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How Not to Get Hired 101

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  • #16
    Only one that I can really pass on is one from the movie theater I used to work at... girl walks in, wearing a fancy suit, tells us all about how she had been a manager at the second largest theater in salt lake (this is when I lived in Logan... the theatre I worked at was a quarter the size of the one she was at) and that she was looking for a similar position there with at least the same amount of pay (I think she was asking like $13 an hour).

    ... ok, the employees made minimum wage... the highest paid manager at that location only made $10 (granted, looking at the cost of living difference you might have been able to have the same standard of living for $10)... there were no management openings...

    needless to say she was told that we would not be able to meet her needs.
    If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

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    • #17
      Quoth tropicsgoddess View Post
      Wear flip flops and jeans for your interview
      It depends on the type of establishment you're applying to.

      At my store, that would not be a barrier to employment or an interview if the overall look was neat--i.e. no holes in your jeans and you're wearing a nice top and nice jeans/pants/skirt/capris with your flip-flops.

      As long as you're not showing up in ratty sweatpants with an ass caption, or a t-shirt advertising a brand of cigarettes or alcoholic beverages, or festooned with several obscenities, your clothing isn't going to hurt you much in an interview in my store.
      Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

      "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

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      • #18
        Quoth tropicsgoddess View Post
        Wear flip flops and jeans for your interview
        When working at the Yellow Tag, I got to watch an interview being conducted right in front of me. The girl came over to my counter, asked for the operations manager in a very pleasant tone of voice and chatted very pleasantly with me while I worked on a computer, asking about the employee environment, whether I knew anything about benefits, etc. She had on a nice shirt and looked rather neat.

        Then the manager came over, took one look at her and said he would hire her. Turned out she was wearing flip flops. She stated that she didn't have any other shoes because her "friend had her only other pair". Not his problem. After she left, the manager and I shared a shrug.

        Really, chica, did you ever see any employee of the store wear flip flops? Ever? Did you honestly think it would be okay to wear them to an interview for a store that require its employees to wear khakis and polo shirts?
        A smile is just a grimace that's been edited for public consumption. -- Tony Cochran

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        • #19
          Another flip-flops and jeans moment...

          I was running up to the custard stand to check on my application that I put in the previous. Just expecting a "Oh yeah, we've got it. We'll call you." type of thing, I wore a slightly ratty long sleeved t-shirt, old jeans, flips flops and socks... Yes, socks with my flip flops, I'm from Ohio, gimme a break.

          Anyways, I talk to the owner for a minute and she immediately ushers me in and chats me up about the job, and ends up hiring me and scheduling my "orientation" right there!

          I was properly ashamed of my attire, of course. And my mother was horrified that I went up there in that outfit (though quite excited that I got the job).

          Though this place didn't have a real uniform - just a tshirt and visor/hat. More often than not I work ratty sweats to work. I did love that job...

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          • #20
            When applying for a job to promote DARE, while waiting for your 2nd round interview, continuously go outside to smoke cigarettes, come in dressed to go dancing (without the figure to do so), and go back and forth to the bathroom.... To sniff a line of coke. (Yes, this happened.... Needless to say, she was sent on her way before the day long 2nd round interview began)

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            • #21
              Come in the middle of lunch/dinner shift (restaurant), when all hell is breaking loose, and ask to see a manager for an interview.
              Sigh
              "There is no rehab for stupidity." --Chris Rock
              "You learn something new and stupid every day you work in retail."--IhateCrappyTire

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              • #22
                The problem with flip flops is that I've seen that become more of an accepted dress code in office environments so people get the idea that it is ok to wear them anytime. However, flip flops should never be worn to an interview, only after have you gotten the job should you then dress down to flip flops. Easy concept right??? Unfortunately not for most people who seem to lack common sense in today's world.

                I used to do recruiting for a staffing company so I got to see a whole lot of no nos.

                My main pet peeve would be people who bring their kids to an interview. Not appropriate in any sense of the imagination. What you get the job, you going to bring them to work too?

                I had one guy who came in and filled out an application. Looked like he got out the joint as early as that morning. Had the prison tats and everything. Love tattooed across right knuckles and Hate tattooed across left knuckles. Ok, tats not really acceptable but being he was applying for a position out of public eye, I knew the employer would overlook them. Then the guy refused to talk to one of the other recruiters who was going to interview him because she was a woman and hispanic. He wanted to only to talk to me, the only white guy in the office at the time. I sat down told him that there would be no job for him through us ever. Because he a. the recruiter who he refused to speak with is also the office manager, b. i personally do not tolerate that type of attitude from any of our employees ever, c. none of our companies we work with would tolerate that type of attitude either. I told him to get out and never come back.

