As a nation, we are hovering at 10% unemployment. Totally unacceptable!
I recently had to go thru the process of hiring someone to fill a part-time sales position. What an eye-opener for our current predicament with the jobless.
An ad was placed online with one of those job search engines... you know, Monster or Career Builder. It specifically stated the following items: part-time (approx. 15 hours per week), retail sales, hourly pay rate of $8.50, and "click here to apply online".
I learned that some people just can't follow simple instructions. Apparently, "click here to apply online" was confusing to some. And for those who did actually figure that part out, it got even more interesting. Some people did not even bother to include contact information! How do you expect me to get in touch with you if you don't provide a phone number or address? ![]()
All sorts of people applied. We got hundreds of responses. Most went immediately to the shredder. If your salary requirement is $80,000 per year, what we were offering clearly wouldn't cut it. Is your math really that bad? And this was a part-time sales position for a retail store... so I appreciate that you can operate a fork-lift and drive an 18 wheeler, but that doesn't fit the job description.
And if every other word on your resume is spelled incorrrectly, maybe you should be applying for continuing education, not a job.
I know the job market is rough, and sometimes we have to "think outside the box". But reality still needs to part of the mix. Be creative in your job search, but be realistic. Good luck in your search. There is something for everyone out there... and I hope you find it soon.
As for me, I got lucky. I found a person who fit the qualifications of the job and he is doing great. A definite asset to the store!
But the fork-lift operator/truck driver got me thinking... maybe I'll go to truck driving school in my spare time. I've been wanting to travel more, and it would be a great way to see the country. Honk, honk...