I think one of the main causes of this is the fact that the internet has so many communities. At face value this is great and can be great but at the same time it makes it so easy to find a group of people similar to you and then not think that you have to grow as a person. I mean half of tumblr or the opposite end of the spectrum, 4chan are just promoting unfavorable qualities in a work place and acting like it's discrimination when employers don't hire them.
I would say yes be confident but show that you are willing to learn and do not pretend jobs are going to change for you. Show you can be a team member. Show you can be responsible and that while at work your job is your priority. That means, among other things, stop checking your phone while at work and focus. Do not be on the mindset of "that is not my job" Take any opportunity as a learning experience and do it w/o an attitude. Always find something to do and do it efficiently an quick. Don't be dragging yourself at work. Think how would you like to be treated if you were the customer or client. Think problem solving! Do not create problems as an excuse to not do your job. (Sorry this post started as a positive advice and from the heart and now i am annoyed thinking about some of the kids I work with) my parents showed me work ethic just by example but if I can tell you in a short version: be responsible, professional (language, attitude) motivated and quick!
One of my biggest complaints in interviews is people showing up in their daily dress. You do not need to come to an interview in black tie and tails, but wear nice clothes (clean and wrinkle free preferably). It doesn't matter what kind of position you are interviewing for, dressing nicely shows that you are taking the interview seriously and that you take pride in yourself and, by extension, your work.
Oh also about dressing. Like guesswho said, it oesn't have to be a tie all the time but professional. I used to dress nicely even for volunteer interviews lol
Nobody is teaching this generation (my generation) how to get jobs, or what skills to develop, or many relevant life skills at all. If anyone has tips, please don't hesitate to give them!
Don't complain, don't slack, show up everyday a bit early, and stay for as long as you can.
Speak clearly, work efficiently, and be the kind of guy who does what he says.
Well I am sorry and I don't want to start a debate ... but that starts at home. School prepares you for college (if lucky) and you have to follow a schedule that can prepare you I guess for work lige in a sense. But like I mentioned just be motivated. I see many kids (and adults) with an attitude of not thinking out of the box simply because it is not in their job description. And most importantly be responsible and professional.
Actually it's illegal for then to keep you over your scheduled shift unless they ask and you say yes or you ask and they say yes but you are 100% allowed to clock out at your scheduled time. A lot of employers don't seem to realize that people have families, school, and other jobs. Does it look good to stay after, absolutely but if you have other obligations don't and don't let them make you feel bad about it because guilt tripping you is actually against policy too. Dress up nicely for your interview, show them you're willing to work hard and do it, don't catch an attitude with your managers, keep your phone in your locker, do your job to the best you can, get as much done as possible, and always know your rights as an employee.
If you have something inportant like that yes I agree. But they should be aware of the situation.
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· 7 years ago
What kind of employees are you looking for? Retail wise or a specific field with required degree, also, what is it that makes them unemployable, so those of us here can find where to work on ourselves to do a better job.
My first job was interning at a tutoring center for $5 an hour. That was a couple months ago. Now I teach Computer Science/Engineering to 10 students in person, and have 6 online classes scheduled. I also create courses for the center, and have improved existing classes. I haven't started college yet. The way I got the job was that I walked in and asked if they had jobs. They wanted a resume, but I didn't have one, so I just showed them the coding projects I had on my computer. I was also tipped off that they had broken computers at the center, and I fixed all of them for them. The key to getting a job is being visibly competent, and to take jobs for the sake of building experience way before you start college (rather than the paycheck) so that you are more employable in the future.
And that's why I hate people who complain that entry level jobs need too much experience. They apply to their first job after graduating college (without ANY previous internships or anything) and then complain after they remain unemployed. It's pathetic.
People who don't have ANY experience and complain are a pain, I agree. But I did do a summer internship in my field last year. I also held multiple jobs through high school and summers while in college (part time things like daycare and serving). I recently graduated and started looking at entry level jobs. They usually (at least in my experience) require 2-5 years of experience in a professional environment and in your field. That's honestly next to impossible to get and keep your grades. I don't think entry level should require THAT much and I think there's reason to be upset that after everything, you still can't get a job as a college graduate with a resume full of various jobs and certifications.
Thank you! Even people in my age group get the stupid attitude of "that is not the job I want" or i can get something better. Yeah probably, maybe or maybe not, but you need a job and experience. Period. In a job, even if crappy, there is always something to learn and you always make some kind of connection and get to know people that could help you in the long run.
Also does it look bad if they've been working at one place for too long? I've been working somewhere for 4 years, but I've been told not to stay anywhere for more than 5 years in order to keep myself ambitious. Does that actually look good to employers?
