A vent - looking for new employees

[tink_n_pooh]

I just need a vent a little and maybe (hopefully) this may also help some fellow DISers who are looking for employment right now.

Please - Please, I'm begging! Please spell check and grammer check your resume, emails and cover letters! I don't know where the concept of not using complete sentences in a professional cover letter came from but please do not follow in others poor choices

Please read and comprehend the ads for employment, we as employers design the ads in hopes that prospective employees will read them and the right candidates will apply. For instance, if the ad says that the hours are between 9am and 5pm Monday - Friday please do not send me your resume and tell me that you are available from 4pm to 9pm Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

And just one more thing while I am at it... if you are applying for a job that doesn't fit in with your work experience (you have always worked in A/R & A/P and you are applying for an office manager position) please explain why you are applying for the job or your resume will likely just get tossed in the circular file. We understand that you apply for many, many jobs when exmployment is hard to find just like we are sorting through hundreds of resumes looking for the right candidate, if you really want to get noticed make sure you write why you are applying for that specific position - not just a generic "using my skills, blah blah blah to better improve blah blah blah"

Can you tell I've been looking through (literally) hundreds of resumes? Sorry for the rant, I'm just beyond frustrated at this point. I thought with so many people being unemployed it would be easier to find someone but its proven to be much more difficult than in the past, seems like everyone just send resumes everywhere with no idea of what they are actually applying for

 

[tileman]

We are in the flooring business (Tile & Epoxy floors & MMA floors )
Lots of mud set & epoxy grout's & floors prep as in running a shot blaster.

We put in our ad in bold 10yr Experience only back ground check a must drug free work place.

Well we get guys that call and want to know hmm well never did tile befor but I need a job. Then we get why do you need a back ground check you can talk to some of my buddy's I am a great guy LOL
Drugs come on we all smoke a little LOL.

Out of 86 resume & calls we found one good guy team player & past the drug test & back ground check.

But I know how hard it is we been in the flooring business for over 19 yr for our self and its nut's some time.

There are 5 out on the jobs and my wife runs the office.

Ron.

 

[cabanafrau]

I hope you can take this in good fun, but it makes me laugh to read what you're venting about when you have spelling and grammar mistakes in your first three sentences.

 

[shirleyb]

I toss any resume or cover letter that has a spelling error. I figure if their attention to detail for something that important is that poor, I don't want them making the same mistakes on the job.

 

[LaurenLC]

I hope you can take this in good fun, but it makes me laugh to read what you're venting about when you have spelling and grammar mistakes in your first three sentences.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Hey..... I'm in Central Jersey..... I do admin now, but have been an office manager in the past (before children). If your still looking, let me know!!!!

 

[kydisneyfans]

My problem is getting people to show up for the interview. I spend hours on the phone screening applicants and setting up interview slots, only to find 75% of those "interested" are never to be heard from again. We are struggling to find people wanting to work, even with the unemployment rates where they are at now.

 

[Free4Life11]

I find a lot of the employment listings don't have enough details. I especially like to have an idea about the pay, even if its just a range or general idea. I have a certain floor I will not go below and I hate to waste anyone's time.

And if you are requiring a great deal of experience, that darn well better be worth some $$$. I saw one job, I kid you not, requesting 5 years of experience for $8 an hour! Ridiculous.

Good luck finding some employees! I imagine it can be hard to find the right fit.

 

[babytrees]

I find a lot of the employment listings don't have enough details. I especially like to have an idea about the pay, even if its just a range or general idea. I have a certain floor I will not go below and I hate to waste anyone's time.

And if you are requiring a great deal of experience, that darn well better be worth some $$$. I saw one job, I kid you not, requesting 5 years of experience for $8 an hour! Ridiculous.

Good luck finding some employees! I imagine it can be hard to find the right fit.

That is what I am hitting now.

The ads are so vague that I can't do much better than to send out, what has become, my "general" cover letter. Some aren't even stating where they are located in the Metro area...so I can't know if it's an easy commute or too much hassle until I get (if I even get ) a follow up call.

Or they want my experience (or more) for $9 an hour.

Had I known that the job market was going to go down the toilet at the same time as I resigned from my job maybe I wouldn't have resigned.

 

[DWGal210]

AMEN! I 100% agree with you. In my previous job, I would filter through the resumes and have initial interviews with prospective employees. If I was really impressed, I would pass them along to my boss for their 2nd interview.

I have seen quite a bit, including:

1) A gal who brought her boyfriend with her to the interview and wanted him to sit in there with her.
2) Same gal as above shows up in clothes that were probably on her bedroom floor and I don't think she had showered that day.
3) People who would send in resumes and include a note that they just needed the interview for unemployment. Yeah, I am going to waste my time on "interviewing" you when you're not interested in the job.

My personal #1 pet peeve is people that do not dress up for interviews. I don't care if you're interviewing at a Fortune 500 company or you're looking to be the newest barista at Starbucks. Make an effort, for goodness sake!! I'm not saying you need to show up in a formal dress, but make an effort to look like you actually WANT the job. Can you tell this gets me fired up?!

 

[mpls_mm]

I find a lot of the employment listings don't have enough details. I especially like to have an idea about the pay, even if its just a range or general idea. I have a certain floor I will not go below and I hate to waste anyone's time.

And if you are requiring a great deal of experience, that darn well better be worth some $$$. I saw one job, I kid you not, requesting 5 years of experience for $8 an hour! Ridiculous.

Good luck finding some employees! I imagine it can be hard to find the right fit.

