Monday, October 11, 2010

Trickery!

There are times when you know, I am being scammed! And when that happens, you walk away. Like how many times did I have to get burned from infomercials before I realized chances are that dress that wraps 100 ways may be good in theory but people might talk if I wear a red dress every day.  It’s pretty easy when it’s an obvious scam, but in the world of new employment, who knew there were so many companies willing to pretend just to trick you into taking the worst possible job ever?
I understand that there are companies that would like to remain anonymous because they don’t want people showing up everyday harassing them for a job. Maybe they don’t want people that work there to realize they are looking to hire someone…for their job! I can understand that. And don’t worry, I reverse look you up, then Google you to find out if you are a scam…I know who you are! What I can’t understand is how there are places that advertise one job when they are truly hiring for another.
When I was on a phone interview, for a very large financial institution, I nearly feel off my seat with all the odd questions I was being asked. First, when did it become educate to ask, “how much did you make at your old position?” That’s one of the first no-no’s you learn in the world. You never tell anyone how much you make. Yet every job interview has the gall to ask. I was even asked what year I graduated high school…I could see the person doing the math in their head to figure out how old I am. But it’s not only rude, and slightly illegal (age discrimination anyone?), it’s just devastating because I feel like I have to answer these questions. I don’t want to come off as difficult.  
But, back to my original rant…why are they advertising different jobs. If the advertisement said, we are going to make you do A, B and C, then I would have looked and said to myself, okay I can do A and C but I know I can’t do B and then I don’t waste my time or theirs for that matter. But when “B” comes out of nowhere in the middle of the interview, what do you say? I wanted to say, “NO,” when they asked if I thought I could perform that task, but I hesitated. “Are you still there,” she asked me through the phone. “Yes,” I said slowly trying to collect myself, think of what my husband would want me to say I said to myself, and reply, “sorry I was just thinking about what you just asked, of course I could perform that task.”
I don’t lie on my resume. I think it’s taboo. Why should I pretend I went to Oxford or the head cheerleader of The Washington Redskins, I’m not running for the government! I’m applying for a job, and I want to be honest, so why can’t they be honest what the job is? Oh, and stop trying to figure out how old I am, not cool…

No comments:

Post a Comment