Tip on Getting Hired as an Employee

[WildWestDesigns]

Malkin, it would have depended on what the rest of your resume said. If it said you had sign shop experience, then I would have contacted you for an interview. However, I got none of that.

I recently interviewed a person that had a degree in graphic arts from a college well known for it's graphic artists. The person was waiting tables in a restaurant. They told me they would do anything to get away from that and into something that involved what they went to college for.

I offered them to work part time for a couple of weeks to see how we all worked together and make sure they liked the job before quitting a full time job they already had. I explained we make not like you, you may find out this isn't a good fit for you, at this point, we just didn't know and I'd like to work together a little before they gave up a full time job to find out they hated doing what we do.

They told us "No thanks, I'm not looking to work any more hours than I already do". I explained it was only for a couple of weeks and it could be at their convenience. "No thanks, I already work a full time job".

Ummm.....okay. I guess we should have offered them the job, let them work here for a week, find out they hated it, then we'd have a new employee that hated their job and we'd have to deal with all of that. That would have been okay with them. However, trying to make sure they didn't do something stupid, like give up a job they had to take a job they don't like just seemed unacceptable to them.

All the graphic art students around here want to do is design ad campaigns for premier marketing companies.

Evidently that was a fib right there. If they were willing to do anything to do what they went to college for and weren't willing to do it part time to see if they would like the job or would like working for you, then they weren't willing to do anything.

 

[James Chrimes]

Does anyone ask anymore to see a portfolio? I could bs a resume all day long. A simple look through a portfolio shows a persons true potential.

 

[Gino]

Most of the time, an employer's hands are tied as to what they can and cannot ask a potential employee.

I don't know where to find that list of questions that are permissible vs. those that can get you in trouble for asking, but it exists.


We're going through this right now, where someone came on board about a week ago. Some things have worked out as he said and other things are not quite what they seem to be. Only time will tell.

With these bad economic times, I find its useless to advertise for people in the newspaper, facebook or any of those older methods. I get at least three or four people a month just walking in the door asking if we're hiring, which are qualified and then I keep their names and information on file if they seem usable. Relying on people through normal channels just seems to bring in everything from totally idiotic to over-qualified people..... and most of them not related to the sign industry at all. On the other hand, you can't blame someone for answering an ad... if they need to feed their family or keep their home and take a stab at anything and everything qualified or not. These people that are working two and three jobs just amaze me. How far in debt do you have to be until you see the writing on the wall to get more money in ??

 

[SqueeGee]

We put an ad on craigslist and "promoted" it from our Facebook page. We got over 10 responses in just two days and I took the ad down. I know my original post had a complaintive tone but I have to say that there are very good quality people looking for work right now. Now's a great time to hire.

We've discovered that we're better off bringing is someone with NO sign experience and training them on how we do things. I'm not saying we don't want people with experience, just not sign experience. We hire for the long term and it's much easier to start with a blank slate in my opinion.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

We've discovered that we're better off bringing is someone with NO sign experience and training them on how we do things. I'm not saying we don't want people with experience, just not sign experience. We hire for the long term and it's much easier to start with a blank slate in my opinion.

The ole ball and chain got hired on as an accountant with a firm due to that very logic. The woman doing the hiring wanted someone with a blank slate. Wanted the school knowledge to be there, but not the experience. Didn't want old habits to deal with.

 

[Rick]

Reading most of this stuff made me realize why I have to work on my own.

My resume, portfolio and Facebook page does not tell the prospective employer that I work my butt off everyday, stay late or even sleep on the floor if i had to get the job out, or pay for my own ticket to fly vinyl to an installer to make sure the job got done and then worry about getting reimbursed later, it does not say my main job is to be efficient and make my boss a crap load of money, it does not tell them that if they ask me.. the snotty designer... to scrub the toilet or wash the bosses car or install vinyl on a beat up 1974 Ford Pinto, that I would do it because they pay me to work for them, and that I don't mind one bit to adapting to their system... heck I would even design shiny business cards because that is what is expected of me.

Maybe thats what overqualified means... I would want my old cushy job back if it wasn't for the whiny fuffeehead that complained I was doing his job...

 

[cdiesel]

Hey Rick, you wanna move to Phoenix?

