When the Going Gets Tough, This Ex-Marine Gets Going
MEDFORD, Ore. (KTVL.com) -- Josh Berger is near the end of his rope.
But he's not giving up hope and he's not looking for a handout. He's donned a business suit and is standing on the corner of Crater Lake Highway and Delta Waters Road -- one of the busiest intersections in the region -- wearing a sandwich board advertising his resume.
"Oh man, I need to get a job," Berger said Wednesday while standing on a traffic island, waving as cars roared by. "I'm unemployed, got laid off from my job at the end of January and, uh, been looking for work ever since."
Things didn't start off that way for the former U.S. Marine, who served 8 years as a helicopter mechanic until 2002.
He moved to Southern Oregon to work as an aviation mechanic for helicopter manufacturer Erickson Air Crane, and bought a house in 2003. He quickly realized he needed a new challenge.
"You know that was good for me at the time, but then I wanted to get out and go to college and, um, bought a home, lived the dream went to school," Berger said.
So he used his college money from the Marines and student loans to earn a bachelor's degree in applied physics with a minor in chemistry from Southern Oregon University in Ashland. He supplemented his income by moonlighting as a mechanic at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.
He graduated in June and started pumping out resumes, but by then the economy was beginning to cool and there was no work to be found in his field.
"When I got out of school, there wasn't any jobs for me, and um, got behind on my mortgage and here I am," he said.
To pay the bills while he continued his job search, he started working full-time in November for Jet Center, where he moonlighted during college. After three months, he was laid off in January as their business died down.
Now his savings are gone and his house is nearing foreclosure. He's also got a young family to take care of -- he's a single father of two kids, ages 2 and 1.
"They're just keeping me sane through all this," said Berger, who turned 33 on St. Patrick's Day.
He says he would be "squeaking by" on his bills if he was drawing unemployment compensation. But his brief full-time tenure at Jet Center wasn't long enough to qualify him for jobless benefits.
Berger says he's taking the drastic step of becoming a human billboard to show potential employers that he'll do whatever it takes to get the job done.
"I can't just run away from all my problems, know what I mean?" he says. "I'm trying to break into engineering, or medical sciences, or anything.
"The truth is I would be happy with a great many professions."
If you're interested in Berger's qualifications, give him a call at 541-292-1594 or e-mail him at joshuasberger (at) gmail.com .
