As a unemployed person, when asked on a interview when can you start

[Trimmer]

I'm not sure about other areas, but there are definitely fields and companies around here that don't have enough qualified individuals and hence hiring workers from other countries on visas to perform them. Mostly science and math related fields.

Uh, I'm going to hold you to your original message, though... Your original point was that there are a lot of jobs that less qualified candidates could do "just as well":

 

...it is absurd that you want to require a bachelors degree to file some paperwork or answer phones for $10 an hour. A monkey can do those jobs. They require it in this economy because they can and to eliminate candidates because there are just too many people without work applying to the same job. It really eliminates a lot of hardworking people who can perform the job just as well.

... and then when I challenge that, you give me the example of science and math related fields.

 

Either you've switched messages here, or are you saying that those science and math positions that are going unfilled are the ones that we could be filling with monkeys?

[pink_sugar]

Uh, I'm going to hold you to your original message, though... Your original point was that there are a lot of jobs that less qualified candidates could do "just as well":

 

 

... and then when I challenge that, you give me the example of science and math related fields.

 

Either you've switched messages here, or are you saying that those science and math positions that are going unfilled are the ones that we could be filling with monkeys?

 

No, I'm saying I don't see why people hired to answer a phone or simply file paperwork need a college degree nowadays.

 

The unfilled jobs are the science and math related fields. A lot of people lack these skills for these higher paying professions. A lot of tech, science and nursing related fields are high in demand.

 

For other things such as secretaries, office clerks and so on, I'm just saying I don't understand the need for a degree. Math and science fields, yes. Answering a phone or filing some papers...not so much.

[Trimmer]

For other things such as secretaries, office clerks and so on, I'm just saying I don't understand the need for a degree. Math and science fields, yes. Answering a phone or filing some papers...not so much.

Right. But if you slightly restate the "need"... It's may not be that you specifically "need" a degree to do the job. It's that you need a degree to compete with the large number of other candidates, many of whom do have degrees. So the employer puts that requirement out there, not because you need it to do the job, but because they need to slim down the pool of candidates, and this is a sensible way to get the cream of the crop.

 

Really, what would you do? Think like an employer: you need to hire a new receptionist or secretary. It's possible that this new employee could eventually move into personnel or accounting or sales as the company grows, and besides, you would prefer to hire a smart, flexible, self-starting person who could fill in at a wide range of other positions in the company when necessary. The last time you advertised a position, you got resumes from 250 candidates to wade through, 50 of which had college degrees.

 

Doesn't it make perfect sense that if you are going to get a sufficient pool of candidates, that you would set the bar high enough - in whatever way you deem appropriate - so you'll still get a decent selection of highly qualified candidates, but you won't have to spend the time (i.e. money) to wade through hundreds and hundreds of resumes? From the employer's point of view, can you really justify doing otherwise?

[123321]

No, I'm saying I don't see why people hired to answer a phone or simply file paperwork need a college degree nowadays.

 

A lot of dim people have been shoved through the University system and given degrees, they have to work at something they can handle. What exactly does a degree in say, Egyptology (not joking, know one) give a person a career advantage for BTW?

[MuscleCarFan]

A lot of dim people have been shoved through the University system and given degrees, they have to work at something they can handle. What exactly does a degree in say, Egyptology (not joking, know one) give a person a career advantage for BTW?

 

No career advantage there because that is a useless degree, lol.

[123321]

No career advantage there because that is a useless degree, lol.

 

It's obviously useless, however a lot of degrees are useless for the same reason; the supply of people outstrips the demand for people to do whatever the degree is for. This is what happens when each lovely and individual snowflake is encouraged to pursue what it loves without considering future marketability or personal capability.

[IcedEarth]

It's obviously useless, however a lot of degrees are useless for the same reason; the supply of people outstrips the demand for people to do whatever the degree is for. This is what happens when each lovely and individual snowflake is encouraged to pursue what it loves without considering future marketability or personal capability.

 

It's also what happens when the economy turns to mush, everyone goes to school and you're now 1 of 10 billion with a business degree.

 

People with weird, less utilized degrees should be more prized for this reason.

 

Stop with the special snowflake crap.

[florence of suburbia]

A liberal arts degree should help provide a broad background in human nature, communication, culture, empathy etc. and can only help when it comes to being a good employee and colleague, no matter what the skill set.

[IcedEarth]

A liberal arts degree should help provide a broad background in human nature, communication, culture, empathy etc. and can only help when it comes to being a good employee and colleague, no matter what the skill set.

 

Liberal Arts makes more sense in a way, no one sticks with one job for 40 years now. My generation is expected to constantly change careers, I've already done it twice now.

