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Question: I
missed a call yesterday from a number I didn’t know. I called right
back and told the person who answered that I had gotten a call from that
number. The receptionist acted like I was stupid because I didn’t know
who called. I thought that calling back quickly was better than
listening to the message before I called. Should I waste the time
listening to the message or just call back right away?
-Houston, TX Reader
Answer: You
know, it’s not really a waste of time to be informed before making a
call. Most companies have more than one phone line and more than one
person making phone calls. It could be anyone there who called you, and
the receptionist doesn’t know who it is. AND it makes you look careless
and indifferent. Listen to the message before you return the call.
Question: I
am a recruiter and interview a
lot of people every week, and I have to confess that I don’t remember
each and every person’s voice. Lately, candidates have been calling and
without giving a name, they just start talking with anybody who answers
the phone. It’s just so rude, and I know I’m acting short with them.
Can you tell your readers to say who is calling?
-Houston, TX Reader
Answer:
Here’s the way it goes: “Hi, this is Jane Doe. Is Mabel there?” You
have to substitute the correct names, but seriously it’s just common
sense to tell people who you are before you start talking. Since you
know your own name and you should know the name of the person who
interviewed you, this is going to be easy. You can make it hard by
telling your story to the first person who answers, and then telling it
again to the right person. Identifying yourself is just common sense
and common courtesy. The problem is that common sense and common
courtesy don’t seem all that common anymore.
Question:
I am currently having a
dilemma. I need a second job, and the only days off are Wednesdays and
Thursdays. I spoke with my boss, and he said to let them know that I
could only work Wednesdays and Thursdays! How can I land a second job
for those days?
-Rosenberg, TX Reader
Answer: You
can’t. You need to interview on Wednesdays and Thursdays to find a
better job so that you can quit the one you currently have.
Question: I
interviewed on Friday and immediately sent a thank you note. How long
should I wait to call?
-Houston, TX Reader
Answer: You can
call within about 2 days after mailing the note. Hope you get the job.
Question: I
interviewed with a really great
company last week. The recruiter and I had a lot of things in common
and got along so well that it was really like talking with a friend.
After leaving the interview, I knew I had nailed it and feel sure that
I’ll get the job. As a thank you for the interview, I sent a bottle of
wine along with a note to the recruiter by courier. I got a call from
the delivery service saying that the recruiter refused delivery of the
package. I couldn’t believe it! Do you think I should call and try to
figure out why she didn’t accept the wine?
-Houston, TX Reader
Answer:
I
think you should call and apologize. She didn’t accept the wine because
she can’t accept bribes. If one candidate sends you wine, you might
give them preference over another candidate who sends you cheese. Or
you might give them preference over the candidate who just sends a nice
thank you note. Each candidate has to be evaluated on her/his merits
only and not on what kind of gift was sent. It’s a recruiter’s job to
make you feel comfortable and like you’re talking with a friend, and you
might actually become friends if you get hired. Until you’re hired,
realize that you’re not part of the team. You may have ruined your
chances for this job!!
Question: I
need a job where I don’t have to work weekends because I have to visit
my son on weekends. I’ve been applying for jobs that say Monday –
Friday, and I really don’t care what kind of job it is. I applied for a
sales job, and when the lady called me, she asked a bunch of questions
and she asked why I wanted sales. I told her I needed to get off on
weekends, and she said that it didn’t sound like I really wanted a sales
job. That was the last straw – I hung up on her. Why did she make
such a big deal out of it?
-Magnolia, TX Reader
Answer: She
knows you don’t really want a sales job.
Question: I am looking for a part
time job I work at one already put im needing another job to support
myself im 19 and about to finsih high school.
im not sure which job it is i wrote this email and didnt write down what
it was for it was in a newspaper is all i remeber i have sent so many
emails
This text message is printed as it was
received.
-College Station, TX Reader
Answer: When you are looking for a job, keep a written record of
the ads that you have answered, the date that you responded, and where
you saw the ad (JobSparx.) Many companies have more than one job, and if
you don’t give the correct information, they will just ignore you. You
can’t blame them - they are busy people and don’t have time for all the
follow-up.
If you want to increase your chances of getting a job, don’t text the
company. Texting is great for friends, but it isn’t good for job
applications. When you are so casual about your job search, you will
not get results. If you worked harder on your job search, you might
actually get a job.
Question: I was in an interview
the other day, and the guy started talking about his children. He then
asked me if I have children. I replied that I have two kids, and he
asked me if I have someone to watch them while I work. He said that he
knew it can be a problem for working moms. I was surprised and just said
“that isn’t a problem.” I thought it was illegal to ask questions like
that.
