George Voulgaris looks to pass the ball to a teammate as he attempts to protect the ball from a defender.
After a long summer leading up to a highly anticipated season, Chicago kicked off the season with a bang on a sunny Thursday afternoon on Stagg Field. With the season beginning on September 1, the Maroons posted their best season-opening offensive performance in the past 10 years with a 4–0 win against Dominican University. This was just the beginning of a 10-game winning streak that is still standing untouched.
Following the stellar shutout victory courtesy of third-year goalkeeper Hill Bonin, the Chicago men pulled through a penalty-riddled match with a 1–0 triumph in overtime. Third-year Andre Abedian proved to be the MVP of this match as he converted on a one-on-one situation, burying the goal effortlessly. Abedian came in clutch once again the following Wednesday when he kicked in another vital goal to secure a win against Knox College following long delays due to harsh weather conditions.
The squad also got a massive scoring punch from its young first-year class in tandem with stellar defensive play during a 3–0 win at North Park University on Friday, September 9. First-year Dayo Adeosun scored the first two goals of the game with assists from fellow first-year David McBroom. The nationally fourth-ranked Maroons (5–0 record) finished their game on Tuesday, September 13, with their fifth straight shutout, the longest in UChicago history. They beat Wheaton College with almost perfect defense and an impressive offensive performance.
After falling behind by one goal against Elmhurst, the team came soaring from behind to win 4–1 on September 16. McBroom erased the team’s deficit and was followed by another first-year goal, this time courtesy of Sam Drablos, who also gained an assist on the third goal of the game as well. Following Friday’s victory, second-year Max Lopez came to impress as he supplied his team with a hat trick in the second half of the game, which was all that was necessary to pull off the victory against Wartburg.
The Maroon men finished off the last three games of their preseason with a 4–0 win against North Central Illinois, a 2–0 victory against Rose-Hulman, and a 6–2 triumph over No. 19 Carthage College. They ended their streak of pre-class games with a stellar 10–0 record.
“The first 10 games preceding our conference games have been extremely successful,” said second-year Matthew Koh. “We still have many areas that we can improve in, but coming out 10-0 is definitely a good feeling and a good improvement from last year.” When talking specifically about what improvements needed to be made, Koh said, “I really just hope I can stay healthy and keep helping this team win. I also want to become a better communicator on the field, and stay motivated.”
Fourth-year Chris Mathis also pitched in on what he thinks is important to maintain as the season blows into full force. “Maintaining a high level of intensity in training and in games is something that I work on improving every day. While it’s difficult at times to stay focused, it is vitally important to be ready at a moment’s notice when your time to play comes. Off the field, I and the rest of the seniors and upperclassmen make a concerted effort to cultivate the team’s culture,” he said.
The team heads to Atlanta, GA, this weekend to take on Emory in its first conference match of the season. The game begins at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
After losing their jobs, Greg and Gloria Christ drove through office parks, jotting down the names of potential employers. Eventually they tried a more direct route to getting work: a temporary-help agency.
"At this point in time, I think even if there was something that was temporary it could become full time later on," said Gloria Christ of Palatine, a former customer service professional with nearly two decades of managerial experience. The Christs wound up seeking the help of Banner Personnel Service in Schaumburg.
As the economy continues to struggle, more unemployed workers with years of professional experience are willing to take jobs for which they are overqualified, experts say.
Local temporary agencies report being flooded -- and not just with recent graduates or retirees looking for part-time gigs. People who should be at the pinnacle of their careers also are flocking to their doors, said Janet Sloan, president of Seville Staffing in Chicago.
"What I have seen is the increase in prime-aged individuals who are actively seeking just about anything," she said. "There is definitely an increase in qualified candidates."
It's hard to say how many people are overqualified for their jobs. Those workers aren't calculated in the Department of Labor's underemployment rate, which spiked to 13.9 percent in January, said Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the labor-oriented Economic Policy Institute in Washington.
Only the unemployed are included with people who have recently given up their job searches and those who would prefer full-time work to their part-time jobs.