[123321]

A liberal arts degree should help provide a broad background in human nature, communication, culture, empathy etc. and can only help when it comes to being a good employee and colleague, no matter what the skill set.

 

A lot of people with liberal arts degrees who are now out of work will probably be willing to meet with you in a swanky coffee house and agree with you.

[Tenacity]

(replying to the original post)

 

Fact of the matter is - it's a employer's market. Depends on how much you really want the job. If I were in your shoes, my response would be "immediately". These people can hire whoever they want. If they don't like your answer, they can go on to the next jobless, qualified person who will be only more than happy to start yesterday... and there are plenty. That is the fact.

 

If you have been unemployed for awhile and you seriously want to get a job, then you start when THEY want you to. If it's tomorrow, then be there fifteen minutes early tomorrow. Reserve next weekend to go out and buy new clothes and 'ruminate on the long path it took to get to this point.' You should have already have had enough ruminating time. You've had a lot more of it than I have.

 

Spoken from the perspective of an upper-level manager. Attitude and willingness tells me EVERYTHING about someone's actual commitment. I have many qualified people to choose from. If I offer a job to one, and I know he/she doesn't have to give notice or have any other serious obligations, and that person still can't start immediately, I'll move on. There are plenty of willing, very qualified people who want the job enough to meet my timeline and not worry about their comfort. That's the expectation I am held under for my own position.

 

The fact that someone has to tell you this, however, means that you just don't have the right attitude to make it in a tough job market like this.

Edited September 16, 2012 by Tenacity

[123321]

I have many qualified people to choose from. If I offer a job to one, and I know he/she doesn't have to give notice or have any other serious obligations, and that person still can't start immediately, I'll move on. There are plenty of willing, very qualified people who want the job enough to meet my timeline and not worry about their comfort. That's the expectation I am held under for my own position.

 

Agreed. The position(s) I am looking at are not as easy to fill and I'm not on the dole, so *I* am going after them as it makes me comfortable to do so, however they are pursuing me and I don't need the work yet and I realize it might cost me an opportunity, and that would be my own fault.

[pink_sugar]

Wonder what happened to the OP...maybe he got a job?

[123321]

Wonder what happened to the OP...maybe he got a job?

 

He's busy getting his hair cut.

[Taramere]

He's busy getting his hair cut.

 

What with that, and having to find himself a pair of slacks, I don't suppose we'll hear from him for several weeks.

 

Kidding, OP. Hope that you've got yourself sorted out with some work now.

[IcedEarth]

Wonder what happened to the OP...maybe he got a job?

 

It sounded to me like the mod temporarily banned him and deleted posts.

 

Minor cleanup. Thread at level Stage Two. Expect delayed responses from thread starter.

 

So yeah, it's likely that he can't reply.

[PhillyDude]

Had two interviews last week

 

One on Wednesday.....After finding out about the job I wasn't really interested so I don't want to be called back for a 2nd interview and that's because

 

1. The position comes with little training

 

2. It's only 5 staff members total

 

3. Interviewer stated the last 2 people in the position, first one didn't make probation and the other one resigned

 

 

Had a interview on Thursday through a temp agency and this particular job I was interested in because it's a new challenge and

 

1. it involves training

 

2. Much larger staff

 

 

 

I haven't heard anything yet from the agency or the other job but I guess I should hear something tomorrow if one of them are interested

 

 

In the meantime, I have another interview on Tuesday morning, for a job I applied to on August 1st???

 

This job is very similar to what I was doing in my last job and in the same building as my old job which is 10 mins away.

 

 

So maybe the employment gods wanted me to get some practice last week so I would be ready for this interview on Tuesday

[PhillyDude]

He's busy getting his hair cut.

 

That was last week

[january2011]

Congratulations PhillyDude - hopefully, you'll hear some good news about the job you're interested in.

[PhillyDude]

Congratulations PhillyDude - hopefully, you'll hear some good news about the job you're interested in.

 

Thanks but it way too early for me to be congratulated for anything. Even though I had a good feeling about both interviews last week, I have yet to hear from either one.

 

The one I had on wednesday is the job I don't want but wanted to know that my interview skills improved

 

The one I had on Thursday is the one I would consider accepting if push comes to shove but I haven't heard from the agency yet which means they went with someone else,

 

Now I did tell the company I could start on 10/1/12 if offered the position because I wanted to see what else was out there before I took a temp job. By me doing that i was able to schedule another interview for tomorrow. if I told the company I could start 9/24 then I would have had to call the agency back to let the company know I can't start on 9/24 because of a call I received for a interview.

