How Not to Get Hired 101

[Old school]

How to not get hired

Show up in cut off shorts and a tank top, drop off film, thereby giving us your name and phone# and ask about a job in the pharmacy. Then go and try to steal makeup and deny it when caught.

[NateTheChops]

Needless to say, he was NOT hired, and my manager gave me crap about it for at least two months.

That's why I never personally recommend anyone. This was especially the case with when my brother was looking for work and I knew from experience that he had a penchent for walking out on a job and rental agreements and anything else he didn't feel he had any obligation towards.

He's been at the same job now for a few years, so I might recommend him as an employee at another store in the same chain where I work now, because of his improvemed attitude, but not in a place where it would reflect pourly on me if he went back to his old habits.

[RenownedHack]

This is actually legit. A guy I know wanted a job where I work, that pays well over minimum wage, requires testing of typing skill, mathematical skills, and language skills prior to being considered, and all that jazz.

He shows up in a wifebeater and camo skinny jeans.

Because that's totally what you wear to a job interview. The manager who interviewed him told me that he asked him questions anyway, thinking that maybe he was some sort of savant who just had horrendous fashion sense.

When asked his opinion of leadership, my friend said, verbatim: "You know, it's whatever." and did not bother to elaborate further, even with a stony silence after the initial response.

Needless to say, he was NOT hired, and my manager gave me crap about it for at least two months.

[NotAlBundy]

Had a new one I hadn't seen before.

Young lady filled out our online application, called about an interview. I looked at her short application (availability, previous work experience, etc) and scheduled interview. Pulled up her long application (which includes specifics about duties at previous jobs) and for both of her previous jobs, she had listed the telephone number as 555-1234.

Really? She didn't think I would notice that she was either too lazy or too scared (for fear of bad reference?) to put the real phone number on there?

Of course, then she didn't show for her interview anyway.

[fireheart]

A lot of the supermarket groups do group interviews and then also do another hireing session every 6 or 12 months - somewhat normal around my area. Now if this isn't that sort of role...

A lot of supermarket groups also tend to cut out people who happen to be over a certain age. -.- UNless a certain store REALLY needs more day staff.

[tSubh Dearg]

I have a good one courtesy of my young man. He works as a computer programmer and once had a female candidate turn up for an interview over an hour late. (It may even have been over 2 hours) without calling to let them know why. When she turned up she demanded an interview, which his boss rescheduled her for and which she again turned up late for with no explanation.

When the boss refused to interview her, she said that with a business attitude like that, they were not going to get very far. This to a guy successfully running his own business for several years at that point. To top it all off she didn't even have amazing programming skills & would have required a lot of help in the job.

They also got a guy who said he thought his starting salary should be €60k p.a. My young man is one of the senior staff with about 20 years experience and he doesn't make that! This guy was also not the greatest programmer the world has ever seen either.

The mind boggles at these delusional people who think the world owes them a job.

[Gizmo]

And according to Friend above their turnover is so high they held identical interviews just this January gone. I wonder what shite I've managed to avoid from this one...

A lot of the supermarket groups do group interviews and then also do another hireing session every 6 or 12 months - somewhat normal around my area. Now if this isn't that sort of role...

[smileyeagle1021]

Two of us went to a group interview,-snip- I wonder what shite I've managed to avoid from this one...

From my experience, you've probably avoided a great deal of shite.
I have only once been to a place that did group interviews that was legit... and that was a second round interview, they had already done first round interviews, knew basically who they wanted to hire, and since they were hiring an entire crew in one go decided to do a group interview that essentially was a mock work session to see how well we worked together and if any of us who sounded good individually just weren't cut out to work in a group.
Every other group interview I've been to has been for a company that has been trying to scam us... well, scam may be the wrong term... supposedly these places are fully in the law... but barely. They will hire anyone who walks through the door because it is commission only work and they require you to pay for your own training (perfectly legally in the United States as long as the training isn't through the company hiring you... as far as the law is concerned, requiring that you complete a third party training course as a condition of employment is no different than requiring that you have a degree). Sense they have nothing to lose, they will take anyone, and they win no matter what, if you are a great employee, then they make money off of you, if you are a horrible employee, then they at least got free labor out of you, and no matter what, you are going to be underpaid for your work.

[SongsOfDragons]

How not to get hired!! It was quite simple, this one...

Be over 18, so they can't get away with paying you less than the full UK adult minimum wage; and want full-time hours.

Two of us went to a group interview, and when we coroborated our stories from it later on, we realised that everyone under 18 got a contract there and then, for whatever worked around their schooling...and everyone 18 or over got told to go away for a 'call later'.

And according to Friend above their turnover is so high they held identical interviews just this January gone. I wonder what shite I've managed to avoid from this one...

[Opalin]

How not to get hired, GS edition

Come in, dick around for an hour, cancel a res and then ask for a job aplication

Don't yak on your cell the entire time while waving it in my general direction

Don't come in in workout clothing with shoulder pads, stinking of sweat, hand them with a grunt of 'application.' and then leave.
- addendum on this pair.
Do not ask for above minimum wage if your job experience is nil, your avalible hours are 2 days a week and your gaming experience is, by your own admission, minimal.

Fill out the whole application form. If you haven't filled out any of the lower half, you're not gonna get a second look.

You should probably not come in wearing a skull/fox/wolf mask, spiked outfit and refuse to put down your (non smoking pipe)
however, this can be mitigated if you then spend an hour talking to the employees about video game knowledge, offering food, and preordering stuff, and showing that you live about 5 min walking distance. You probably won't get the job, but you're now listed as 'pretty cool people' in our book.

[Ree]

I believe Seshat directed this whole line of discussion to fratching several posts back.



Oh, look here. Yes she did.

Re refusing to hire a former stripper.

If you're interested, I'd like to see your reasons for that - but on Fratching, not here. (It's a long-discussion topic.)

[BlaqueKatt]

That's quite a leap of logic.

Huge leap of logic coming from this statement

If you want to work at a toy store, don't put down that you worked at (local strip club). I don't care if you were just a waitress, you worked at a strip club.

which says nothing about the prospective employee, other than "I won't hire you because of your former job as a waitress in a strip club.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

That's quite a leap of logic. And would mean she was not hired due to inappropriate dress, which is unrelated to prior employment. A former Executive Assistant or Bank Teller could dress inappropriately or wear too much makeup and perfume [many do and still get hired].

[protege]

Or that she didn't present a good image at the interview.

She could have been wearing some revealing clothing. Not all employers will tolerate that sort of thing. Where I work, if you come to the interview dressed like that, we won't even think of hiring you. I work for a financial services company--if you come in displaying your "assets" you won't be around very long.

[Seshat]

Re refusing to hire a former stripper.

As someone who's done his hiring and firing over the years, it ain't discriminatory in anyway.

If you're interested, I'd like to see your reasons for that - but on Fratching, not here. (It's a long-discussion topic.)