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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Diary of the Unemployed: Common Courtesy


I know I’ve written in the past about common courtesy in the world of business communications, but it seems like things are just getting worse.  Especially when it comes to applying for jobs.  Are things so bad in our economy that all the power is with the HR people and they can dick around whoever they want?  Apparently so.

Let’s get this straight.  I put in the time and effort to look up your company.  Customize my resume.  Write a specific cover letter that addresses every need you have in the job description.  At least an hour of work on my part, often more.  All this for the 1% chance that you actually get back to me.  And it seems like it’s only about one in every hundred applications that does get back to me, whether it be yes or no.  Thank you to those companies, you’re obviously run better than those who can’t take five seconds to say “Sorry you’re not what we’re looking for” just so I’m not hanging on to that bit of faith that I might actually be your wage slave one day.  Hell, send me an automessage.  Just something to justify the careful work I put into honoring your company with my application.

What makes it worse is when these companies blow you off for an interview.  Especially without notice.  What, just because I’m unemployed means my time is worthless?  What the hell!?!  These days it’s imperative to spend hours of preparation for these interviews so you seem competent and actually know what the inner workings of the company are like.  Otherwise you’re going to be unprepared and seem like an idiot, especially when your competition has done this research.   What about the time it takes me to put on my suit and drive to your place, let alone the price of gas and dry cleaning these days?  It seems like this doesn’t concern the HR goons from these businesses.  They already have jobs, so why even give you a call to reschedule?


It would be one thing if an emergency came up, or they gave you advanced notice.  But that’s too much work for them.  Chances are they will not even call you until after the appointment, and you most likely have to call them first to find out what the fuck is going on. 

If they do reschedule, that’s still a disadvantage to me.  The research and preparation I have done is no longer fresh in my head.  Even if I re-study everything I have done, the momentum and energy I had is gone.  Now I have to move things aside, often at times inconvenient to me, just to fit them in for a second block of time.  On their end they could care less.

Don’t forget the emotional toll this has on the applicant.  I’m obviously not worth your time, even five seconds of it for a heads up that things need to be moved.  So that’s the mindset I am now going into the interview with…  I am not worth your time and you don’t care about me.  You’re basically giving me a pity interview at this point.  How do I take this seriously?  Why should I care about the company if this is how you treat people?

And you know what the worst part is?  I have to pretend like it didn’t happen.  I have to just be happy that I have the interview.  I have to be all nice and friendly about it and have the attitude that ‘oh, accidents happen, it’s not a big deal’.  I don’t even get so much as a ‘sorry’ when this happens, but they expect me to laugh it off and kiss their ass for the opportunity to interview with them.  I want to tell them that I demand an apology and a thank-you for my patience, but I’m pretty sure that will end the interview right there. 

And I also have to pretend that it doesn’t bother me when you can’t accommodate me to reschedule.  I actually had someone tell me “I can’t do it then, that’s my lunch time”.  Your lunch time?  You blew me off, made me waste an entire day of my life expecting this interview, and you can’t eat your fucking lunch an hour later?

Oh, and that in that case it was the second time they blew me off.  The first time the interviewer was in a meeting, and this time they simply put the wrong day on the calendar.  How the fuck do these HR idiots have jobs when they can’t even schedule people properly, and I can’t find shit for work?  FML, or better yet, fuck them…

So now I have an appointment with them at a future date.  Who knows if they’re going to actually go through with it this time…  I’m sick and tired of the lack of respect these companies show their applicants.  It’s rubbing it into our faces that companies have all the power in this economy and we mean nothing to them.  I’m thinking about using this interview to curse them out and show them just how upset we are when we get fucked over like this.  I mean, they already blew me off twice, I have to assume that I’m not being seriously considered for the job anyway…

jbx

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