Chapter 5 (5)

At nine o'clock in the morning of the next day, Gao Jinsong came to the Provincial Talent Exchange Center on time.

He originally thought that at this time, the job fair had just begun, and there should not be many people to apply, maybe he still had time to go to a few more recruiting units and pay attention to a relatively good job for himself, but at the gate of the exchange center, he noticed that things were different from what he had imagined - the place that was deserted yesterday afternoon was now like a lively bazaar.

The site of the job fair is on the second floor of the center. As he ascended the stairs, he could hear a buzzing noise echoing throughout the building. He knew that this noise was actually the resonance caused by many people huddled in an enclosed space talking at the same time; It shows that the people who come to the job fair to look for jobs must be more than he imagined. And he also found that the people walking next to him were almost always in the same direction. He couldn't help but feel an ominous omen in his heart.

He walked up to the second floor worriedly.

On both sides of the staircase, by the window and against the wall, there were many people standing, who tacitly gave way to a narrow passage from the stairs to the job fair site, and smoked cigarettes silently. Huge clouds of smoke kept coming out of the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, the cold north wind that poured in through the open windows blew in without a trace. These are middle-aged men in their forties, with indifferent expressions with numbness to the status quo, and dull eyes full of gloom and sorrow for the future......

Seeing these people who came earlier than him, Gao Jinsong's mood became even heavier. There was no reason, or he was simply unwilling to find one, but by his instincts, he knew that the hope of finding a job here today was very slim. Maybe he should try his luck somewhere else?

But he couldn't stop, and the crowd behind him enveloped him and brought him into the job fair.

The first thing that caught his eye was a large slogan: Welcome the majority of laid-off workers to re-employment!

Before he could think about the meaning of the words on the slogan, he saw a crowd of people in the hall......

It took more than an hour for him to follow the crowd moving slowly around the scene back to the staircase. He found an empty spot on the side of the stairs and pulled out his cigarette. The wind in the corridor was so strong that the flames from the lighter could not be retained, so he had to turn his back to the wall and pick up his clothes again, so that he finally lit the cigarette. He took a big puff and closed his mouth, allowing the smoke to swirl around his body before it slowly erupted from his nostrils. At this time, he realized that he was sweating in the hall, his underwear was also soaked with sweat, and he was blown by the cool breeze in the corridor, and his chest and spine felt cold.

He cocked the collar of his jacket to shield him from the pervasive cold wind, and continued to smoke his cigarette in silence.

…… He walked around the job fair just now, and he didn't get anything.

It is true that the temporary job fairs are as stated in the notice of the Talent Exchange Center, with the participation of hundreds of units and thousands of jobs, but most of the recruiters need skilled technicians, workers with work experience, and middle and low-level cadres with management experience...... In short, they don't want new hands, but skilled hands that can come in handy right away. These job opportunities are not available to him, and he does not have the same skills and experience. There are also several units recruiting warehousing and transportation management personnel, but as soon as people heard his self-introduction, they immediately sent him away with lame reasons—one by one, he only did more than half a year of carrying bags and delivering rough and stupid work, and the "warehousing and transportation management personnel" mentioned in the recruitment notice were completely out of bounds. A beverage factory that recruits salesmen is very interested in him, and the two of them talked for a while in Huochuan dialect, but in the end, the business manager heard him say that he did not have a diploma, so he could only tell him regretfully that the unit stipulates that the salesman recruited in the provincial capital this time must have a college diploma or above, or more than three years of experience, or have extensive personnel relations in the provincial capital......

Of course, not all units closed their doors to him. There are two advertising companies and an insurance company that are willing to provide him with job opportunities, both full-time and part-time, but he has no confidence in his ability to pull advertisements and run insurance, and he can only thank the absolute party for his kindness.

He also left his name at a recruitment point in a factory, as well as the phone number of the hotel where he was temporarily staying. It was the only company he found at the job fair that required neither experience nor technology. This is a high-tech enterprise from the coast to build a factory, and now the plant has not yet been completed, and the equipment is also being installed and commissioned, so the company seized this opportunity to retrain employees. Even if he was applying for a warehouse handling position, he had to attend a three-week training. When he learned that there was no salary or allowance for more than 20 days, he gave up the job.

The cigarette in his hand was about to burn to the end, and he took out another one to continue the fire. The rest of the cigarette butts were casually thrown down the stairs by him. The stairs were lined with cigarette butts, and it seemed that the cleaners at the exchange center were not worried about having no jobs.

After smoking this cigarette, he squeezed out the pile of smokers, ready to go to the venue to try his luck again. Maybe he missed some opportunity just now?

This time he came out faster.

Except for a few red, green, and green leaflets, he still didn't get anything.

