I think the toughest lesson I’ve learned since I’ve started in my position in Staffing is not to take the things prospective employees say to heart. Between the life stories, the blame games and the life coaching sessions, I’ve heard just about everything. I’ve been blamed for loss of apartments, no presents for children for Christmas, and/or cupboards like Mother Hubbard’s. I don’t mean to make a mockery of the hardships that people are facing as a result of this economy, but it is far from fair to blame the people who are trying to help you.
If I could, I’d create enough jobs to get every single person in our pool out to work. But the reality of the situation is that if companies aren’t hiring, we have no where to send you and nothing to talk to you about. National statistics show that this time of the year is usually slow for staffing. Unfortunately, patience is low this time of year as well. I understand that if I was in that same boat, I’d be just as anxious and excited to get back in the workforce to use and expand upon my skills. What I don’t understand is the tone of voice or hurtful words prospective employees use toward people who could potentially have their next “in” to the workforce.
The trick for people looking for work is to remain professional at all times. I interviewed an individual a couple weeks back who had been laid off from their administrative position due to a company-wide merge but elected to stay on another 30 days as a temporary employee to ensure that the merge went as smoothly as possible. Upon contacting her references from her past employer, we found that they had the utmost respect for her and how she carried herself professionally. Leaving past positions on a good note can make all the difference to a prospective employer.
It is hard to come to work every day with a smile on my face while still acknowledging that I cannot help everyone. I would if I could, trust me. My advice to all job seekers and those who are hiring for open positions – stay professional, keep your head up, and don’t get discouraged. Everyone is doing the best they can.
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I worked 11 years at UPS and I took a lot of heat from people who didn't receive packages on time. Seldom did our system have anything to do with the delay, it was mostly the packages were not shipped in a timely fashion. However, I was the face of the company they ordered from, the shipper, the shipping source, and the deliverer so I received verbal abused more than I care to recall. When you work with people...attitude is everything.
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