I'll tell you how you don't get hired. By walking around and getting all shouty!
And I've only been working here for three days and I've already gotten to see my first downtown Boston protest!
I guess these kids are pissed because people aren't hiring enough youth.
"What do we want? Youth Jobs!"1
I think they might get better results by going into businesses and handing out resumes. Maybe checking the internet for listings. Networking. That sort of thing.
In fairness, I'm sure a lot of these kids are just along for the ride. Protesting is a chance to belong to something bigger than yourself, to become part of a mob. The desire to belong to a tribe is strong. Just stir in a little outrage at the cause of the day, and you've got instant camaraderie.
I guess a few parents and adults are along to support the cause as well. They're probably desperate for more youth jobs, so they can stop paying to feed their not-so-wee ones and start saving for retirement again.
Boston Common has a long tradition of protest and public assembly, and I'm excited to see what comes rolling through in the years ahead. So long as nobody decides to protest 150 year old tobacconists. In that case we might have a fight on our hands.
1 More specifically they want 5000 state funded minimum wage summer positions in the YouthWorks program. I'm not sure why the government should be creating busy-work when there's "help wanted" signs hanging in businesses all over the city, but there's a long tradition in this country for government paychecks, too.