There are very few people left who stand at the top of the stairs and smoke. He looked at his watch, it was past eleven o'clock, and it was almost time for lunch. More and more people walked out of the venue in silence with disappointed looks; Some people are angry and make nasty comments about the job fair. Whether they still have the strength to evaluate, whether they are willing to evaluate or not, at least one thing they have in common, they simply don't want to stay here. The rest of these people are probably the same as Gao Jinsong, holding a fluke mentality, anyway, they can't do anything in this time before lunch, so it's better to wait for someone less, and then go in and hit the luck.

Gao Jinsong stood in the corner of the staircase, smoking a cigarette while looking at a few leaflets that others stuffed into his hands. The leaflets are all promotional materials for job fairs held by other employment agencies, and the time, address, and target are very detailed. He took a look and found that the most recent job fair was tomorrow morning, in the workers' hall of a factory near the train station. He picked up the list alone, and folded the others haphazardly and stuffed them in his trouser pocket.

After smoking a cigarette, he re-entered the venue.

Now the venue is no longer the pomp and circumstance of two hours ago. At that time, the applicants were crowded in several corridors like a pot of porridge that had survived time; The booths of each recruiting unit were full of people; The staff of each recruiting unit had to deal with seven or eight mouths asking them questions at the same time; Everyone who has just stepped into the venue is full of hope in their hearts, and even the most pessimistic people must have wonderful expectations in their minds...... But everything in front of him is enough to prove that any bustle and hustle and bustle will eventually come to an end: in every corridor that was once blocked, there are now only a few people still staggering between the booths of the recruitment unit; The staff of the recruiting unit were as tired as if they had just finished a war, and they sat in their chairs exhausted, smoked, drunk and rested; Colorful blank recruitment forms are everywhere, and each form is full of shoe prints; Scattered and broken confetti fluttered lightly with the cold wind that swept into the venue......

Gao Jinsong walked slowly along the corridor with slim expectations, carefully examining the recruitment information hanging out from the stalls on both sides.

The more he walked, the more desperate he became, because he saw that there were no staff on the booths of some recruitment units. The departing staff members had apparently gone to lunch. It also effectively means that the job fair is coming to an end.

His hopes were dashed as more and more staff members packed up their belongings and left.

He stared blankly at the recruitment booths on both sides of the corridor that were isolated by cheap shelves. Some anxious staff members didn't even have time to pick up the job posters hanging on the walls, and one unit even left a lot of the registration forms filled out by the applicants who came to apply for the job, and threw them all over the table and the floor. Alas, these people......

Then he saw the recruitment poster in Hualong Mall again. Seeing this poster means that he walked through the venue from beginning to end again.

The regular script font on the recruitment poster of Hualong Shopping Mall is very neat, and the content is even more solid, from the recruitment of public relations manager, finance department trainee manager, personnel department trainee manager, warehousing department trainee manager, security department trainee manager...... All the way to the recruitment of cashiers and salespeople, there are dozens of positions in a total of more than a dozen subjects. Unfortunately, there is not a single position on the poster that suits him. The application requirements that follow the "trainee manager of the warehousing department" are clear: college degree or above, more than three years of practical work experience, and experience in shopping malls is preferred......

The staff of Hualong Mall have not left yet. A long-haired woman is going through the job forms one by one, sorting them into different portfolios; A middle-aged man is standing in front of a stall smoking a cigarette. It seems that they are also ready to "withdraw".

As his gaze passed over their faces, the man was watching him. The two looked at each other for a moment, and the man asked first, "Are you here to apply?" ”

For this question, Gao Jinsong was not mentally prepared at all, he reacted for a few seconds, and hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, I came to apply for ......"

"Which department to apply for?"

"The ...... of the warehousing department" Gao Jinsong said, his face a little hot. He has no academic qualifications and no diplomas, and it can be said that he wants to apply for the manager of the warehouse department. But the opportunity was in front of him, and he couldn't help but gamble. Maybe they haven't found the right person yet?

"Worked in warehousing before?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

“…… Olympic Mall. Gao Jinsong was even more embarrassed.

"Huh?" The middle-aged man frowned.

Gao Jinsong swallowed with difficulty. It seems that he is wishful again. When he applied for the job just now, he also mentioned the place where he had worked, but the staff of other recruitment units showed disapproving looks, and some people even questioned whether there was really such an "Olympic shopping mall" in person.

Just as he was about to leave, the middle-aged man spoke again.

"I know that store, it used to be on the West Main Road, and it was almost on the West Second Ring Road." The man smiled and said, "My son spent a lot of my money there." ”

Gao Jinsong also laughed with him. It seems that there is still a door to things.

After laughing, the man asked, "What is your education?" ”

“…… High school. …… High school graduate. ”

"We want college graduates and work experience." The man said in embarrassment.

Gao Jinsong smiled bitterly in understanding. Alas, if he had a diploma from Zhang's junior college, would he still be at the job fair until now? Then again, if he really had a college diploma, would he still be the same as he is now? It seems that there is no hope of finding a job this morning......

“…… However, you can apply for a Trainee Manager in the Security Department. ”

Gao Jinsong, who had completely lost hope in this matter, stood in surprise.