 

 

So I decided that if I hear nothing from the agency by 4;30pm, I tearing up the job description and welcome packet from the agency because I wanna believe that if I didn't hear nothing from the agency by now and my interview was on Thursday, then it's safe to say they went with someone else due to my start date I put on the application

[CarrieT]

Now I did tell the company I could start on 10/1/12 if offered the position because I wanted to see what else was out there before I took a temp job. By me doing that i was able to schedule another interview for tomorrow. if I told the company I could start 9/24 then I would have had to call the agency back to let the company know I can't start on 9/24 because of a call I received for a interview.

 

An important aspect of accepting any temp job is telling them up front that if you are asked to come for an interview to another company, you will go to that interview.

 

You can be very professional; tell them as soon as an interview has been requested, that you expect to only be gone for the length of the interview. Take a long lunch or schedule the interview first thing or at the end of the day so as to impact the temp employer as little as possible. Be up front and honest about it - don't call in sick, or play games like that.

 

Help them know that as you are learning and working their temp job, your motivation is to find permanent, full-time work and that makes you appear more desirable and a better chance that the temp job would make it permanent.

[PhillyDude]

An important aspect of accepting any temp job is telling them up front that if you are asked to come for an interview to another company, you will go to that interview.

 

You can be very professional; tell them as soon as an interview has been requested, that you expect to only be gone for the length of the interview. Take a long lunch or schedule the interview first thing or at the end of the day so as to impact the temp employer as little as possible. Be up front and honest about it - don't call in sick, or play games like that.

 

Help them know that as you are learning and working their temp job, your motivation is to find permanent, full-time work and that makes you appear more desirable and a better chance that the temp job would make it permanent.

 

 

 

I wasn't sure how that would play into the company making me permanent after 90 days. Once I started the temp job I would not be applying to other positions so if I had a interview request it would be because of something I applied to before i started. I know I wouldn't want to keep taking off to go to interviews and not get the job and end up losing the temp assignment and be back where I am now which is no job.

 

 

So if offered the position I definitely would have committed 90 days without any absences so I could put myself in position to be hired by the company.

 

 

And that's the same way I am when i start a regular full-time position. I have never looked for other employment knowing it would be impossible to take time off for mutiple interviews

[CarrieT]

I wasn't sure how that would play into the company making me permanent after 90 days.

 

If it is temp-to-perm, than you should definitely not close the door on any other prospects.

 

I just recently made that mistake. I was 90-day temp-to-perm and felt really good about the company and my prospects, turning down an interview barely a week after starting. Two months later, I was laid off and I missed that other opportunity.

 

If you are not being hired out-right, there is nothing wrong with making it very apparent that you are interested in making a commitment to them and are anxious to do so, but until a permanent position is offered, you are still on the market and available to the highest bidder.

[PhillyDude]

If it is temp-to-perm, than you should definitely not close the door on any other prospects.

 

I just recently made that mistake. I was 90-day temp-to-perm and felt really good about the company and my prospects, turning down an interview barely a week after starting. Two months later, I was laid off and I missed that other opportunity.

 

If you are not being hired out-right, there is nothing wrong with making it very apparent that you are interested in making a commitment to them and are anxious to do so, but until a permanent position is offered, you are still on the market and available to the highest bidder.

 

 

I agree with that, but I think it would be best to interview around your temp schedule so you can keep the money rolling in because you don't want to end up with nothing. So to me that would involve getting another opportunity through networking and creative scheduling not applying to jobs and calling out to go to a interview.

[pink_sugar]

You both have some good points here. My H and I have very extensive job hunting experience due to the economy and have wondered what to do about accepting interviews while at a temp job. He declined a minimum wage temp job, BUT shortly after that, was offered a permanent job. Unfortunately, the permanent job is minimum wage and the schedule varies each week, so sometimes it's hard for him to find time to fit in the interviews. Any suggestions? Other than working the interview around his work schedule, I cannot think of anything. This is a perm job, so I don't think they'd react highly if he told them he was taking time off for other interviews. However...he was declined a job he was already hired for in the past due to wanting to start later. But CarrieT is right, take the temp job...you never know if your other prospects will work out or not. Try your best to work your way around the work schedule with interviews. If you can't, I would go with CarrieT's suggestion and be upfront that if this is a temp job, you will need to continue to look for other work. But I think there is a difference between a temp job and temp to permanent. If accepting temp-to-hire...you should be working your butt off for permanent hire when you accept it. Otherwise, they may not think you're serious about being permanent. BUT, if it's strictly temp, you have a right to make other interviews and job prospects a priority.

Edited September 24, 2012 by pink_sugar