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Inept young applicants have hiring managers struggling to fill jobs
New York Post ^ | 10/24/11 | Virginia Backaitis

Posted on 10/24/2011 8:58:48 AM PDT by Haiku Guy

He doesn’t think it’s too much to ask of a job seeker. A resume, a statement of salary expectations and a single written paragraph that answers a question like, “What do you believe a good customer service representative’s attitude should be?”

(snip)

Stories are legion of inept or half-hearted applicants who submit resumes marred by misspellings, show up at interviews dressed for a beach party, make inappropriate jokes, fail to learn basic details about the job and company in question, and otherwise leave hiring managers aghast.

(snip)

“Who the hell is going to hire these people?” asks Heinemeier Hansson. “Who is going to read some of these atrociously bad applications and say, ‘Yeah, that’s the person I’ve been looking for?’ ”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: attitude; company; customer; employer; employment; hiring; inept; job; jobs; managers; ows; publiceducation; resume; salary; service; tards; unemployment
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To: Hoffer Rand

“I’m always stunned at the inability to follow simple directions. “Send your resume and a cover letter to this email address.” How hard is that? And we still get people who submit their resume through the online application process. Then they call me, “Did you get my resume? I used the online process.” I always ask them, “Did you read the instructions on the job application?” And these are people who are applying to teach at a university... *Sigh”

They never bother to learn do they? I honestly prefer to email my “employemt equipment” (as I like to call it) to companies rather than fill out a tedious online application.


61 posted on 10/24/2011 9:54:15 AM PDT by Niuhuru (The Internet is the digital AIDS; adapting and successfully destroying the MSM host.)
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To: Haiku Guy
Some of them are getting unemployment comp -- getting hired would ruin their vacation.

It's disgraceful considering that there are a lot of unemployed folks out there who are ready and willing to work hard - but may not have those kind of opportunities in their locale.

62 posted on 10/24/2011 9:56:21 AM PDT by Crichton
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To: RJS1950

“Writing “shotgun” job requirements that mandate the job experience of an experienced person for jobs that are entry level or a little above are a problem”

Which is a huge obstacle to many getting their foot in the door. How on earth is a young adult in their early twenties supposed to get an entry level job, when the entry level job requires that the young adult have five to ten years experience and an Associate’s degree in order to do a basic data entry job.


63 posted on 10/24/2011 9:58:34 AM PDT by Niuhuru (The Internet is the digital AIDS; adapting and successfully destroying the MSM host.)
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To: Haiku Guy; Hoodat
LOL

- FL in N ATL


64 posted on 10/24/2011 9:58:57 AM PDT by freedomlover (Make sure you're in love - before you move in the heavy stuff)
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To: dfwgator

“Having tattoos and body piercings don’t help, as well.”

I saw nice looking (18-20?) man; big, muscular…and with a penis tattooed from his ear lobe to the corner of his lip. I instantly pictured him 20 years hence, wearing a suit and applying for a “big-eight” accounting job. I have often wondered how he fared. Badly, I’ll bet.


65 posted on 10/24/2011 9:59:17 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: econjack
I never did understand why someone would major in sociology, history, etc. except that they liked the subject. You’d think they’d pick a major that would help them land a job. My guess is that a fairly high percentage of college graduates who are underemployed majored in these or similar subject areas.

Back in my day a liberal arts degree didn't just teach you an area of concentration; it would teach you how to think critically, reason logically, do research, and write coherent reports with proper citations. You were also required to get exposed to a variety of disciplines: language, science, philosophy, as well as the arts.

Now, instead of learning how to think for yourself, you are indoctrinated in liberal theories, and as long as your student loans come in on time and you parrot back what your professors preach, you get to "earn" a degree in things like transgender feminist studies or post-modern socialism.

66 posted on 10/24/2011 9:59:23 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
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To: Prokopton

“The other side of the unemployment coin. Some of these folks are just unemployable.”

The problem isn’t the applicants. The problem is HR. Their starting point is a degree. That eliminates more than half the candidates, many of whom are qualified. Now eliminate the candidates with degrees in “Fill in the blanks” Studies, and you are down to 15 of every 100.

Now eliminate every candidate who doesn’t fill the experience squares. (Job description has 10 things. Candidate has 8 of 10.)

Now you are down to 2-3 candidates of the 100. Now the interviews. Eliminate the liars, fakers and candidates with little experience but was smart enough to match the resume to the job description. If you now have 1 in 100, that candidate still has to get through 3-4 more interviews, which could take several months.

This is the problem. If you eliminated the college degree, the company would have someone who is qualified and ready to work within 2-3 weeks.


67 posted on 10/24/2011 10:03:56 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (I am a Cainiac)
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To: Red Badger

>>She was 16 from Cincinnati. She could not tell time on an analog clock...

Many years ago, my mom told me a story about a kid in her elementary school (she was the school nurse). The girl asked where the pencil sharpener was and my mom pointed to it in the corner.