He first glanced at the middle-aged man's expression to see if he was joking with himself; Then I looked carefully at the poster about the requirements of the trainee manager of the Ministry of Security, one by one, "Veterans or armed police are preferred".

He hesitated for a moment before he said, "...... I wasn't a soldier. ”

"I know you've never been a soldier." The middle-aged man said with a smile. Seeing Gao Jinsong staring at him in surprise, he explained, "I was a soldier. But he immediately realized that his explanation made the young man in front of him even more confused, so he had to change the subject and say, "It's not that you have to ask for veterans, it's just ...... This position does not require much work experience and does not require a diploma. I just feel your body and look...... How do you say it? It should be said that you are very suitable for the security work of the mall. He didn't know what to say. The more I explain, the more confusing it becomes!

"I noticed you one by one when you first entered the venue in the morning," he gestured, but realized that there might be a big gap between his gesture and the facts he was trying to describe, so he waved his hand indiscriminately and interrupted the gesture. "You're taller than the average person."

Gao Jinsong smiled.

The middle-aged man continued, "You know, today's job fair is aimed at the re-employment of laid-off workers, and there is a gap between their age and our requirements. Moreover, the job of security guards is generally only young people are willing to do it...... which is one of the reasons why he noticed Gao Jinsong. Of course, there were other reasons why he didn't say it, for example, he could see at a glance that Gao Jinsong was different from the people around him, in addition to the appearance factor such as height, there were other places that were also different......

Gao Jinsong pursed his lips and thought about it, and said seriously: "I...... I'm afraid of not doing well as a manager. ”

Hearing his words, not only the middle-aged man laughed happily, but even the long-haired woman who had been listening to them also laughed: "I'm afraid that you won't be able to do well, so you have to be a 'trainee manager' first." ”

The middle-aged man smiled and explained to him what a "trainee manager" was. Because Hualong shopping mall has been developing rapidly in recent years, the business outlets have extended from the provincial capital to the surrounding suburbs, and starting in the second half of this year, it is also preparing to expand to several surrounding regional cities; With the increasing scale of the enterprise, the training and training of the reserve force of middle and low-level cadres has been mentioned on the work agenda of the group company...... The apprenticeship stage of trainee managers is actually their learning and training stage, but once the "apprenticeship" stage is over, after passing the assessment, they will be assigned to various shopping malls of Hualong Department Store Group, serving as deputy positions in specific leadership positions, and continuing to accumulate experience in work and practice; Frankly speaking, they are the management cadre reserve for the development of Hualong Shopping Mall in the future.

Gao Jinsong, who was highly nervous, couldn't understand so much news for a while, and he remembered the middle-aged man's words: "...... To put it bluntly, the trainee manager of the security department is actually a security guard in the mall during the 'apprenticeship' period, but ......"

It turned out to be a security guard! It dawned on him. He's capable of doing the job! However, is there a pay during the apprenticeship?

Hearing his stammering question, the long-haired woman almost burst out laughing, and only after a while did she look up from the table and say, "Of course there is a salary." Whoever dares not to pay you a salary, you will go to court and sue him! ”

It's good to have a salary! Gao Jinsong didn't care that the long-haired woman laughed at him, and asked again, "When can I go to work?" ”

The woman hurriedly replied, "This afternoon." But you'll have to fill out the form first! With that, she handed over a green form.

When filling out the form, Gao Jinsong suddenly remembered something and asked, "Can you solve the problem of accommodation?" ”

This question is not clear to the long-haired woman. The middle-aged man who had been bending over to watch Gao Jinsong fill out the form said, "It can be solved." The security guards of the mall had to take turns on night shifts, and some of their homes were not in the city, so the mall rented houses for them to stay. He saw that Gao Jinsong was hesitant when filling out his resume, so he asked him, "How long have you been working in the Olympic mall?" ”

"A little more than half a year. …… It's been about seven months. ”

"What were you doing before and after this? These are to be written. You can start filling it out when you're in high school. ”

Gao Jinsong hesitated for a while before writing down his simple experience before the Olympic mall on his resume.

From 1991 to 1995, he was an athlete in the provincial football team.

Looking at his resume, the long-haired woman looked at him with a look of surprise on her face. She must not have thought he turned out to be a football player, right? The middle-aged man's expression was complicated, his gaze kept wandering back and forth between his face and his resume, but he didn't speak. It wasn't until the woman solemnly put away his resume that he let out a long breath and said, "You come to the company's personnel department at half past one in the afternoon to report." I need some time to breathe with security. He took a business card of his own and handed it to Gao Jinsong, and said, "You don't have to worry about accommodation." ”

When Gao Jinsong left, the manager of the personnel department of Hualong Department Store, that is, the middle-aged man, now we know that his name is Wang Guoqiang, and he said to him with pity: "I don't know what those officials think, why is a good football team disbanded?" ……”

Gao Jinsong couldn't answer this question.

He had asked himself the same question countless times, but he had never answered it.