                One of my favorite ones was this woman came in and as she was filling out the app I caught a glimpse of her and went into the office manager's office and joked damn that woman looks like a stripper. I shit you not when I sat down to do the interview she was currently working at a strip club but was looking for a day job. She said she wanted to get out of the business and get an office job, she even offered to give me a couple private dances if I could get her a job quickly.

                Yes I got her an entry level office job, but unfortunately ethics prevented me from taking up her offer of the private dances.

                Got a lot more but those are just the ones that always stand out in my head.

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                • #23
                  After being busted for shoplifting, then making the guards run after you, then made them physically drag you back to the store you ask how you get into security for <Music Store>
                  A PSA, if I may, as well as another.

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                  • #24
                    Be 11.
                    When I was at Wal Mart I had a group of 11 year old gilrs (not a chance they were older than that) come up to me at the customer service desk and say, "Yes, three jobs please," giggle, then follow up with, "no really, can we get applications?"
                    I couldn't help myself. I responded, "For what, paper airplanes?"

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                    • #25
                      *Sigh* I showed up for my job interview in a collared shirt, slacks, dress boots, and with three stickies worth of references. This is McDonalds. I only realised what kind of overdressed I was several weeks later, when I saw the shift manager hand an application to someone in what looked like half a sweatshirt, a pair of ripped-up jeans, and falling-off sandals, and who couldn't even pay for a cheeseburger, and then BEG him to get back to them!
                      "Warning: Do not climb inside this bag and zip it up. Doing so will cause injury and death." -- A label inside a protective bag (for fragile objects), which measures 15cm by 15cm by 12cm.

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                      • #26
                        Slightly offtopic, but I never did understand this particular question on applications... The "What kind of job would you like?" question. Seeing as I want anything that'll pay me money, I put "anything". Then it asked me what hours I want. Seeing as I have no job or any other obligations, I put "anytime". My friend's father got extremely irritated with me.

                        I was just being truthful. >< According to him, those answers make it sound like I don't care about anything. I don't quite understand how "I will do anything you want, anytime you want" translates to "I'm lazy".

                        As for what not to do when you're trying to get a job... When you ask for a manager over the phone to check up on an app, don't mishear her when she says "Yes, this is [name]" and think she said "Yes, just a second". You will just pause there seeming rather stupid before saying "Oh, it's you?"

                        Yes, I'm talking about myself. Trying to get my first real job and things aren't going too well. ><

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                        • #27
                          From my dad's work...

                          When applying for a job at a company that only exists because of military contracts, list a previous job with a well-known extremist anti-military organisation (you know, the ones that bring weapons to "peaceful" protests)

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                          • #28
                            At my first job, people would often come up to me, and ask for applications....for the store loyalty card. 99% of people asking for app's wanted the loyalty card, not a job, because only teenagers applied in person. Most adults knew that they could apply for a job online.

                            Well, one middle aged woman comes in with her daughter.

                            "Mama, can you buy me cigarettes?"
                            "Hang on..."

                            She then asks me for an app. I give her the loyalty card one.

                            "Are you going to give me a PEN!?!?!"

                            I hand her a pen and expect her to move out of my line, so that I could tend to other customers. I expected wrong. She starts filling it out then and there.

                            "NO!!! I wanted a JOB application."

                            I point her in the direction of the computer app system we had. Later the manager walked up to me.

                            "Great, we finally have someone filling out an application."

                            I told him what happened before he came. She didn't get the job.

                            Olive juice you too.

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                            • #29
                              Once when interviewing for bar staff. I had one stupid git put down as his hobbies as"wimmen(women)" and what qualities he would bring to the workplace he put"i will be able to chat all the wimmen up so that they will flock in to see me"
                              "Light a fire for someone and he will be warm all day,
                              set light to someone and he will be warm for the rest of his life" Sir Samuel Vimes

                              Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.

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                              • #30
                                I actually got my first job wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and sandals. They were clean and didn't have holes or anything though. I was at the library just browsing and I noticed they were advertising for help, so I filled in an application and they called me within an hour. I had my dad get me a hairbrush and a half hour later I was interviewed by my then supervisor. I did dress nicley for my second round of interviews.
                                How was I supposed to know someone was slipping you Birth Control in the food I've been making for you lately?

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