“Your pencil sharpener is broken”
“Really? Let me check. No, it works, you have to turn the handle.”

The girl had never used a hand-crank sharpener.

I sometimes worry if I ever lost my job through a company downsizing what I would do, other than start my own consulting business. I really don’t think I have much to worry about.


68 posted on 10/24/2011 10:04:58 AM PDT by Betis70 (Bruins!)
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To: Gen.Blather
I saw nice looking (18-20?) man; big, muscular…and with a penis tattooed from his ear lobe to the corner of his lip.

What a dickhead!

69 posted on 10/24/2011 10:05:22 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Lazlo in PA

He can’t leave the house Japanese whalers follow him everywhere he goes....


70 posted on 10/24/2011 10:05:25 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: ArrogantBustard
When was the last time you saw a cashier (other than your own employees) count change back to a customer?

Depends on what the employer wants its cashiers to do. I worked briefly as a cashier in a just-give-them-their-change-and-keep-it-movin' place and some lady counted back her own change for me hoping to teach me a lesson. I smiled politely and kept doing it the way bossman wanted.

71 posted on 10/24/2011 10:06:34 AM PDT by Crichton
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To: proud American in Canada
I believe it. Nowadays, grocery store cashiers have to look at the register to see how much they owe you, for even the simplest, easiest subtractions. It's quite discouraging.

And, if they make a wrong entry or get confused, and you say "It's 13 cents", they look at you with puzzlement and ask, "How did you do that?"

72 posted on 10/24/2011 10:07:21 AM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

“The problem isn’t the applicants. The problem is HR.”

This wasn’t meant to take a swipe at HR. I was a hiring manager and the resumes I have received from HR over the years was amazing. I used to ask, “have you looked at this?” They would tell me there was no need since the “Software” did it for them.

As a hiring manager, I want to see resumes. Maybe not thousands, but give me everyone with a degree and a minimum of 5 in 10 job description matches, with the top 3 being required.

I’ll find the candidate.


73 posted on 10/24/2011 10:09:05 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (I am a Cainiac)
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To: Signalman

Too many of them were not taught the concept of ‘process’ or taught that there are steps that need to be taken in order to end up succeeding the way other successes in business do.


74 posted on 10/24/2011 10:09:29 AM PDT by Niuhuru (The Internet is the digital AIDS; adapting and successfully destroying the MSM host.)
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To: Haiku Guy
I sit on interview panels several times a year. I craft the questions to gauge common sense and the ability to think on ones feet. Nothing tricky or avant-garde, just solid reasoning. “I don't have that information, I'd have to ask someone with more experience”, could be an acceptable answer in many cases. We average 1 candidate out of every 20 applicants. I am astonished at the number of individuals that break down in tears during the interview.
75 posted on 10/24/2011 10:10:07 AM PDT by davius (You can roll manure in powdered sugar but that don't make it a jelly doughnut.)
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To: dfwgator
Having tattoos and body piercings don’t help, as well.

I find tats and piercings to be very helpful - in determining people with whom it isn't worth having a conversation.

76 posted on 10/24/2011 10:10:12 AM PDT by from occupied ga (your own government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: Crichton
I smiled politely and kept doing it the way bossman wanted.

On the off chance that your bossman is listening:

Dear Bossman;

Please instruct your employees to hand change to the customers in two separate lots: coins first, then bills. This allows the customer to take control of the coins without the bills getting in the way. It reduces the probability of dropped change and keeps the line moving.

Thank you.

-A. Bustard

77 posted on 10/24/2011 10:11:08 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: okie01; proud American in Canada

My second job was at a busy (self-service) gas station. I’d work the weekends, opening up, and doing the 4am-noon. You had to think quick in that job because people would literally be tossing you money holding up a cup of coffee and a newspaper while 6 people had to have their pumps turned on, and four more people were in line.

I often give cashiers money so that I get $5 or $10 bills back, so if something is say 12.73, I give them $23. They usually look like ‘deer in headlights’ for a few seconds and say “No, it is just 12.73”. “I know, but I want a $10 bill back” “Uh...ok. Wow, how’d you do that?”

The first time that happened *I* had the deer in headlights look.


78 posted on 10/24/2011 10:14:00 AM PDT by Betis70 (Bruins!)
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To: Lazlo in PA
That guy needs a bigger chair. Like this one.


79 posted on 10/24/2011 10:14:46 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: Haiku Guy
Why would anybody go to school for any other reason than to get a better job someday?

Is that a joke?

How about to become a better citizen, Christian, spouse, or parents, improve one's mind and soul? Do you really believe that a homemaker (for instance) has no need or use for education?

A proper college education should be far more than a technical school. Not that there's anything wrong with technical schools, for their purpose.

80 posted on 10/24/2011 10:15:09 AM PDT by Crichton
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