Help Wanted

 

In the jobs I’ve held over the years, I’ve been involved in hiring staff.  I’d love to help these poor, fresh-out-of-school kids who have $60k of student debt and no job—call me altruistic—okay, don’t.  So, here are my tips for job hunters:

• There is no “a” in college
• Do your research—don’t tell me that you heard from someone it might be “fun” to work here
• Know what our company does, then tell me how you can help—don’t tell me you think it would be great to “work with people;” trust me, you’ll hate them all soon enough and will need specific skills you can focus on once you start wishing you didn’t have any clients at all
• If you have had a ding in your career history, tell me why—briefly—then stop talking.  If you trash your old company and associates, I know you’ll trash mine
• Don’t give me an oral history of your life back to the 3rd grade when you wont the "most helpful" award from the lunchroom monitor.
• No matter what great things you think you’ve done as an intern, you aren’t nearly as good as the people interviewing you
• We are doing you a service by making you “pay your dues;” to get promoted, you have to show skill in all of the areas of the position you are in and some of those of the position above you—it’s not magic and you are really not that special, except to your mom, and if you have to move back home because you can’t find work or keep a job, she won’t think you are either
• Write a thank-you note; people do notice
• Don’t wear your low-cut blouse and your CFM heels and for the guys, jeez, learn how to tie a tie and polish your shoes, huh?
• And, no, I don’t care what your professor says you should be able to make, the starting pay is not $50k.   

He knows nothing; he thinks he knows everything - that clearly points to a political career. ~ George Bernard Shaw
Published on: Nov 11, 2006