Engineer Who Responded to Obama’s Resquest for Résumé at Public Event Still Unemployed
- Posted on April 9, 2012 at 2:37pm by
Erica Ritz
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More than two months after President Obama asked Jennifer Wedel for her husband’s résumé, her husband remains unemployed.
The interaction took place in January at a question-and-answer session hosted by Google, when Wedel asked the president why the government was giving visas to foreign workers when her husband was having difficulty finding permanent work.
The president seemed surprised by Wedel’s situation, saying “there is a huge demand around the country for engineers…we should get [your husband's] résumé and I‘ll forward it to some of these companies that are telling me they can’t find enough engineers in this field.”
After asking what sort of engineering her husband specialized in, Obama reiterated: “I meant what I said, if you send me your husband‘s resume I’d be interested in finding out exactly what’s happening right there, because the word we’re getting is that somebody in that kind of high-tech field, that kind of engineer, should be able to find something right away…I will follow up on this, because I’m interested in finding out [why] your husband’s having trouble getting placed.”
And now, more than two months later, Jennifer Wedel’s husband Darin remains unemployed.
Soon after speaking with the president, Jennifer Wedel said their phone was flooded with recruiters, headhunters, the media, and even the White House, but nothing seemed to pan out. There were opportunities out of state, but the family cannot move from North Texas because of a custody agreement from Darin’s previous marriage.
“I did feel we got our hopes up a little,” Jennifer Wedel said last week. “I mean, he’s the POTUS. But it seems not even the leader of our country can get [Darin] a job.”
“This is our permanent job [situation] now. It’s unfortunate, but we will overcome…We didn’t do the interview with the president to get a job. We did it to get a voice for so many Americans who, like my husband, are in the very same situation.
Wedel’s inability to land a job after a receiving a recommendation from the president of the United States has been something of a PR embarrassment for the White House. Politico’s Dylan Byers wrote an article on the issue, concluding, “So I’m no PR expert, but… didn’t the White House see this one coming?” Others mocked Obama’s statement that his administration “created or saved” hundreds of thousands of jobs.
“Obama cannot create ONE job,” a conservative blog said.
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Dave In Arizona
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 3:48pmWhat makes you believe Obama didn’t just trash the resume? Hmm?
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 1:41pmThey should go back to court and appeal the custody decision based on the current reality. It is not realistic to think that there is a job for every skill set in every community. They may need to move. I was prepared to comment that Obama was sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher, but after reading the article it is clear that there is more to the story.
Report Post »Snake
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:25pmObama is sure not going to do anything to help anyone in Texas!…..or any other red state
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 11:34amAnyone relying on Obama for anything, gets exactly what they deserve……. NOTHING !
Report Post »airportengineer
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:35amYou have to be a Great Engineer to get a job. Employers that are hiring usually hire someone that is presently employed. I know, I own a small engineering firm and do the hiring selection. When I go thru the interviews, it usually consists of mostly unemployed and approximately 25% employed. I’ve found that there are usually reasons why those that are currently unemployed are in that situation. Their last employers didn’t fire or layoff their good engineers! They let the engineers go that are either not good at design, or they are not dependable, or they lack skills on software that they should know. I hired 2 people less than 1 year ago that were unemployed, and I had to fire 1 and the other 1 is on disciplinary probation and it probably won’t be long before I have to fire him. I had my hesitations when I hired them because I had a feeling that they were let go for some reason, and it was long after they started before I found out why!
Employers have to hire the best, and if you don‘t strive to be the best then you’ll never find a job. If you are not the BEST, nor make yourself indispensable, then you will be laid off when the economy goes down again!
Report Post »texasderek
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 9:18amWhy doesn’t he get his butt out and pick fruit or dig ditches…. or better yet…learn to Weld or Fit Pipe or Build things ???
Report Post »Sorry folks but I get so tired of hearing these damn whiney a$$ people complaining about not being able to find a job and their wives having to support them !!!
Man Up !!! If you cannot find a job in your field…look in another field folks !!!
I worked at every job I could find to provide for my family… I became a Journeyman Ironworker, Journeyman Pipefitter, Welder… and yet when the chips were down and I had trouble finding a job… I dug ditches… I worked in the “pits” at a sewer treatment plant… at a drilling mud plant !
I worked in construction for 16 years and then totally changed my career… I am now an IT Manager but I can tell you this…. If I were laid off tomorrow… I would have a job within a month because I would not allow myself to be some mamby pamby whiney boy that cannot take care of my family.
MAN UP MEN !!! MAN UP !!! Go out and get a Job and be proud of it !!!
Inlandmar2
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 10:13amWell said…I always have my CDL A to fall back on.
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 8:32amO’Blahblah is not responsible for getting anyone a job. The fact he played a PR stunt to pretend he cared is biting him in the rear. Now O’blahs henchmen are going to trash this mans character too cover Oblahblahs arse in the PR department. Now if the President is taking on the responsiblility to get people jobs – then he needs to be asking all people who are unemployed or under emplyed to send him their resume. He is not just President to one white man that needs a job. Though O’Blamer clearly lets everyone know he is President to only 22% of Americans from the Left and 100% of all illegals. The rest of us are the enemy in our own country.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 1:42pmTouche Ben.