I totally agree about not knowing how people are from anything other than experience. A couple years ago we started hiring people on a temporary, 2 week basis. If they decide they like it and we decide we like them, then they get hired and go through our normal 90 day probabtion period.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Reading most of this stuff made me realize why I have to work on my own.

My resume, portfolio and Facebook page does not tell the prospective employer that I work my butt off everyday, stay late or even sleep on the floor if i had to get the job out, or pay for my own ticket to fly vinyl to an installer to make sure the job got done and then worry about getting reimbursed later, it does not say my main job is to be efficient and make my boss a crap load of money, it does not tell them that if they ask me.. the snotty designer... to scrub the toilet or wash the bosses car or install vinyl on a beat up 1974 Ford Pinto, that I would do it because they pay me to work for them, and that I don't mind one bit to adapting to their system... heck I would even design shiny business cards because that is what is expected of me.

Maybe thats what overqualified means... I would want my old cushy job back if it wasn't for the whiny fuffeehead that complained I was doing his job...

 

[SignosaurusRex]

How about (the young'ns) .....Dress like you respect yourself....let alone others! Pull your @#$%&* pants up, tie your shoes (double-knot would show some intelligence), leave the damned cell phone in the car, and quite asking for "time off" every other @#$%&* day!
.......oh ya.......Quit your damned whining!

 

[Pat Whatley]

Friend of mine had an interview with a high end custom furniture shop last year. The interview was after hours so when he got there the owner was sweeping up a big pile of wood shavings and sawdust so he told him to have a seat in the lobby and he'd be right with him.

My friend thought to himself it was a test to see if he'd jump in and help so he started to...then he thought it might be a trick to see if he's actually follow instructions and go sit in the lobby. He spent about a minute getting himself more and more confused over what he should do so he finally just broke down and asked the guy.

The guy started laughing and told him there was no trick or anything, he was just running behind but he was glad my friend was thinking. They sat down and had a really good interview.

My friend didn't get the job, though, because he didn't know jack about building furniture from scratch.

 

[mark in tx]

Something that has weeded out 98% of the people that walk in the door and ask about a job is to tell them they have to pass a drug test.

Lastly, I don't care if you worked in a sign shop for ten years, and you know that every day you worked you wore shorts and a t-shirt, the day you come and ask me for a job, you better be wearing clean clothes, pants, a shirt, no flip-flops, and you better have taken a shower that morning.
It also helps a lot if you don't ask if we have a refrigerator to keep your beer cold.
We can deal with each others personalities after you get hired.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Something that has weeded out 98% of the people that walk in the door and ask about a job is to tell them they have to pass a drug test.

Lastly, I don't care if you worked in a sign shop for ten years, and you know that every day you worked you wore shorts and a t-shirt, the day you come and ask me for a job, you better be wearing clean clothes, pants, a shirt, no flip-flops, and you better have taken a shower that morning.
It also helps a lot if you don't ask if we have a refrigerator to keep your beer cold.
We can deal with each others personalities after you get hired.

I have to tell you even though I may have to work quite a few all nighters to get a job done since it's just myself, but hearing some of the stories here really makes me glad that's just me.

I'm getting too damn old to deal with stupidity that isn't my own.

 

[Jane Diaz]

The one I loved was the guy that opened the front door, stuck his head in (cause at least he have enough "respect" to not bring their cigarette in) and said "You ain't hiring, are ya?"
"Why no I'm not", came out pretty easy!!
One time we had a guy "apply" out of the blue with a marijuana leaf t-shirt on! Oh, THERE'S a great wardrobe choice!!
WHAT are these people thinking!?!

 

[Gino]

Jane......

You do realize some of these people only need to ask a generalized question about hiring, so they can report back in and continue on welfare or unemployment.

We had a girl come in some years ago and asked a question similar to yours and I said we are in fact looking to hire and I didn't even get the words out about what can you do and she said, well, I'm not really looking to get hired. I just have to get three turn downs to keep my checks coming.

So, I would imagine, many of these people that we all laugh at with their idiotic behavior and dress codes do it purposely to make sure they won't land a job. Heck, that means they'd have to work to get money instead of smoke reefer and drink Sterno all day.

 

[GregT]

Hope things change. Trying to hire help is getting harder and harder. Gov't won't let you ask any questions tt matter.
I would much rather hire someone with no "baggage" and teach them our way. I just had someone with years of experience, but couldn't apply vinyl straight or bubble free.