As I said recently I am becoming a little “unhappy” with the management of Condominiums and Homeowners associations. What I’ve trained and become certified in and all the added personal self development, professional Courses, little pile of letters after my name (“professional credentials”),….well it means NOTHING! I went on the third interview this morning for a management position. My resume is three pages, my references are virtually the who’s who of professionals, (CPA’s, Attorneys, Engineers, former Presidents of Boards, Business Finance experts and CEOs’, etc.), and still NADA, ZIP, ZERO. Why? Because it just doesn’t matter the question is simply, and this is from this morning “Can you manage 95 units, get every owner to pay up all the time, provide a fulltime maintainance man, a handyman for about 15 hours a week, all the necessary insurance for less than $1500 a month or not? ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? Abraham Lincoln freed those workers, and the last time I looked I was free as well. But that doesn’t mean I work for free.
So since that meeting was early this morning, I figured I’d just go pick up a part-time or full-time slot at the local Mega-mall to take a break and cover bills for Christmas,………….Then I met “ARE YOU KIDDING ME (#2)!!!!!
It went like this;
“Hello, is there a manager around I may speak with about a job for the Holiday season?”
“Uh. Like I don’t know, what kind of job you lookin’ for?”
“Whatever you need, sales, stocking, replenishing shelves, what ever. Are you the Manager?”
“Uh like no, he be off today, and maybe tomorrow to I think.”
“Well do you have an application I can fill out and I will leave it with a resume if you would be kind enough to leave it on his desk.”
“Uh like I’m not sure. I mean ,….why?”
“Because I need a job, and since he’s not here I would like to leave him the information so he can see it when he does come back in the next day or so.”
“Well He dinne tell me nothin’ about you coming in, so I better not. But you can come back some other day and see if he’s in then.”
(THE LIFEGUARD HAS LEFT THE GENE POOL !!!!!!!)
So on to store number two;
” Hello, I’d like to apply for a job. Here is a copy of my resume.”
“We don’t take resumes. You have to fill in our application.”
“Sure, that’s fine, may I have one and I’ll fill it in for you?”
“You want to do that now?”
“Well I am very interested , but if it’s a problem I could come back later.”
“No it’s not a problem, but it’s a big application.”
“How big is it?”
“Oh about nine ten pages. But you can take it with you and bring it back later if you want.”
” Well let me ask you what kind of positions do you have open?”
“We got a part-time sales associate job (code word for typical retail job).”
“Well it must pay well for this kind of depth in an application.”
“No it’s only $7.93 an hour.”
“Hey listen you’ve been a big help, I’ll take the application and bring it back later, ok?”
On to store number 3;
“You lookin’ for a job?”
“Well as a matter of fact I am, how did you know.”
“You got one of those little zipper briefcase things under your arm, and your dressed to good to be shoppin’ here.”
” Well, thank you, and here’s my resume, do you have any openings available?”
“Yuh, we got a couple,…but you gotta fill in the application first.”
“Ok may I have one,please.”
“Yeah here, bring it back Friday, and I’ll look at it then if I can.”
(HELLO WORLD,… BEAM ME UP SCOTTY, THERE IS NO INTELLIGENT LIFE HERE!!)
Oh by the way I took an application home and read it. Short of “turn your head and cough” I have never felt so bloody invaded in my life. All the work developing a resume, getting GOOD references, it doesn’t matter, AND now every single place I went today , and in fact this month, insisted in the applicant signing permission for them to obtain a full credit report on you, and a background check if they so desired. ALL THIS CRAP FOR $8 AN HOUR!!!
Even when I point out that I managed one of the stores in the Mall for six years before the company ran on hard times and had to close 38 of their stores.
Wonder if I need an Application to sell drugs, or a credit check and background check. Well hell for that matter why not just get a pair of pantyhose and become “self-employed” helping companies eliminate the need to take money to the bank!
Business is making hiring a lot harder than it need be, and driving good people away and getting the dregs, and wondering why. DUH!!
-30-
“Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law.” – Oliver Goldsmith
The Emerald Rose 
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