Unemployed Throng Midlands Job Fair

Nearly 2,000 people from all over the Midlands descended on Richland Mall on Saturday. No, they weren't there to Christmas shop. They were there to shop for jobs.

"It was a stampede," a Columbia Police officer inside the mall said of the crush when the Midlands Job Fair first opened. "It was crowded … shoulder to shoulder."

Hosted by the Midlands Workforce Development Board and SC Works, the jobs fair allowed job seekers to impress themselves upon more than 30 public and private employers. Even near the conclusion of the event, a couple hundred remained, hoping to end what for many has been months, or even a year or more, of joblessness or under-employment.

Wilbert Alexander of Columbia, who is trained as an accountant, was one of the many seeking help. Though he has some part-time work, "I'm just out here trying to see what's available full time," he said.

"It's frustrating … it's kind of scary," he said of his inability so far to find full-time work. But he continues anyway, getting up every morning and sallying forth, continually searching and applying and keeping the faith.

That's a feeling known all too well by Elijah Ngugi, a native of Kenya who lives in Irmo. Ngugi is a trained social worker as well as a writer, who has written for an English-language newspaper in Nairobi and has published a book, titled "The Eagle That Refused to Dance with Chickens." 

Ngugi has been out of work for more than a year. "It's very, very, very difficult. … It's not been easy on myself, both as a man, and a father. Without a job you don't feel complete. … I have been looking day and night for a job."

Neither Alexander nor Ngugi came away with any solid job leads Saturday, but as fellow job seeker Leslie Gilroy of Columbia said, the key is to "try to stay positive and focused." 

Gilroy said she keeps busy volunteering and using her skills as a public relations and communications specialist promoting local bands and events. 

Volunteering and staying busy helping others and the community is vital, Gilroy said, and she believes such activity will ultimately pay off. 

What won't work is "to sit in your house or your apartment and feel bad for yourself because you're not working," she said. "You need what I call 'people juice.' … The more positive energy the better."