Tips For Job Hunters

I do HR work. I review and check references. Here are a few tips from what I have seen. And because people are stupid.

Now I don’t claim to have good sentence structure which if you read my blog you know this. But....


Dress: Come in to fill out your application dressed nicely flip-flops; shorts and a T-shirt are a no no. Tone down the perfume/cologne, Comb and style your hair, tone down the make-up

Previous Employment: Already have all your background information written down. Asking for a phone book to look up a past employer is not good. Have their address as well as phone number. Remember many companies will require you to fill out an application even though you handed in a resume. Some going back 5 to 10years.

Make sure you have your Driver License, Social Security Card Etc. with you. If you have a special certification CPR, Nurses Licenses have that with you also. Copies of other Certifications might be helpful too bring those along. Without an Advanced Degree we require a copy of the High School Diploma.

Personal References Check with your personal references before you put their name, number and Address down. You want to be sure you have all the correct information and they are willing to speak for you. You might also want to have whom they work for and their title some employers ask for this.

I called a personal reference for one person and they refused to speak to me because he had been her supervisor. "Saying I can not give out a personal reference for an employee".

I have also called only to be told that I have the wrong number that “Joe” no longer has this number and I have had it for 2 years.

I have had the misfortune of calling and the person had passed away months ago.

CHECK WITH PEOPLE

DO NOT USE RELATIVES this means cousins, husbands, wives, live-in BF OR GF ,In-laws etc. It just looks bad.

Make sure you are using people that will return a phone call and avoid using the ones you know call back a missed call and say “ yeah I got a call from this number”. That does not help YOU when I am making calls for 15 applicants a day and I have to call three references and go back 5 years of employment for each. I have called a lot of people today.

If You are trying to get a job use people who will help you get that job. You want to use people that can put together a sentence. I always ask what are
"Suzie's" strenghs and I am often left having to explain to the person I called what I mean by strenghs. You want people that can talk about you in a positive light. People who aren't shocked to know you are looking for a job.

It is simple people you call up your friend "Hey Steph I am applying for some jobs and was wondering of it was OK if I use you as a personal reference." "Thank you" "Let me verify your info is 555-123-4567 still the best way for you to be reached? Or would you rather me use your office number?"

Always have 3 to 5 people whoes names you can give and give names of people that know about your skills in the area you are applying.

OTHER: Turn off your cell phone if you can not stay off your phone long enough to fill out an application how are you going to stay off long enough to do the job you are applying for.

Leave your kids, husband, wife, or friend etc outside better yet at home. If they keep coming in to see how much longer you are going to be then I sure do not need that kind of distraction in the work place.

If you are offered a job and something happens that will prevent you from stating when you say you can, stay in touch with the company. An applicant once applied and was granted a job a death in the family prevented her from starting when she stated she could. We phone her at 2 and 3 weeks after the death to see if she was still interested in the job she did not call back until 6 weeks or more after the stated start date asking if she still had a job. The Answer was No. Had she been in touch we would have worked with her but her lack of action showed something about her we were not interested in and the offer was retracted.

PLEASE PLEASE if you have some crazy ass cutesy little ring back tone or message change it while you are looking for a job. I always think twice when I get this " Hey all my Bitches and Hoes I can't answer my fucking phone leave a message" or something similar your friends may think it is cute the people trying to give you a job don't. Leave a simple message "You have reached the personal voice mail of The Ferngoddess I am sorry I missed your call. Please leave me a message and I will return your call as soon as possible." Leave Jesus out of it.

Sit down and Google your name. Check your Facebook , Myspace , Blogger ETC companies do searches for these now and many a job has been lost over having half dressed photos on Myspace. If the company you are applying for can find it so can their clients. Tone it down and change your profile picture.

That's all I have. Can you tell I have had a rough few weeks?

Do not hit on the person doing the interview. I once had a guy walk in and tell me I was just as sexy as my voice and then during the interview went on to ask me out over and over again. He kept tell me how hot I was. He didn't get the job