Unemployed Punjabi youth search jobs!

Here is a news story that shows how educated Punjabis are out of work. Except for the large numbers, actually, it is not much different from anywhere else in the World. It reminds me of a summmer in 1990 during recession, I was loking for a job in Orange County in Southern California. I responded to a job ad for 20 openings for engineering techs and draftspersons in Irvine, when I got to the company's office, I was shocked to find a sea of people. There were at least 1000 to 1500 applicants for about 20 openings. At the time it looked as if I will never get a job, but looking back I say things just worked out fine. I have a different perspective of things now than at that time as far what education means to someone. Coming from Indian culture, my father, and older siblings put so much emphasis on doctors and engineers as part of the status symbol that it is almost laughable and partly sad as well. There are still a lot of families that have the same status symbol mentality and force kids into education, religion and marriage against their will instead of allowing free will and let them take active role in these important life choices. Not everybody is meant to be an engineer or doctor and different people have different abilities, interests and dreams. To me the titles and formal education are good to have to function in increasingly education based society but I don't think it necessarily makes the person a better person. I have met and read about some of the rudest, meanest, dishonest, degrading doctors, engineers and other professions. Some of them seem to have so much ego problem that they can not even relate to people like normal human beings and treat people with respect, honesty and common courtesy. Same goes with policemen as well. Sometimes it makes me wonder if the money they or in some cases their parents spent on their education or career was any worth? Did the school not teach them to be nice, courteous, honest, and at least be human? On the other hand, some of the nicest, courteous and honest people I have met may not have had a formal education, but they sure knew how to show people the common human courtesy.

Anyways, I went off the topic here. I guess the key is to hang in there, keep trying and be flexible in your job search. Sometimes, the jobs I have gotten were the ones that I least expected. I don't have a business yet, but I would think the best thing would be to able to own your own business if you can, so you can be your own boss, dress how you want, make other rules how you want. Other options may be to pool talent with friends or may be even look to volunteer in the field of your liking or learn different skill set. These are just thoughts on my part to help. And, those who got selected for ASIs, congratulations! Please be the nicest ASIs you can be, giving people the respect and common courtesy and bring honor to Punjab Police. The recent incident with veternary doctors is a disturbing trend.

Engineers, MBAs willing to be ASIs
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, October 10The burgeoning employment drought in Punjab and the declining physical standards of the youth have come to the fore in the recruitment of Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI) of Punjab Police currently under way in several places in Punjab.
As many as 15,000-odd applicants, mainly including Engineers, MBAs, MCAs, BCAs and post graduates in other extremes, have queued up for just 30 posts. But only one-third of those have been able to clear the physical tests. Two weeks ago, as many as 38,000 applicants had turned up for less then 900 posts of constable with the Punjab Police.
The physical tests of the recruitment are under way at Ludhiana, Patiala and Kapurthala. Most of the applicants have been tested with only a few remaining one to be tested on the last day tomorrow.
Though a graduation degree, including mainly the Bachelor in Arts, is the base qualification for the posts, more than 80 per cent of the over 15,000 applicants were carrying post graduates degrees.
While the courses they had done were termed as highly lucrative, the youth in search for jobs were willing to settle down for Rs 8000-odd salary of an ASI, which is equivalent to the salary of a JBT teacher.
Some of the applicants said they were attracted to the honour of wearing the Punjab Police uniform, others said they could not get employed elsewhere.
But while the recruiting police officials were happy to have the option to have highly qualified officers, they were in for major disappointment as only about one-third of the applicants have been able to meet the required physical standards of a 33-inches chest, a 5 feet 7 inches tall height, stamina and speed to cover 1600 meters in 6 min 45 seconds and the long jump of 11 feet.
Sources said the stories of the physique and strength of the Punjabi youth seem to be a fairytale seeing the physical standards of the youth. Many faltered at the first step of the height and chest measurement while others could not complete 1600 meters in the requisite time.
Many batches of 15 to 20 youths running the distance were completely wiped out. On an average, only four to five could clear the test. Ironically, almost all the ex-servicemen candidates who were much old than the civilian applicants had comfortably cleared the tests.
Among the civilian qualifiers, majority were from rural areas or suburbs, sources said.
Police officials said the lack of physical exercise, addiction to TV video games and increasing consumption of junk food seemed to be the factors responsible for the decline.
In order to make the recruitment process transparent and foolproof, the entire process was being video-graphed by several cameramen apart from cameras installed at key points in the Guru Nanak Stadium here, the venue of the recruitment process of eight police districts of Ludhiana and Jalandhar ranges.