-Garland, TX Reader
Answer: It IS illegal to ask questions like that. I guess he
thought he was being subtle because he mentioned his children first. You
do not have to answer this kind of question. Simply say that you are not
comfortable discussing child care in an interview. Or maybe you should
have asked him if childcare is a problem for him. I’d think long and
hard about working for someone who flaunts simple interviewing laws.
Question: Can you stand another
letter about what to wear to an interview? Is it all right to wear
sandals?
-Houston, TX Reader
Answer: I love that kind of question. The answer is no.
Question: Let me ask you this,
how is it that entry level offshore oil rig workers don’t require tons
of experience - much less a fancy degree - to work on a oil rig and
still make decent income? I wanted to work on an offshore oil rig, but
since the accident in the Gulf, I don’t know.
-Houston, TX Reader
Answer: Offshore rig workers make more money because it’s hard
work, and it can be dangerous. Most rigs don’t have this kind of
accident, but there are all sorts of injuries on rigs. The Gulf tragedy
is a worst-case scenario, but I know lots of guys with missing fingers
from mishaps. Most people who work on rigs are careful, but sometimes
things happen that you can’t predict.
Question: I graduate next year with
a degree in Fashion, and I’m thinking ahead about interviewing. My
mother says that it’s okay to wear a skirt for interviews, but I think
you’re supposed to wear a pants suit. Who is right?
-Tomball, TX Reader
Answer: You are smart to be proactive and think ahead. Your
mother is right. (I just love saying that: your mother is right.)
Although some recruiters still don’t like pant suits, in the last few
years they’ve have been accepted by most interviewers. The word “suit”
has not always included the word “pants.”
Question: My husband is a truck
driver who had a perfect driving record for 22 years. For the last 5
years, he has owned his own truck and worked contract. He had an
accident recently and lost his job as a result. He doesn’t resent the
company letting him go because he knew their policy, but he doesn’t know
if he should have the insurance company pay for another truck or just
take the settlement. If he gets a new truck, do you know if there are
any companies that will contract a driver who has had a wreck?
-Baytown, TX Reader
Answer: First of all: Wow, what a great driving record!
Secondly: You should not be calling companies on his behalf. Employers
want to talk with the actual candidate. You don’t want it to seem like
he doesn’t want to work, but you want to get him out of the house.
Third: Have him call the trucking companies and ask about their
policies.
Question: I graduate in May with
an Electrical Engineering degree and have been interviewing with a lot
of companies. I sent a text message to thank a recruiter for the
interview, and she emailed me that a text message wasn’t appropriate. I
have texted every single interviewer and no one else has said that. I
haven’t heard from her again, and it’s been three weeks. I’m irritated
because it’s the job I wanted. What’s her problem?
-College Station, TX Reader
Answer: I don’t know if she has a problem, but you sure do. You
made a mistake texting the thank you, and then you made a HUGE mistake
when you didn’t follow up with a verbal or written apology. Texting is
great for keeping in touch, but it isn’t good for most business
communication. When you texted a thank you, you gave the impression that
you either didn’t know the rules, or you didn’t care. She’s trying to
hire a professional for this position, and texting gives the impression
that you’re not professional. (Did you notice that I cleaned up your
text to me and used complete words with commas, capitalized letters and
all of that other crazy grammatical stuff?)
Question: I was laid off twice in
2009 but have had several interviews. Every time I interview I always
make sure that I also have questions with one of them being if I will
hear back from somebody. I always get told that I will get a phone call
the following week but never hear anything back. When I call the person
that I interviewed with to follow up I get a voice mail and never get a
return call. I don't know why companies don't call back but it is
frustrating. The last company that I interviewed with said that they
were impressed with all of my experience but still no return call. What
should I do at this point?
-Pearland, TX Reader
Answer: Did you send a Thank You note to the last company that
interviewed you? Do you have their email address? You can sometimes
get around the voice mail-jail syndrome by mailing or emailing. If you
do all of that, and no one responds, ask yourself if you want to work at
a company that would treat people disrespectfully.
I don’t know why they don’t call, either. I think that there are
several factors involved:
1. No one likes to be the bearer of bad news. They may feel
uncomfortable if it’s a “No.”
2. They get so busy that they let things slip through their fingers.
That’s a lazy excuse.
3. They don’t believe they are being rude, but how would feel they feel
if they were in your shoes?
The bottom line is that you need to move on. Don’t fret and worry about
why they didn’t call; interview at another company. Good luck.
Question: I noticed that you have
printed letters from recruiters in the past, and I have a question. I
have been recruiting for the same large company for five years. When I
receive an interesting resume that looks like a match for our job, I
call the candidate for a phone interview to see if they are a good fit.
The last three months or so, I have been so frustrated by the
conversations that I’m having with the candidates. Many of the calls
consist of the candidate complaining about how hard it is to get a job.
They continue griping throughout the whole call. It’s so irritating
because I am trying to interview them. What is the best way to handle
this?
