The good news is that it isn’t always all bad out there.
Katie Reinisch, who works for the speaker of the Colorado House, sent over a report on the series of job fairs legislators organized over the past year.
“Even in bad times with lots of bad politicians,” she wrote, “good politicians help good people find good jobs.”
The final numbers aren’t exactly dancing-in-the-streets amazing. Yet inside the numbers lives a story of hope when there seemed to be none.
That is the story of Matthew Elms hauser, one we will get to in a min ute. Here are Katie Reinisch’s numbers:
There were four job fairs in Lakewood, Broomfield, Arvada and Fort Collins. Two hundred to 400 people attended each one. Fifty-eight companies or agencies attended the fairs, with between 20 and 30 at each one.
Twenty-one companies that responded to a follow-up questionnaire said they interviewed more than 140 people. Of those, 22 have gotten jobs, and companies said they are still in the hiring process.
Two job fairs were held in Denver, attended by about 250 people each and some 20 companies. The two fairs resulted in 48 people finding full-time jobs.
Most had been out of work for more than a year. Most had nearly given up, people like Matt Elmshauser, 23.
He had grand plans when he graduated two springs ago from Concordia University in Seward, Neb., with accounting and business-administration degrees. Born and raised in Centennial, he came home and began looking for work, applying at almost every certified public accounting firm in the metro area.
He figures he went on as many as 15 interviews. The answer was always the same: We have nothing right now.
He lowered his sights and began applying to any company willing to give him a few minutes. The answers were always the same.
In September 2009, he finally went to a buddy from high school, who was working as a roofer for a company owned by their former high school teacher, who had retired.
Could he maybe get him on?
Elmshauser worked days on roofs and nights online, looking for any type of work. He proposed to his girl, Rebecca. He needed a job.
Last May 17, he attended church with his mom. Everyone knew his situation. On this day, a friend told him of the job fair in Fort Collins.
There were at least 50 people waiting to interview with Rivet Software of Denver, a business-compliance and financial-reporting provider.
Newly instituted Securities and Exchange Commission rules had proved a boon to Rivet. It was hiring. A year ago, it had 20 employees. It now has 230 workers, 15 of whom it hired from eight job fairs.
Elmshauser figured it would be days, if not weeks, before he heard anything. The next morning, he was on another roof when his cellphone rang. When could he start?
He and Rebecca plan to wed on New Year’s Eve. A couple of months ago, he was promoted to senior technician at Rivet.
“Back then, I thought I would have to leave home, leave the state, to find work that I wasn’t sure even existed,” he said.
“Life has been amazing.”
Bill Johnson writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Reach him at 303-954-2763 or wjohnson@denverpost.com.
