What's up with the Department of Employment?

[DaveJ]

I've had a job for over the past two years, so I'm not desperate, but I am looking for a job that would better match my skills and abilities.

My question is, why is it that I have been unable to find any business or organization that will help and/or counsel people in finding employment that matches their skills, education, potential, goals, etc. Private businesses only match job reqs, and the IDES is very evasive when it comes to this sort of thing. But I would think that a well run Democratic government would attempt to provide some sort of service to employment seekers... a service that will stick with the job seeker until they find something they can enjoy doing their entire working lives -- especially when the job seeker has education and experience.

Does nothing like this exist here, or have I been looking in the wrong places?

[DaveJ]

1. No response?

Does nobody really give much thought to making strides toward a better system of hiring when it affect the lives of so many people? It not only effects the individuals who directly seek employment but the whole direction of the economy.

[barb162]

2. call your local junior college and ask them if they offer such a

service. Also please try this link from the State, their career page

http://www.ilworkinfo.com/icrn.htm

[DaveJ]

3. I have looked at these...

And please keep in mind this isn't just about me. Anyway, the problem with the two sources you mentioned is that they put on a good show, but I fail to see what they actually "do." Most of their advice is either unrealistic or demeaning in its simplicity. At first glance the website looks like it is geared toward 5th graders.

(edit: somewhere there apparently is lack of oversight when it comes to the content of these services. I really don't think the people who run these services have a clue what they're doing. When people don't know what they're doing, their classic fallback is inevitably, 'let's appeal to the least common denominator.' Well employment is much more serious than that.)

This is an example of ilworkinfo.com's 'great' advice:

"Most job application forms ask for information about education, work history, skills and abilities, and references. Knowing in advance what information you need will save you time. You will also impress potential employers as someone who thinks ahead and is well prepared."

That statement is just silly, and a kind of belittling. I have never known of an employer who was "impressed" that an applicant was able to fill out their application. What kind of idiots do they think we are?

All I'm saying is that people who work in recruiting (and maybe there should me more people) should be more focused on the individuals' talents and ambitions. It appears that all they want to do make a buck for themselves by filling reqs, which is the base minimum of what their job is all about. How in the world do they get to keep their jobs when all they do is the base minimum?? Recruiters are immeasurably more privy to the job market than any job seekers will ever be. They could be an incredibly positive force but instead they drag society down. Why are they not more connected with the job seekers around here, in terms of listening to the goals and ambitions and then seeking to match them with the best opportunities? If private business will not do it, then the government should step in and fill this need due to its great importance to maintaining a free society.