The reason you can't find a job may be you

I live in the hood.  I see the hood everyday.  I interact with the various characters (so stereotypical it's scary) that are an all too common sight and I have come to the conclusion that the biggest reason why unemployment is so high in the hood is because of the attitudes prevalent among those who inhabit the hood and the perceptions those attitudes have created in society.

Hear me out before you start accusing me of prejudice.

Let's take an honest look at the hood, shall we.  The hood is a barren wasteland of decay, a wild outlaw state filled with hardships and danger that have embittered and corrupted the hearts and minds of the people who are unfortunate enough to be trapped there.  It is a prison for the impoverished because once you are there, once you are faced with that level of poverty, your options for escape are very few.  It's easy to fall into despair, to give up and become hardened and jaded and so many people do.

But by doing that, they take on the very persona that will hold them back, that keeps them from success and ultimately traps them even more.   They start to ACT like they are from the hood.

What does it mean to act like you're from the hood?  It means you lose your moral code.  You skew your ethics to accommodate your situation.  You stop caring about the things that can help you like education or hard work because you don't see the point in trying. You aren't getting big enough rewards, no instant gratification so you don't bother.  You don't mind breaking a few laws because that is the only way you feel empowered.  You may over drink or do drugs because you are desperate for relief from the hardships.  You feel you have to behave certain ways, dress certain ways in order to fit in - bad attitudes and pants sagging so low you need two pairs of boxers to cover yourself and are forced to waddle when you walk which for some strange reason, you think is cool.  There is rampant drug use and crime and gang violence and drama.  Bad weaves and fake nails.  All of it is handled with that horrible bad attitude, with an often misplaced and violent anger and a nonchalance that leaves a bad taste in the mouth when they aren't trying to pick a fight to prove how hard they are.  In other words, you take on aspects that are unappealing to everyone outside the hood because some rapper made a song about it and you mistakenly believe you are supposed to act that way.  Don't even get me started on ebonics.

Mainstream society sees these bad behaviors and forms a very negative opinion.  They say, if you're from the hood you must be low class, uneducated, lazy workers and can't be trusted.  As horrible as that sounds, a lot of the time it ends up being true because, once again, those in the hood accept that they are supposed to be that way.  We know not every one in the hood is ghetto trash, but so many people act like ghetto trash that it's hard to give someone the benefit of the doubt once you know where they're from.  Stereotypes are not only dangerous, they are hard to get rid of.

But what do employers look for in future employees?  For starters, they look at your appearance.   They want someone who wears their pants correctly or doesn't have a skirt so short they need a second hair net.  They want a clean appearance.  Not too much make up or grills in your mouth .  They want nails that are not six inches long.  They look at the way you speak.  Good grammar matters.   It tells the employer that you will be able to communicate well with customers or coworkers.  Once you have a job, the way you behave at work matters as well.  Those who do a good job get ahead while those who do the minimum required because they're too busy gossiping don't.  Your on the job behavior can also determine whether or not your former employer puts in a good word for you when whatever job you're applying for next asks them.  This happens.

Employers judge you the moment they see you.  If you don't physically make the grade, you probably won't get another chance.   They judge you by your initial behavior so you have to check your ghetto-tude at the door.

Finally, education is invaluable.   You're being hired for the skills you have so it may be a good idea to actually get some skills.  That means not only going to school but paying attention while you're there.

In short, if someone in the hood wants to gain a job, they need to lose the hood inside them.  Pull your pants up, learn proper English and stay in school.   Avoid crime and teen pregnancy.  If you want a potential employer to take YOU seriously, then you must take THEM seriously.

Sometimes you have to look at yourself honestly and say maybe the problem isn't them.  Maybe the problem is you.  You can be poor and still have class.  You can be poor and still be an honest person. You can be poor and still have an education.  You don't have to be hood just because you were born there and I really really REALLY hope more people in the hood would recognize that.