Frankly, if I'm hiring - I'm not looking for a life story. I want a person that can do the job I need them to do.
\as for the OP... this is nothing new; if you come off too desperate, you won't get the job...
The 3 magic rules for keeping a job:
1. Show up
2. Show up on time (even better!)
3. Do something (winnar!)
Having worked in a variety of jobs, it's really hard to find good people. And good people doesn't mean people who are the
best at what they do. It means someone who will show up reliably and take care of the job you hired them to do. There are certain outliers like football players or big corporate CEO positions that involve a bit more politics, but for the most part those are the rules I've seen to be true. Tasks need to be done and positions need to be filled to accomplish those tasks, so you take what you can get. Sometimes it's a hirer's market (like now), sometimes not.
That's not to say that the article is totally bogus. If you show up and act desperate, that's obviously going to show to the hiring personel. Sometimes the business is in a position where they simply need a warm body in that particular slot and that's what the needs require, so they'll hire them. When I worked at a pizza restaurant, we hired a high school kid who came from a rich family, had no work ethic, was obviously there because his parents were forcing him to get a job, and had never mopped a day in his life - he actually
didn't know how to mop - and he was nearly 18! But we needed someone pronto and he was the only applicant, so we hired him. We fulfilled our requirement and that was that (for the record, he was a terrible employee due to his behavior and habits - no attention to detail, showing up late, goofing off, etc. - but having
some help was better than
no help).
On the flip side, some people think that getting a job is as easy as falling off a log. I see people come in all the time at my current job with either no resume, no appointment, or both, and expect to be seen regardless of whether or not we are hiring. One guy the other day gave his life story to the secretary, who had nothing to do with hiring at all other than handing out applications. She couldn't get rid of him...he was there for nearly 25 minutes going on and on with excuse after excuse to someone who answered phones and filed paperwork. No clue. It's also rude to show up and just expect to be seen immediately, or show up early or at random times and expect to be seen. Even worse then they throw a fit about not being seen and give lines like "but I've driven over an hour, and I know it's the wrong day and the wrong time, but blah blah blah I'm the center of the universe."
It mostly boils down to two things: one, the company requirements of that position, and two, the person hiring them. If you come off as super needy, the first thing that says to the hiring team is that the person doesn't have their act together and might not make a good fit in the company because they're in a rough spot. Not that people who are "good" don't get in those situations, but if you're serious about getting a job, then you'll be canvassing the area's companies with your resume, going to multiple interviews a day, and presenting yourself properly instead of desperately. The hiring person's job is to find a good fit for the company, not
just to give someone a job, so for them, it's more than a sympathy kind of thing - it's part of
their job to do a good job hiring someone, the
right someone. And that depends on the job requirements, the company needs, and, well, how the hiring person feels that day
It makes me glad I'm not in management anymore :hmm:
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