Report Post »OhSnappage
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 2:16amObama ducked the ladies question twice and never answered her question.
But he gave her personal attention, asking about her husbands job to sound like he knew anything about the subject matter. Then took it upon himself to deal with, solely their issue, of being unemployed (again not her question) by offering to review and forward his resume to get a job. Not his position to handle such a thing but he didn’t have an answer for her. But he needed to come off saying what’s good on camera. It is all about the presentation and none of the substance.
Report Post »valleyfever
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 11:20pmIf you are good at what you do and you are a good consciencious worker you generally are always employed.
Report Post »thunderbolt
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 8:50amThat is just not true. My son, a PhD in Pharmacology, can’t get a job. He is abandoning science. Much of the cutting edge pharmacology research is being done in India & China, where highly educated scientists are abundant and work for slave wages. Curiously, he is NOT counted as “unemployed?” He stopped looking for non-existent work, an offence that excludes him from being counted.
Report Post »heatseeker
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 11:18pmPhone was flooded with recruiters, headhunters,,,,,nothing panned out. Evidently all the offers were beneath him. Try your local burgerking, big shot.
Report Post »hpyagl
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 10:44pmSounds to me like this guy created his own problems. Custody agreements? This sounds like a deadbeat trying to get famous. I‘ll bet he doesn’t want to work. Chances are he will be out of work for some time now. With all the media hype, I wouldn’t hire him either. Sounds high maintenance to me! I don’t fell sorry for him at all!!!!
Report Post »Lost Rebel
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 9:06pmAsking for the resume was a political stunt. Please!! There was no real intent to get this person a job. It sounded good on the airwaves.
Report Post »OhSnappage
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 2:00amYou nailed it, it’s all about presentation, with no substance.
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 8:26amAhhh yes, I can see O‘BlowBlame running duck cover and blaming Bush because O’Blamer inherited his stupidity. From O‘Blamer’s MO – he will throw a few hundred billion of the tax payers money to create a green start up company near this guys home so he can say he was able to get him a job. The guy will be employed until the money runs out and O’Blamers cronies steal as much of it as they can.
Report Post »DeathTongue
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 8:16pmwhat’s a resquest?
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 8:12pmThis guy must suck at what he does.
Report Post »pumpalope
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 9:54pmmy thoughts exactly
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 7:50pmI’m not surprised. Obama is not in the business of putting Americans back to work. His whole scheme revolves around making everyone dependent on the US Govmint.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 7:36pmToo bad he doesn’t do birth certificates.
Report Post »Abilene
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 7:32pmPretty simple. Look at his skin pigmentation. The mighty Kenyan lyin‘ king isn’t going to lift a finger for a honkey. Heck, if this dude were darker, Obummer would have him in charge of black panther munitions or something.
Report Post »the58thstate
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 6:25pmthe only reason he said that was because he thought she was a liar. in his peanut of a brain he thinks how could this be? she’s blowing smoke up my azz and ill challenge her on it. im glad she took the time to make him look like the under achiever he is.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 6:07pmI expect this put him on the DO NOT HIRE list.
Report Post »mbck1491
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 6:02pmOnce his 99 weeks are up he can then join the ranks of the 99%. Obama’s new working class on the streets of New York, and coming to a city near you.
Report Post »MittensKittens
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 5:35pmENGINEER WHO RESPONDED TO OBAMA’S RESQUEST FOR RÉSUMÉ AT PUBLIC EVENT STILL UNEMPLOYED
1. He’s the wrong color…
Report Post »2. Since when has Obama ever kept a promise towards anything good…
3. He’s probably republican!
pavepaws
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 6:02pm“But it seems not even the leader of our country can get [Darin] a job.” He’s not doing much for others either. I’m sure many have the same sentiments. “Wedel’s inability to land a job after a receiving a recommendation from the president of the United States has been something of a PR embarrassment for the White House. ” Obviously Wedel needs better references.
Report Post »1islander
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 12:17pm4. He is in Texas.
Report Post »tpoole
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 5:22pmHis wife can find a job to support them but he can’t. Maybe he needs to aim a little lower once his 99 weeks are up. “I can’t leave the area, there are no jobs here in my area of expertise so I’ll wait for the government to make one for me.”
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 5:14pmDon’t depend on Sweet Old Barack to do anything that he promises. Look at all the promises he made to America when he ran for POTUS, How many of them have been broken??
Sorry for your problems and the restrictions placed by the divorce but surely you could find something in Texas.
OMG 2012
Report Post »MBA
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 4:56pmAnyone in this country expecting obamy to do anything for white people. Don’t hold your breath. His whole being is to destroy the “white race” . Sorry for your unemployement issues Mr. Wedel. Viewing http://www.indeed.com will be a zillion times more helpful than obamy. Yes, it is a problem since you cannot move–that is usually the key for getting a job.
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