Daily Lesson from Life 09 January 2009

"Physicist applies to be sweeper
Jobless scientist was among 63 people who applied for five openings as sweepers in S Korea. -Fri, Jan 09, 2009 AFP

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - A JOBLESS scientist with a doctorate in physics has applied for a street sweeper's job, reflecting the severe economic slump and rising unemployment, officials said here on Friday.

The 36-year-old physicist was among 63 people who applied for five openings as sweepers, Seoul's Gangseo District Office said. Eleven of the applicants were university graduates, it said.


'I doubt whether any doctorate degree will be of any help to become a sweeper,' Mr Chung Young Ik, an official in charge told AFP.

'He must have been in a very desperate situation to seek this job but we are selecting new sweepers, not scientists,' he said.


The district office said competition had become tougher this year for the sweeper jobs, with an average 12.6 people vying for each opening, up from eight people last year. The 33 million won (S$36,950) average starting salary for a sweeper is greater than what inexperienced university graduates earn by working at large businesses, Mr Chung said.

South Korea's economy generated 78,000 new jobs in November, down from 97,000 created the previous month, as companies avoid hiring amid the ongoing economic slump, the National Statistics Office said.


Job growth has been one of the top priorities for the government of President Lee Myung Bak, who took office in February. Mr Lee has said he aims to create around 200,000 new jobs annually."

The sign of the time NOW!!

Lessons for me are:

1. free market capitalism is a double-edge sword and it cuts both ways. During the boom time, jobs and compensation are aplenty and generous. During the down time, jobs are scared and compensation downright unreasonable for people with the wrong qualification but still won the jobs available! In this case, it is obvious the over-qualified physicist will not get the sweeper job even if he has a PhD!!;

2. without knowing the details of the jobless and desperate physicist, it is worth contemplating how one can prevent oneself from such a predicament in a pragmatic way. e.g. perhaps omit to mention one's higher qualification depending on what the job qualification is? Is such white lie lie? Is it ethical? Personally in such desperate situation, withholding one's highest qualification is reasonable as the job does not required any higher educational qualification. As long as one is fit and diligent and willing to do the sweeper's job, go for it;

3. how do society handle the jobless who are still able and willing but could not find jobs, any jobs? As leaders, while we can preach about 'teaching one to fish is more important than providing fishes to the people', in such dire situation, such talk and philosophizing will NOT cut it! Either subsidy for re-training or some basic jobs that anyone can do to keep one occupied physically and mentally must be provided. The compensation will be minimal to cover the basic daily expenses like the 3 meals in the short term. This must be done until the market recover and start generating jobs to supply customers who are again able to make demand for products and services they need and want. Hopefully this time, everyone will consume responsibly and in a sustainable manner. So that we can avoid the boom and bust cycle of the traditional economics study!

Finally, if you were that young PhD physicist, would you have applied for the sweeper job when all else have been exhausted? Only the one who rises from the ashes are truly the resilient one. Remember that!!