More Lax Interviewers

It is a buyers market. Companies have so many people to choose from that they don't have to play by the rules when it comes to interviewing people. They feel they can make the rules. But what they don't realize is that there is now a social media network that can translate their bad behavior to others in less than 2 seconds. Plus they also think that this is going to last forever, and that their actions won't affect their company in the future.

This might sound perfectly harmless, but it isn't. I received three phone calls for interviews between Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Now Monday is Labor Day so many companies are closed on Monday. But this is the restaurant industry so most restaurants are open on holidays, and all three of these companies are restaurants. So I promptly called these companies back on Thursday, but wasn't able to reach anybody. In fact, not a single one of those companies called me back on Friday. Now what does that say to you?

It says to me that maybe they started their holiday weekend a little early this week. It also says to me that they are not answering their voice mail and don't take their jobs that seriously when there are millions of people looking for work. But let's dig a little deeper shall we.

The question I have is if I should jump at the chance to work for these companies after they did what they did. It's now Tuesday, one of the companies wanted me to interview on Wednesday, but never made a firm commitment. Should I hold up everything that may be planned for Wednesday in the hopes that somebody over there will pick up the phone and call me? I'm going to be gone the rest of the day, I have to make a decision about my schedule for tomorrow before I leave. Right now a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush so I guess I won't have that interview tomorrow. And in future deliberations about companies I will have to reconsider my tactics.

Now some people might think that I'm being to particular, but consider this. When you go for an interview you are on display. From the moment you walk in the door. And to be quite honest before you walk in the door they want to know everything about you. They want to know about your Facebook pages or your Twitter accounts. It seems like an invasion of privacy, and it is. But if companies want to know everything about you before you walk in the door, then shouldn't they be held to the same standard. When you enter an interview situation 99 percent of the time you first meet the receptionist. This is the person that truly holds your fate in their hands. So many people don't do well because they don't come correct with the receptionist. Well isn't my answering machine the equivalent to that receptionist. (Obviously not!) But it is my first contact, and how you deal with my first contact is just as important as how I deal with your first contact. If I left a company hanging for a few days they would probably not want to see me. Shouldn't they be held to the same standard.

This weeks worst company....Potbelly Sandwich Company.

An interview is a two-way street, not a one-way alley.

1 Year Anniversary

My how time goes by. It has been one year since I was last employed. I look back on my years with Baker's Square with much ill contempt for employers. While I understand that the economy sucks and that is ultimately why I lost my job, I can't help but think of all the skeezy things that I endured while I actually worked for the company.

Now there are many things that I can recall that will make my blood boil, but the one that is the most heinous is my boss' constant lies. It was disgusting. Every couple of weeks she would tell me some doozy of a lie, and I had to suck it up and deal with it. The funny thing was that everybody knew how much she lied except for her boss. Oh they would tell her boss, but he didn't care. He hardly ever showed up for work anyways. But I came to the realization that there is nothing more disrespectful that you can do than to lie to people. I'm not talking about white lies like..."No, you look great in that outfit. Your butt is not too fat." I'm talking bold-faced lies. She told me that she did work that she clearly didn't do. Then when it caused a major problem she would blame it on me. She lied to the staff about their pay and benefits. It was disgusting.

Well all I have to say is that Karma is a bitch. What you put out in the world is what you get back. Her time is coming. I just wish that so many other good people's work wouldn't go untarnished before she got hers.

Whew....That felt good.