Recently, I’ve been on a whole lot of job sites looking for, well, a job. My husband is unemployed and has been for 18 months, so I’m interested in having some type of income. Go figure. Yes, I am a Realtor but the paydays for me are not necessarily predictable. And because I bothered to finish my degree in Communications last June, I’d like to use it. Again, go figure. Oh, and the loan payments proving aforementioned graduation are now due.
So I am on Craig’s List in the Marketing, Advertising and PR section almost hourly. The pickins are slim, but I muddle through all the postings because it is my new job. I don’t get paid for wading through each and every post within the various headings I am qualified for, but it makes me feel as if I am “doing something.”
Along comes the offensive post by a person in Carmel Valley who states they are looking for a marketing “guru” for….hang onto your hats, folks, $10 per hour. Yes, for $10 per hour, the poster wants a marketing guru. And to make matters worse, it’s only for 10 hours per week. Woohoo, if you’re a marketing guru, you can command $100 per week! No need for a college degree here, because you are ROLLING in the dough. Part-time marketing guru needed and for $10 per hour, the candidate needs to be “an outgoing “people” person who is self-motivated to contribute actively and will be personally invested in the growth of our business.”
What I would like to ask this poster is…how do you define guru? Don’t you think you might be throwing around the word like it means nothing? Dictionary.com defines guru as “a leader in a particular field.” Do you think a leader will take $10 per hour for “thinking outside the box” (my all-time least favorite triteism). In my definition, a leader is in charge of contributing actively and personally investing in the growth of HER own business, thank you very much!
Back in the old days, a notice for this type of job was called “Gal Friday” which meant that you did just about everything and anything for low pay but you did it so that you could get your foot in the door. Nobody who hired you expected much–certainly not for what they were willing to pay, and they never expected you to be a leader in your field. Goodness no! What this Craig’s List employer needs is a “Guru Friday,” still low-pay but many years’ experience in marketing.
What do I want to do to correct this atrocity? I want to create an anonymous e-mail address where I can send my rants to posters of stupid Craig’s List ads and school them on how ridiculous their post is. For example, the guy who wanted a personal assistant who could travel at a moment’s notice, needed her to be attractive and give massages. Oh, and don’t forget to send a picture. Hmmmm….But that’s a topic for another day. Do I think these people who are so clueless will appreciate my insight, expert (guru?) advice, and honest feedback? No, I don’t even think there’s a chance they’ll find my detailed e-mail as they wade through the hundreds of resumes they received within 10 minutes of posting their offensive ad.
This is a sad statement of where we are now, and the saddest part is that someone will take this job and be very happy to have it. Just to put this into perspective: the person who is hired to be the marketing “guru” will work nearly 7 hours for a tank of unleaded.
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