When a resume has 7 years experience on it and 8 different employers it looks bad. The same place for ten years is not bad, as long as you show constant growth and promotion. Hired for the mailroom and still in the mailroom 6 years later is bad. Hired for mailroom, advanced to installation, then to customer service, then to sales assistant then to salesperson over a 7 year timeframe does not look bad. Make sense?
@pokethebear is exactly right. If you've been somewhere for several years it shows you are dedicated and reliable. Unless you are still washing dishes after 10 years, of course. If you have several jobs in just a few years it shows you are unreliable. It's especially bad if those jobs were all comparable, but even if you "traded up" with each new job it shows you will not stay long if they hire you. Hiring and training new employees is expensive for any company, and hiring managers want to hire someone who will stay long enough to be worth the investment.
The exception to multiple jobs than no one can help and one that employers should know if they aren't ignorant, arrogant and unfeeling assholes is everyone's employment history during the recession.
Oh, that stings man. I meant the people that have 3 months at Tim Hortons then six months at BK followed by a month at Target then three weeks with a landscaper and finally a year at McDs before going to KFC for four months. Then they interview with you and have a list of days they cannot work for the next two months because of planned social outings.
Very true @smitty. If you can reasonably explain multiple jobs or gaps in employment history (this is another red flag without good reasons) hiring managers are usually understanding.
@pokethebear@guestwho I was a bagger for about a year and a half then got training to be a cashier, did that for a year, and now I throw freight. I'm kind of like the unofficial manager of the department I work in so I do managery things without the title. So that's not too bad then?
Nope not bad at all. Multiple positions with the same employer show you are eager to learn and dependable. Plus you'll have more to put on a resume in the future. It sometimes seems to take forever, but working your way through the ranks is still the best way to advance and you gain valuable experience along the way. Keep it up. :-)
One of the things you should keep in mind if you apply for any position is the follow up. You turned in an application a week ago? Have you called them or stopped in to see where you're at in process. Alot of managers will front load a resume if you just take the time to remind them you exist. Also, if for whatever reason you're not qualified for the job the follow up call/visit is a great time to find out why. Some things are not easily corrected but I've seen several resumes dismissed simply because they didn't have a driver's license or only full time was selected instead of part time or seasonal or all of the above. Lastly, everyone needs to learn to adapt and change when necessary. Don't try to fit your job to your life instead learn to live your life with your job. Set your boundaries of things you absolutely won't or can't change, once you've done that everything else, everything, is something you should be at least willing to try and change.
Ok, I just kinda have to thank everyone giving advice, and discussing everything and whatnot. They might not exactly get to see this, but really, thank you! I am currently employed, but it was because of a family member connection, and I'm going to be trying for another job, where the people do know me, and know what I do (they even asked me a few times if I'd like to apply), but I still need to do the whole application process, and I have been freaking out a lot, so if anyone else has anymore advice, that'd be great!
See this is a problem today; op said "most" and it seems several people take that to mean "all" young people. As to @stille20, either you have exceptional luck or your standards are, let's say different. I don't know what kind of business you or op are in, but I'm in retail where customer perception is the number one priority. A few examples of what I get that I consider unemployable: arms/neck/face covered in tattoos; facial piercings; no pride in appearance/showing up to interviews wearing grungy jeans and t-shirts; can't speak proper English (by that I mean "text speak" or such); poor work history/too many jobs and/or terminations; availability too limited; only interested in pay/benefits in interview; and on and on.
Of course, the standards vary by the type of job and I have, in fact, hired many, many young applicants, but it sometimes takes a lot of interviews.
I also use to work in costumer service. For what we were paying, we did have very high standards, but I also had the opportunity to call interviews based on their resume/application. So perhaps I saw few unemployable young people because they got cut out of the running based on their resume.
I assume everyone calls interviews after reviewing the applications, unless you would be conducting open interviews; I've done that before too, and really wasted my time. Sometimes the application can look really good, but the applicant still turns out to be one of the specimens I mentioned above. I have found that that usually means they had someone else prepare their application, but didn't bother to ask for help preparing themselves. Also with the younger "kids" we're talking about, they typically don't really have anything yet to put on their application - no experience to verify, no former employers to call - so unless their application is misspelled or written in crayon (you may laugh but I really have seen it more than once) you can't get a feel for them until you bring them in.
My all-time favorite was an applicant that just butchered his application. He had several responses on the wrong lines, even misspelled his own name and scribbled it out, and wrote that the reason he left his last job was because he was "determinated." I was tempted to call him in just for shits and giggles, but I was too busy to waste the time. I kept that application and framed it!
