I was watching the local news the other night, when I recognized a girl I went to high school with. She was talking about her difficulty in finding a job after graduating.

One thing that caught my eye in the story was a Craigslist posting from another young person that said, “Experienced, Intelligent and Punctual College Grad Needs work ANYWHERE…Please, for the love of God, give me a job!”

I recognize that when times are tough, one is fortunate to hold down steady employment. And I’m quite pleased that I do. But begging on Craigslist? Really? How about writing a resume, hitting the streets, and getting a job? That might show some initiative, much less the experience and intelligence you’re claiming to show.

I hated to see this story for a number of reasons:

First, I hate human interest stories. They bore me. I want to know about politics and world events (you know, news!) when I watch the news.

Second, it reflects poorly upon me. When recent graduates are portrayed as a bunch of sniveling, whiny losers who beg for jobs instead of getting off our asses and earning employment, it makes me look bad by association.

Third, it’s so incredibly, pathetically “woe is me.” It’s tough out there right now. I see that. So, stop crying and do something about it. Do something to illustrate your value to a potential employer. (Here’s a hint: Complaining that things are hard is not a valuable job skill.)

Please know, whatever else you know, that my generation, as a whole, is not cut from this mold. Some of us are too busy working to have the time to beg on Craigslist or film our sob stories for the news. So, don’t settle for someone who is begging for a job. Don’t settle for that. Look for someone who is working hard and making the best of their situation instead of whining about it. They’re out there.