I had to laugh when I saw this, it reminds me of a resume I got with a nice little yellow post it on the top, "Thank you for your consideration, however, I will not be interested in any position that pays less than 65k. If you can meet my requirements please call."
This was off a newspaper ad I placed. I admit it, I was intrigued. I kind of like bold moves like that, I looked at that resume very hard, to find no college or any relevant experience except some accounting from 15 years ago.

 

[JoiseyMom]

I find a lot of the employment listings don't have enough details. I especially like to have an idea about the pay, even if its just a range or general idea. I have a certain floor I will not go below and I hate to waste anyone's time.

And if you are requiring a great deal of experience, that darn well better be worth some $$$. I saw one job, I kid you not, requesting 5 years of experience for $8 an hour! Ridiculous.

Good luck finding some employees! I imagine it can be hard to find the right fit.

ITA. Also, I answered an ad last month that had the perfect hours for me 10 - 2. I went on the interview, and they asked me which shift I could work, 10 - 2 or 2 - 6, I said, well 10 - 2, that is why I applied, it was in the ad. I did get the job, but the husband really wanted me to do 2 - 6. I said I might be able to do that once in a while, but I really needed 10 - 2.

 

[NMAmy]

Can I add to your vent? If the job is not what you're interested in, please turn down the interview and don't waste my time. I can't negotiate the pay (which is clearly stated in the ad) nor can I cut the hours or make them more flexible to fit into your very specific schedule. The job is what it is and I'm neither willing nor am I able to change it. A master's degree is not required so the applicant will not be compensated for that level of education.

 

[MushyMushy]

I hope you can take this in good fun, but it makes me laugh to read what you're venting about when you have spelling and grammar mistakes in your first three sentences.

Perhaps there aren't as many spelling and/or grammar errors as the op thinks there are!

 

[wdwiala]

Even at retail stores, I am amazed at who asks for applications. People in sweats, jammies, and girls in short shorts and bra straps hanging out. I once had a person fill out their application in marker.

My personal pet peeve: people who come in for an application and ask for a pen to fill it out with. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

My personal pet peeve: people who come in for an application and ask for a pen to fill it out with. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I used to work as a receptionist before my current job (paralegal). I was very busy and it was so annoying when people would come in and want me to make copies of their resume before they "give you the last one" or want you to look up phone numbers in the phone book of old jobs. I was very close with the owner and he always asked for my thoughts on that person applying as they're not usually putting on a "show" until they meet the person interviewing them. It really opened my eyes to how SO many people dress and act when they come in to interview. We were looking for a salesperson once and ONE person out of 12 applicants came in NOT wearing jeans. I couldn't believe it. Oh, I've also come to realize that "No phone calls please" is really English for "Please call to find out more!" .

I had to go through two interviews to get this job. Besides my personality (as I had no experience in this field or education) I was told my professionalism was my biggest key to getting this job. Not acting like I wanted to walk in and run the place but acting like I put some thought in the questions I asked and being prepared. I was also the ONLY candidate (so I was told) that sent in a thank you letter after each interview.

 

[NotUrsula]

In defense of those who send generic cover letters (or no cover letter at all), the odds are fairly high that those people really don't wish to seriously apply for the position, but have to meet an unemployment benefits quota. Some of them are sending in a minimalist package precisely because they know you will toss it in the trash.

I was laid off four years ago. That occasion was the first time in my 22 year career that the circumstances actually made me eligible to collect unemployment, and you bet your bippy I did what I had to do to collect.

There were exactly THREE positions in my field in my geographic area that opened up while I was out of work, and I applied for all of them with a serious, carefully packaged, and perfectly tailored resume and cover letter. (I eventually interviewed for all three of them.) However, the unemployment office required me to send out 8 applications per week, and I was unemployed for 14 weeks.

Along with my three very professional packages, I also sent out 109 resumes that had no cover letter attached. My only pretension to suitability for those positions was that I had the necessary education -- I knew that I was not really qualified, but I had to send resumes SOMEWHERE in order to collect my unemployment benefits. I apologize to all those HR folks whose time I wasted, but my omission of a cover letter was done in hopes that I wouldn't waste your time -- I hoped that that would send the resume straight into the trash.

BTW, in my line of work, searches normally last upward of three months before candidates are interviewed, and a six month timeline to fill a position is perfectly normal.

 

[Pakey]

My personal favorite story is when a guy came in to our company, asked the receptionist for an application and then went out into the parking lot to complete it. The amusing part is that he started filling it out on the hood of MY car while leaning on it. After a horrified moment of watching it from my office window, I called out to the front desk and had her go out and tell him to get off my car.

Another favorite is when I placed an HR assistant with the very specific requirement of having to be bilingual in English and Punjabi. I posted this at the top of the listing and again at the bottom. At least 95% of the people who responded could not speak or write one word of Punjabi.

 

[pigletgirl]

I also think job listings are too vague as well! I have friend right now looking for a job in the medical community and she is having the toughest time trying to find anything. Plus, nobody wants a new graduate. Whats up with that?!

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I too will get on the bandwagon that the listings are way too vague.

For many of us that were laid off in our given fields, I would say that they are not hiring us back and we need to find something in another field or different type of position.

Just because we may not have done EXACTLY what you are looking for doesn't mean that those resume's that you are throwing out couldn't be a good employee.

That makes me upset and very worried I have only worked in the travel industry since I was 16, and loved every minute of it. So you are going to hold that against me because I am looking to be a Adminstrative Assitant in ANOTHER field? That is not fair.

Also many are looking for all of this experience and not willing to pay for it either. That is a load of malarchy if you ask me.