Goshen News, Goshen, IN

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September 22, 2008

One job, 68 resumes

By SCOTT WEISSER

Dozens of applicants wanted a job at Brunk Corp.

There was only one job.

“I’ve been pretty inundated,” said Marilyn McClure, human resource director at the Goshen company. “There’s a lot of displaced workers in the community, and it’s pretty sad.”

Brunk advertised the position Sept. 13 or 14, according to McClure. Within three days, she had 68 resumes. And they were continuing to arrive late last week.

“We had one position,” McClure said. “I’m filling one position, and we had that big of a response.”

For the last several weeks, local employers that are hiring have been listed on The Goshen News’ front page. Brunk was on that list.

“It’s a business market rather than an employees’ market right now,” McClure said. “You can set your standards higher. You can be choosier. You can choose the best of the best.”

The job market is the opposite of what it was a decade ago, McClure said. In the late ’90s, she noted, “It was very tough for employers to get qualified candidates.”

Miller’s Merry Manor in Wakarusa also made The News’ list. Close to 30 applications have been submitted in the last two weeks, “which is quite a few,” said Arlana Steele, who works in Miller’s payroll and human resources wing.

Hi-Tech Housing ran an ad about six weeks ago and got “a tremendous amount of applicants,” according to Ken Geljack, executive vice president. The Bristol company was ramping-up production at that time.

Because there were so many applicants, Hi-Tech was able to zero in on the exact experience it was looking for in workers, Geljack said.

“Years ago, you would just give somebody a shot” even if they didn’t necessarily have experience, he indicated.

Hi-Tech ran a “help wanted” ad more recently and again had several applicants. “We’re looking for one or two people yet,” Geljack said.

Workers’ Perspectives

“Basically, I’ve been a draftsman for many, many, many years,” said Lester Miller of Goshen. He’s been in and out of work the last three years, finding employment through temp agencies.

He said the current job market is no good at all.

“There’s no work,” Miller said. “People are cutting back on everything.”

Miller is a two-dimensional draftsman. “Everybody wants a 3D draftsman,” he said. Miller said he has nowhere to go to get 3D training, and paying for it is a problem, too.

A senior citizen, Miller has health insurance, but he’s looking for work to make ends meet. He had a garage sale this past weekend to try to make extra money.

Miller was born in Nappanee and has lived in this area most of his life.

“I’ve never seen this area as bad as it is right now,” he said of the economy. “We’ve had some low times. I don’t think it’s really been this bad.”

“It’s tough for everybody,” he said. “It’s not just me. It’s the other ones, too.” Miller said it’s hard to even go out to look for a job because of gas prices.

“People want to work,” he said. “They don’t want to sit back. I don’t want to sit back. I want to work.”

There is a lot more work south of Kokomo than up here, according to Miller. He thinks the government should try harder to get more jobs in this area.

Miller said he feels for the workers who lost their jobs at Monaco.

“They’re going to be out there looking for work,” he said. “It’s like, what’s going to happen here?”

“It’s not good,” Clarence Sharp of Goshen said of the job market. “I’ve been laid off since January. I’m putting in applications every day.”

Sharp’s “positions wanted” ad lists 15-plus years of forklift and driving experience, as well as punch-press operator and warehouse experience. But as Sharp knows, experience “doesn’t do you any good if no one’s hiring.”

What to do?

“Just hope and pray, I guess,” he said. “Just hope things get better.”

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