Although not measured in federal data, over-qualification is a form of underemployment and very much on the rise, Shierholz said.
"When you have productive, hardworking people who can't maximize their potential, the productivity the economy would have gotten from them is gone," she said. "It disappeared. You can never get it back."
Among those taking the temp agency route is Damon Karras, a former manager at an advertising marketing firm with six years of sales experience and a biology degree who has been out of work since October.
Months of searching for a position in such fields as the garment industry and pharmaceutical sales turned up nothing. So a few weeks ago, he found himself at a staffing agency taking a typing test, which is required to land a temporary clerical job.
A year ago, less than 10 percent of the workers placed locally through Manpower employment service took jobs for which they were overqualified, said Anne Edmunds, regional director of the global company, which has almost 50 offices in Illinois. Now 20 to 25 percent fit into that category.
"People are more than willing to try new occupations, much more willing than they were even a year ago," she said.
Compared with two years ago, the number of local, degree-holding professionals seeking help at Manpower has increased by 35 to 40 percent, Edmunds said. Those with master's degrees are up about 5 to 10 percent.
"I can tell you we've had a licensed attorney come in and want temporary work as office support," said Sloan of Seville Staffing.
Gloria Christ, 51, was formerly a national project manager for an information technology consulting company who helped coordinate the installation of WiFi hot spots at 7,000 locations nationwide. Now she would consider an office manager position.
Aaron Brooks, managing director of The Mergis Group's Chicago office, said the employment agency used to have to recruit people who had more credentials, especially advanced degrees. These days he sees more candidates with MBAs and CPAs reaching out to his agency.
Many have never been out of a job and their outstanding credentials often work against them, he said.
Although many professionals are willing to take a pay cut just to be employed, companies frequently turn away overqualified applicants for fear they will leave as soon as the economy picks up, Brooks said.
John Vanderschuit, 22, received an associate's degree in graphic design in the spring. Despite an internship at a television studio, he said there's little hope he will get a job in his desired field anytime soon.
But the real surprise came when he applied for a job at Hollywood Video. With about two years of experience at Blockbuster under his belt, he figured he would be a shoo-in. Instead he was told he was overqualified and turned away.
For those thinking about applying for a job through a temp agency, here are common questions and answers from career experts:
A. "I think in this economy there are no negatives to going to a temp agency," said Terri Berryman, director of career services at Roosevelt University.
What's more important to employers is that there isn't a gap in employment on your resume. Temporary work helps bridge the gap between permanent positions while often providing needed training and skills.
A. Yes, some positions will be listed as temp-to-hire. Others, known as long-term commitments, are filled solely by a contracted agency and can last for years, Berryman said.
In tough economic times, companies generally budget money for temporary workers before finding the funds for salaried employees. This gives temp employees a chance to get their foot in the door before permanent positions become available.
A. "Immediately. It's a great way to continue to work and build your skill set," Berryman said. "The minute you get laid off you should start looking at temp as an opportunity. Don't wait till you have no money and you're feeling desperate."
There are temp firms that specialize in health care, information technology, finance and office work. Others focus on fields such as law and place paralegals, legal assistants and attorneys.
A. Obviously, a job that will further your interests and career would be more beneficial than one that doesn't, Berryman said. But keep in mind that the very essence of a temporary job is that the worker won't be doing it forever.
"In this economy, it's really difficult to tell someone to say no to something if it doesn't fit their career path. For most employers it will look better to have something than to have nothing," she said.
A. Provide a professional, to-the-point resume, follow up when directed to do so, remain upbeat and energetic yet serious, answer questions with succinct, positive responses and dress professionally, said Janet Sloan, president of Seville Staffing in Chicago.
"We can get people who really don't have sufficient means," she said. "But I can tell you that those who are most destitute but make the most effort to appear tidy and professional ... make big points."
We may not be standing in bread lines, but more and more people are lying awake at night worried about their jobs, their money and their future.
Find the Tribune's Recession Survival Guide series, plus financial planning tools you can use, at chicagotribune.com/survival