One of the discussions I was involved in at our Christmas dinner was about the unemployment picture and how it affected minorities.
People who are hiring at this time are looking for the cheapest labor and only hire people who are referred by another employee or someone they like and trust.
This showed up the value of Networking.
If you are a member of an organization you will more likely get the inside scoop on jobs that are not advertised.
Minorities are the least likely to have those connections for one reason or another.
What I suggested as an alternative for unemployed people seeking work is to start a business.
This has been successfully tried by many unemployed and offers a real opportunity to use the skills that they have to make a living that could surpass any earnings from a regular job and put their future in their own hands.
Following up on any business ideas you may have or an interest or hobby you enjoy can all provide a possible platform for starting your own business.
One major obstacle that a lot of people face in starting their own business is capital.
They simply do not have the money nor the credit that is needed to start a brick and mortar business.
So I have a few suggestions I think could be useful.
First of all you need to be pretty flexible and have an open mind in what you do.
The first thing you need to consider is how many people you know that are in the same position as you are.
Maybe former coworkers who were laid off along with you could be a good place to start.
Consider pooling the resources you have and make a cooperative effort.
If the product or service you used to offer is too competitive, you could have a brainstorming session.
With an open mind and a positive attitude, you will be pleasantly surprised as to what you could come up with.
Examine your skills and talents.
Everything is for sale.
This means you can think about hobbies that you enjoy but never thought you could ever make a career out of.
If you are computer savvy you could consider such things as Online Marketing.
Think about skills you have or what interests you a lot and build websites to sell other people's products or create your own.
Depending on the level of your computer skills you could focus on regional markets that you are familiar with and offer products the local markets want.
I am a great believer in cooperative effort.
Pooling resources with people you like and are familiar with can increase leverage and by shared sacrifice you can share the rewards which could be quite substantial in time and give you the benefits that owning your own business gives.
The whole idea is to make money.
A job is just one way to do that.
After all you are actually already in the selling business as you are selling your time in return for wages.
Consider selling your time to yourself.