bent, not broken

another from the economy series i'm working on:





Larry Dart smiles as people pass.

“Hi, how are you?” he asks, like a greeter at church. A man in a suit slips between two booths and a women in high heels hangs nearby. She thumbs through her folder.

“I can imagine what it's like for them, getting their hopes up,” says Dart, a recruiter with Geico.

They're all at a job fair at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, in search of future employees and employment. “I'm seeing a lot longer gaps in employment. It's much more difficult for people to find a job,” says Dart.

Dart is at the fair to do preliminary interviews for his company. “It's the first step to get the ball rolling,” says Dart. The recruiter is sympathetic to those in search of a job, “I'd love to give a job to everybody,” he adds. “I can imagine how frustrating it is.”

After a while a woman approaches Dart and they speak for a few moments. She inquires about Geico and requests the preliminary interview. The two sit down at a small table draped with a white cloth. Dart takes notes and their conversation is hushed by the carpet and curtains. After the interview he stands up and shakes her hand.

She walks out and he waits for another candidate.