Answer: Wow, I know exactly what you mean because it’s been
happening to me, too. The candidate doesn’t realize that you are trying
to find a good fit for your company, and a person who constantly gripes
is not someone you want to hire. I don’t think candidates understand
that we are interviewing them when we call. They seem to think it’s just
a nice conversation and don’t put their best foot forward. The best way
I’ve found to handle it is to sympathize briefly, and then say, “I hope
I haven’t caught you on a bad day. I want to conduct a phone interview
with you, but I can always call back at another time.” That statement
usually clarifies your purpose. If the candidate continues to complain,
I just realize that I am wasting my time and cut it short.
Question: I work at a really nice
company and have been there for more than 6 months. I have not received
a raise in all that time, and I wonder how I should go about asking for
one. I like the job and want to stay here.
Answer: You’ve been there only half a year, and you think you
need a raise? Were you promised a raise within 6 months? Most people
feel that they are still getting accustomed to the job when they’ve been
there only 6 months. I believe I would wait until the one year
anniversary and see what happens.
Question: I told my sister that a
DWI means Driving Without Insurance and she laughed at me. She won’t
tell me what it means so I’m texting you to find out
Answer: “DWI” means Driving While Intoxicated. “DUI” means
Driving Under the Influence. If you are driving without insurance,
you’re probably going to have a big problem one of these days.
Question: I know a lot of college
graduates who have degrees in all kinds of fields and a lot of them have
spent weeks if not months waiting to land a job! What a lot of them
tell me is that it’s not what you know but rather who you know! If you
know someone that will give a rookie a chance that’s an enormous A+, but
if not you will be miserable even with a degree since you will have an
extremely hard time landing a job simply because you may have the degree
but lack the real life world experience!!! Someone who doesn’t have
real world experience will have to face an uphill battle because they
lack it! If someone has a degree from Harvard in some career field but
lacks real world experience, what should they do if they go months
without landing a job that they majored in? I got certified from a
California state university in the field of legal interpretation and
translation but never landed a full time job doing translation! No one
really hires translators to work full time in this country! I have
given up ever since! "Buying" a degree is easy; landing the job which
you majored in can be bad if you lack real world experience!!!!
Answer: I’m not sure what type of certification you have.
Sometimes one attends a short term course and gets certification for
specific jobs, but the employer wants someone with more in depth
education in the field. I guess it all depends. The smart thing to do
before getting any type of certification is to research the field and
find out if there are actually jobs available.
You’re right, there are people out there struggling and not getting a
job. You’re wrong though when you think that the way you present
yourself, your background and experience, your skill sets and tenure at
previous jobs aren’t important. Believe me they are important.
Real world experience is important in getting a job, but it has to be
relevant experience. If you continue to believe that the only thing
that matters is who you know, I guess you need to meet some important
people pretty quick so that they can get you a job. :)
Question: I have a secretarial
support business. For the last 2 months, I’ve been cold-calling
companies from the phone book to see if the want to hire me contract to
do secretarial duties or other short-term duties. So far I have had no
luck. I worked at a huge oil company for 9 years and got laid off in
January. I am on unemployment and finally just decided to start my own
business because I can’t find a job. I am getting very discouraged and
don’t know where to go from here.
Answer: You need to keep on plugging, but you also need to be
more directed in your search. When you call a company, refine your
sales pitch to identify yourself as “Agnes with Texas XYZ.” You need to
tell them that your company provides short-term or long-term secretarial
support. When you say that you can work on a contract basis, it tells
us that you are the only “employee.” I love your proactive approach,
and I know you’re going to do well.
Question: I would love to have a
“work from home” job that paid well. I found a Secret Shopper job, but
they just started charging my charge card and didn’t give me any work.
Do you know of any good jobs I could do from home?
- Reader in Friendswood, TX
Answer: I don’t. You have to research any “job” like that before
you commit. There are probably some good “work from home” jobs out
there, but I am not aware of any. Don’t give them financial info.
Question: I sent a resume to a
recruiter yesterday, and she told me that I shouldn’t have put my age on
it. Do you think that’s true? Why would it be a problem?
- Reader in Houston, TX
Answer: It’s true. Including your age on a resume might bias the
interviewer. I received a resume not long ago that included the
candidate’s date of birth, Social Security number, wife’s name,
children’s names, the church he attends and the type of car he drives.
That is waaaaay too much information. Your resume should have your name,
address, contact information (land line, cell phone, email address), and
that’s the only personal information you should include.
