced to pay so much in employee benefits (as well as complying with other costly regulations), they'd probably hire this individual nose-rings and all.

[El Tejon]

A 37 year old behaving this way?   It's one thing for a 19 year old to behave like a spoiled child but a 37 year old man.  Wow, P.J. O'Rourke is dead on about the permanent immaturity of the products of the Welfare Staaten.

I'll bet there's nothing wrong with him, he's just a product of a soft society.  Much of German, like much of the USA, needs a good shaking and kick in the der backsiden.

[HankB]

. . . he was cruising through a Christmas market in the city of Wiesbaden, wearing grubby clothes, a pair of nose rings and a thatch of partially bleached, punk-inspired hair.

The 37-year-old, who has been without work for six years . . .

A 37 year old behaving this way?   It's one thing for a 19 year old to behave like a spoiled child but a 37 year old man.  Wow, P.J. O'Rourke is dead on about the permanent immaturity of the products of the Welfare Staaten.

Looks like El Tejon's reaction to the story mirrored my own . . . the guy is decked out like one of those angry teens I remember filling out the bottom rungs of my high school class, not someone entering middle age.

In the USA, unemployment runs out after six months . . . and this (presumably) able-bodied 37-year old has been on the dole for SIX YEARS? 

Temporary assistance is one thing, but eventually, the choice ought to be "Work or Starve" . . .