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It kills me when people let themselves down

Essential new tune: Bajan bombshell Rihanna, shown performing at "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" in London In January, has another essential new tune: "Rude Boy".

I figure that there are at least 1,500 Bermudians who are unemployed and who say they would like to work. I pass some of these people every day and I feel their pain, for I too was once unemployed and I've kept my promise to never forget what that felt like.

However, given how some of the unemployed persons present themselves for possible jobs, I'm left to wonder if they really want to work or if they really know how to get a job. I popped by the Hospitality Career Fair earlier this week and many attendees were not dressed in a manner that would suggest that they really wanted a job or which would endear them to potential employers. In short, some of these folks turned up in everything except appropriate job search attire. More on this after the Top 20.

Making the jump to #1 is How Low by Ludacris. Ludacris is getting his due; he's a veteran rapper who has been in the game for some time now and has consistently dropped hits. Tumbling to #2 is Say Aah by Trey Songz featuring Fabolous. Climbing the ladder to #3 is Snoop Dogg's latest rap anthem, I Wanna Rock, one of the hottest rap track on the circuit. Falling to #4 is It Kills Me by Melanie Fiona, a relatively new cutie in the business.

Treading water at #5 is Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart by Alicia Keys, one of the most talented artists/entertainers in the business. Up to #6 is Why Don't You Love Me by Beyonce, yet another hit from the hottest R&B artist in the game. Slipping to #7 is Sex Therapy by Robin Thicke. Falling to #8 is I Invented Sex by Trey Songs featuring Drake. What's up with all the sexually explicit and suggestive lyrics? I have to say here that artists today are shady and shallow. Years ago people wrote love songs about true love, not just sex. Today, artists write songs about sex and not love. No wonder society has degenerated into a modern day Sodom and Gamorrah! You reap what you sow.

Leaping to #9 is Hard by Rihanna, one of the most popular songs in the world. On the way up at #10 its Bedrock by Young Money featuring Lloyd.

Up to #11 is Sexy Chick by David Guetta featuring Akon, a monster house jam. Improving to #12 is On To The Next One by Jay Z and Swizz Beats. Up to #13 is She Wolf by Shakira, a kickin' dance track. Jumping to #14 is Tik Tok by Ke$ha, a hot cutie on the circuit who brushes her teeth with Jack Daniels. Clearly not the kind of girl I would want to bring home to mamma! However, she is super fine so I suppose I could bring her home to pappa!

On the way up at #15 is We Are The World, by Artists for Haiti. Sliding to #16 is Empire State of Mind by Jay Z and Alicia Keys, the self proclaimed King of Rap and she who has probably the most talent of all the female divas on the circuit. Jay Z can flat out rap and Alica Keys really is quite a threat. She is a complete and consummate musician in every sense of the word, but she writes, performs, arranges, sings, does collaborations, and she is beautiful.

Now this week's essential new jam. Joining this elite list of hits is Rude Boy by Rihanna, in at #17. This is a pretty song with a predictable and easy to follow melody coupled with catchy lyrics. I can imagine all the young ladies singing along with this one. For some reason, young ladies seem to want a rude boy. They know what rude boys do but they are foolishly disappointed when rude boys are rude. Daaaahhhh. Geeeshh. That aside, Rihanna, the Bajan Bombshell, is now a superstar and we have to give her credit; she drops lots of hits.

Falling to #18 is Money To Blow by Birdman featuring L'il Wayne and Drake. Down to #19 its Baby By Me by 50 Cent featuring Ne-Yo. Tumbling to #20 its Bad Habits by Maxwell, a very smooth ballad.

Now back to this week's word – some of the problems with some of the unemployed. In addition to having a poor work ethic, many of our unemployed persons seem to be unemployed for a very good reason. This week at the BHA Hospitality Career Fair, many of them demonstrated that they have no clue or inkling of how one should dress if one really wants a job.

I saw people in jeans, baggy jeans, T-shirts, ungroomed, no haircut, no shave, etc. The list is endless and I'm not making this up; several people had the same observation. A young lady in fishnet pantyhose with a mini-skirt was not only inappropriately attired but she didn't look right in it because she was just a bit too large for the ensemble. Don't hate; I still have love for fuller figured women but even slimmer cuties shouldn't be dressed in nightclub attire when they're trying to get a job.

I can't remember who taught me how to dress for an interview. Maybe it was my mom, my dad, one of my teachers, a friend, I don't know. But what I do know is that it really is common sense.

It's like when you're trying to impress somebody you want to date or be in a relationship with as a significant other. You always dress to impress them. Well, at least we did when I was coming along. I remember once I took a taxi to Somerset, all dressed up, to impress a young lady and to take her out, because I had lost my licence.

People should treat potential jobs the same way. You dress to impress. Somebody once gave me a great one liner. Y'all know I love cool one liners; I get that from my Dad – he's a wise and cool dude. You dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

I remember once before I made it to senior management I was dressed in a suit. Somebody asked me why I always dress so nicely and professionally. I said: "I'm dressed for the job that I want; not the job I have. I'm dressed like a Senior VP, Manager, Department Head, etc., so that when people see me they will know that I can at least dress and look the part." The dude was speechless.

The point is that our people need to learn a proper work ethic and as a start, they need to learn to dress properly if they really want a job. Peace …. DJLT