Question: I got very irritated at an
interview yesterday and wonder how I should have handled it. When I went
in for my interview, the receptionist handed me an application to fill
out, but I told her that I already have a resume. She said that I still
had to complete the application. I filled out the application except for
previous jobs and just put “See Resume” on those lines. I handed the
application to the receptionist, and she sighed and acted angry. She
gave me back the application and said, “Fill out those spaces. I don’t
care if you have a resume.” I just sat down and completed it, but she
was rude. I didn’t say anything but I’d like to tell the manager how
rude his receptionist is. What do you think?
Answer: She was rude. She should have politely told you that you
must always complete the application. It is a legal document (your
resume is not), and they need it for their records. The rule is: Unless
your hand is broken, complete the application. Don’t tell the manager
that she was rude, because I hope you get the job and then you’ll have
to work with that receptionist. She may have been having a bad day.
Question: Who are the best
companies for offshore oil rig workers? How much do entry level people
make a year? What are the duties? In what type of climates do they
work?
- Reader in Houston, TX
Answer: The “best” company for one person would not be the “best”
company for another. Entry level is usually a Roustabout - the person
who handles equipment and rig supplies. Rigs run in various climates.
We have a lot of offshore drilling here in the Gulf of Mexico. Be
careful: there are lots of scams on the Internet that pretend to recruit
for different companies. NEVER pay anyone for work permits, insurance
policies or give your bank account information to anyone to get a job.
In fact, never disclose your personal or financial information to anyone
you don’t know! JobSparx does not accept ads from entities that require
you to pay to get a job.
Question: Ok let me share
something with you. I graduated from high school like 10 years ago and
decided not to go to college/trade school because of common sense. What
I mean by common sense is that nowadays most if not all careers are
customer service oriented. I simply don’t enjoy doing customer service
even if it pays well! Not my cup of tea! So why waste my time at a
trade school/college? Apart from oil rig workers, truck drivers,
etc...., what are some good paying jobs in America that don’t require
trade schools/college? Between offshore oil rig workers and truck
drivers, which one is more hard labor? Which careers in America don’t
require further education than high school to make some good money? Do
you know where I’m coming from?
- Same Reader in Houston, TX
Answer: First, it wasn’t common sense to not get more education.
You surely don’t believe that chemical engineers, chemists, architects,
accountants and astronomers are “customer service.” If you believe
that, think again. Trust me on this! The average yearly earnings for HS
grads are about $27K. The average income for college grads is $51K.
That means that you chose to earn about $24K less per year. If you
started working at 18 and retire at 67, you will earn $1,176,000 less in
your career. That’s more than $1 MILLION dollars less. Where I come
from, a million dollars is real money.
Two year colleges like Lone Star College can train you to be a diesel
mechanic, a CNC machinist, welder, land surveyor, electrician or
automotive tech. Here’s what I would do if I were you: go to Lone Star
or Houston Community College and take the courses that will get you
certified. Quit trying to find a mythical good paying job that does not
require any effort, work or education. If you continue on your current
path, you will be behind the eight ball for the rest of your work life.
Get your ducks in a row and start working toward success.
Question: I’ve worked at this
company for about 5 months, and I really like the management and my
coworkers. I’ve become friendly with one guy who is just a super person.
For the last three weeks or so, I’ve noticed that there is alcohol on
his breath when he comes back from lunch, and sometimes I can smell it
when he comes back from his break. He missed work the last two Mondays,
and it all just adds up to a real problem. I don’t want to betray him by
going to the supervisor, but I don’t know how to handle this situation.
Do you have any advice?
- Reader in Houston, TX
Answer: Talk with your friend first. Let him know that his
drinking is not smart, not a secret and not acceptable. I’m sure that
management is aware of the situation and will act with or without your
input, but you need to tell them. I’m sure others have noticed and will
wonder about you if you continue to spend a lot of time with him. The
sad fact is that your friend may be an alcoholic. If he is, nothing you
can say or do will impact him until he makes the choice to quit
drinking.
Question: I interviewed with a
horrible guy the other day. I like everything I read about the company,
and they have an excellent reputation, but the interviewer was an
arrogant jerk. He called me this morning to ask me to come back for a
second interview, but I’m not sure that I want to work for a company
that would hire him. I wouldn’t be reporting to him and this interview
is with the actual manager. Do you think I should go on the second
interview?
- Reader in Conroe, TX
Answer: Sure. You don’t even know whether you would like the
manager or not. If you are not going to be working with or for the
arrogant jerk, you may really like the job. As to why a company would
hire someone like that: it just happens sometimes.
Question: One of my coworkers
wears so much perfume that it gives me headaches. She’s a nice person,
and I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but this is getting really bad.
She puts on more perfume during the day and the whole office stinks of
it. Should I tell the manager?
- Reader in Houston, TX
Answer: Tell your coworker that you must be allergic to her
perfume because it gives you headaches. If she’s really a nice person,
she won’t wear it anymore. If she keeps wearing it, she isn’t quite as
nice as you think - tell the manager.
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