CNN iReport

This is a photo from one of my volunteer jobs---I help out at a homeless center. I love the poignancy of this photo. This homeless man is still proud of his country even as he lives off the scraps of the table of what this country has to offer.

What I have noticed about job fairs in L.A. is that there are far fewer companies looking for help than in previous years.

I’ve attended several jobs fairs; one at the Convention Center a few months ago. Usually the hall there is full of booths representing employers. Not anymore. There were half as many companies there this time.

It’s very sad and discouraging.

I drove all the way to San Jose, CA for an education job fair. There must have been thousands of teachers there all vying for the same few jobs; waiting in long lines in hopes of making a memorable impression on the recruiters.

I do not think “standing out from the crowd” is the best solution to getting a job in this job market. I think volunteer work is the way to get a job. If you can find some volunteer work that is related to any kind of work you want to do, then do it. I consider every iReport I do to be part of my volunteer work.

Hopefully by proving yourself as a volunteer that can lead to references who will vouch for you. Or when the entity you volunteer with needs to hire people, they will consider your resume before all the thousands of others because they know your work and like you.