Lol so sit on your lazy employed butt posting internet memes that pigeonhole and bully an entire generation about it instead of actually hiring anyone simply because you don't want (or know how) to train or tolerate human beings who are from outside of your office/company culture
Yep, you prove my point exactly. This isn't a job interview. It's a website for fun. You aren't offering a job to anyone here are you? You're simply broadcasting to the World (or agreeing with broadcast) on an extremely vague complaint that "young people don't know what employers want." That's an extremely closed mindset to have. The fact it's being posted on a fun humorous website is only testament to the desperation of said employer who is obviously very frustrated with not being able to complete his/her own goals. It doesn't accurately reflect the real hiring problem: corporations which are richer and more profitable than they have ever been in history have become so obsessed with maximizing short-term profits that they are no longer investing in their future, their young people or their country. Some folks will give you advice all day long but if indoctrinating advice and bad memes are all they're bringing to the table, they are the bad example
I'm afraid you are both terribly mistaken. Employers just don't like kids? Really? You think you're perfect specimens of CEO material and those rich, mean, business people only refuse to hire you because they do not like your "culture"!?!
THIS ATTITUDE IS WHY YOU WILL GO NOWHERE IN THE WORLD.
You haven't quoted a single thing I said. Amazing. Am I mistaken in that this website is intended for fun? Is this actually a job interview, mr/mrs anonymous? That's great! What company do you work for? What positions are you having problems hiring for right now? Anyway, this public statement on a public forum blanketly declares "most young people I interviewed are completely unemployable." Interesting, I didn't think it automatically made someone unemployable simply because one employer does not choose to hire them. From what I understand, I am now unemployable, by some, just for pointing that out. Perhaps, you might find some qualified young professionals out here if you disclosed the name of your companies, the open positions you have currently available with salary and qualification info as well as your contact information...or did you just want to yell at people and call them unemployable in caps lock some more?
Ok you want quotes? "I didn't think it automatically made someone unemployable simply because one employer does not choose to hire them." You're completely missing op's point. Applicants are not unemployable because an employer doesn't hire them; the employer doesn't hire them because they are unemployable. This does vary by type of job/employer, of course. For instance someone who made the ill-advised decision to get themselves tattooed from their neck to their face is certainly unemployable in any retail or customer service oriented business. Probably not so much if they want to work construction, tattoo artist, mechanic, etc. I believe op's point is probably more what I have run into myself. Mostly people who have no work ethic, put in minimal effort and complain that they do not make enough money, can't write or spell, speak as though they are posting on Tumblr, show up for interviews wearing dirty, torn jeans and wife-beaters, and on and on.
This type of individual is by no means only in his teens or twenties, but it does seem to be the younger applicants who have the biggest issues. This is due to many factors but I believe the primary reason is that common sense is not being taught in school anymore. When little Johnny grows up being told he's just as good as everyone else and doesn't get pushed to be his best he typically grows up to be who we are talking about. Simply not knowing how to present oneself is by no means a disqualifier, if one makes an effort to learn and improve.
And again, what is or isn't acceptable varies by employer and field. Someone who is "unemployable" in the restaurant field, for instance, may well still have a lucrative future in another type of work.
Just going to state one one reason why I said your first commwnt was an "example" and that is the idea or just defending a starement that obviously has back up and calling it bullying to an entire generation. The post it is a "confession" sad bear confession based on experience. The post is not mean or offensive and you are calling it bullying to an entire generation .....please!
But seriously, I do not mean to deride an entire generation, and I'm certain op doesn't either. It does get very frustrating as a manager when you cannot find a "good fit" candidate for a job opening. As I said in an earlier post, I blame the school system and political correctness, not individuals. Also as I said earlier, this spans more than one generation; it's just that the type of issues I have encountered (and op, I'm sure) are more prominent in younger applicants. My opinion is that this is due to many applicants learning to correct whatever deficiencies they have as they get a little older. If you have had trouble getting hired, nut up and ask why you weren't considered. Chances are it's not as bad as you might think. Maybe you just weren't as qualified as someone else. If the interview didn't go well for you, ask why (without an attitude). Most hiring managers will appreciate your wanting to improve yourself if you ask honestly.
IM GONNA DO A WALK IN INTERVIEW NEXT WEEK AND I NEED HEEEEELP
Thanks for tips :D def screenshotted them
Speak clearly, work efficiently, and be the kind of guy who does what he says.
@lucky11 I'd hire you in a heartbeat!
Of course, the standards vary by the type of job and I have, in fact, hired many, many young applicants, but it sometimes takes a lot of interviews.
THIS ATTITUDE IS WHY YOU WILL GO NOWHERE IN THE WORLD.
And again, what is or isn't acceptable varies by employer and field. Someone who is "unemployable" in the restaurant field, for instance, may well still have a lucrative future in another type of work.