I just cant seem to leave it alone.
Not to beat a dead horse or club a baby seal, but I just came across another job advertisement :
Seeking full time and/or part time optician/frame stylist for busy high-end optometric practice. We are looking for an individual who is energetic and enjoys working with the public. Optical shop experience would be a plus but unnecessary. We are willing to train motivated individuals for a rewarding field that is not only health care related but also encompasses the exciting world of fashion and style.
Qualifying candidate must have:
1. Effective communication skills
2. Excellent customer service skills, multi tasking skills and willingness to learn new skills
3. Sence of fashion and style
4. Basic knowledge in computer operation and data entry
We offer a fast pace and friendly work environment. Located in the financial district with hours of Mon- Fri, 9:30-6, and occasional Saturdays.
______________________________________________________________________________
Some ads go so far as to say perfect for college student, mother's hours, or that lame garbage that to me seems a little insulting - women and minorities encouraged to apply.
This particular ad is like the rest of them, and I still keep asking myself why don't they just come out and say we're looking for an 18-25 year old female, relatively slim, preferably single, hot-looking, and college educated to work in our offices. All others need not apply.
That leaves absolutely no doubt who you want, and it saves people like me, and others almost the embarassment of walking in, looking around and knowing this isn't the place for us but someone of that particular caliber.
I mean Jesus Christ, is it too much to ask for honesty? Employers hold all the cards anyway hiring anyone they want, firing anyone they want, for any reason, and as I mentioned before, making people jump through just about any and all hoops necessary for that measily paycheck.
It's disgusting, absolutely disgusting.
xttwo ~
No offense, but what are you looking for? Something more along the lines of this:
Wanted: Someone to work in our Optical Shop who:
- Has no sales or customer service experience, and has no ability to communicate with people
- Dresses in clothing from 1978, preferably not recently washed or ironed, that doesn't match
- Hasn't bathed recently, so the stench overwhelms our customers
- Cannot fit into most of our furniture without breaking it
- Cannot use a computer, so everyone else has to stop what they're doing to help you do your job
- Is willing to work for just over minimum wage, without benefits
- Can move quickly across the room, without knocking over displays or our customers
If you think you can do all of this, and help run our business into the ground, please give us a call; we'd love to hear from you. We're in the financial district downtown, where everyone is judged based on looking like they have money, so we'd like to show the rest of the businesses down here that money doesn't matter. That's why we put our business here ~ to fail.
Sales jobs, especially retail sales, does require a certain amount of attractiveness and approachability, like it or not. That does NOT mean slim and slender or sexy. It DOES mean being able to do your job well, and being able to bring customers into the store. If you can do that, and you are well spoken, look good ~ regardless of weight, regardless of style of clothing and regardless of age ~ there's no reason not to apply.
If, however, you are slovenly, cannot speak to the general public, and cannot dress in an appropriate fashion to greet the general public, then you may not belong in the business of retail sales. You have to believe in yourself FIRST, before anyone else will be willing to take a chance on you. If you don't believe you will fit the bill, no one else will, either.
Dress your best, put your best foot forward, be pleasant and personable, and win them over. If you're not willing to do that much to get the job, then you won't be willing to do that much to keep the job and serve the customer ~ and you don't belong in sales. It doesn't matter what the outside package is so much, as it matters what the inside package is and does. Represent yourself and your company well, and you will succeed.
Put on a nice dress or an attractive business suit, put one heck of a smile on your face, and get in there and sell them on your talent. If you allow the wording of a want ad to rule you out ~ based on your own mental prejudices ~ you've done their job for them already, and you have no one to blame but yourself.
MinPin
Nice and lengthy response.
I notice you didn't care to mention your own physical attributes into the discussion.
If you don't mind my asking, do you fit the bill of an 18-25 year old female? Are you slim, slender, appear to others as highly attractive with a college education?
I wrote a post about age discrimination before and there were a few agreeable members that undergo the selection process and get blown off making them feel as though they should have never applied.
All I ask for when reading advertisements is that same honesty for all of us ( rif/raf degenerates ) so we don't waste our time making what is clearly a mistake in applying. As I asked, is that too much to ask from an employer?
If it is, just have the guts to say so.
These types of jobs should be holding beauty pagents, not interviews, since as I said, there's really only one type of person they really, really want.
Welcome back, MinPin! You've been missed.
Don't bother with this guy. He's just trying to provoke reactions. Look back over some of the other threads he has started. We've all tried to help this guy, but he just attacks everyone. He's convinced that he's far superior to everyone on this board, along with all the employers in the United States. Meanwhile he's 30-something, living in his mother's basement, blowing money on lottery tickets and big macs. Everyone feels sorry for him at first and tries to help, then gives up because he's not willing to take any advice. He knows it all.
MinPin, outatwork has some good advice. And BTW, your reply was right on the money.
If you go out into retail stores and service businesses and observe, you will see that there are not just 18-25 year olds and beautiful people. If you have the confidence in yourself and are put together with your clothing and have the communication skills to effectively deal with a variety of people, you will more than likely get the job.
I worked in retail for almost two years part-time. I was in my 30's. The 18-25 year olds that did work there were far from beautiful. A couple of them were also overweight. However, they performed their jobs. Their appearance was neat and clean.
I think the ad is quite honest and clear. I don't see that it is targeting any specific type of age group or someone that is beautiful. The ad may irk some people, but what can they can do about it? Not much -- they can, however, move on to other ads they do find appealing.
Actually, my grumpy little friend, I'm over 40 (44 to be precise), slightly overweight (due to steroid therapy for a disease I can't do anything about), disabled (I walk with a cane and a definite limp), and even I wouldn't be afraid to answer that ad. But, then again, I'm confident of my skills. AND ~ I'm not hiding out, using my AGE as an EXCUSE not to apply for jobs. Some people would rather WORK than sit around stroking their bruised egos.
If you really wanted to work, you'd be working ~ you wouldn't let a little thing like a job description in a want ad stand in your way. Problem is, you lack the CONFIDENCE to go out and get a job that requires you to be PERSONABLE and CIVIL to people.
Age discrimination is nothing new, neither is sex discrimination, disability discrimination, race discrimination ~ you name it and it's out there. Most of us learn to deal with it and get on with our lives. Some of us, apparently, whine and mope about it.
There was nothing in that ad that said "18-25 year old hot female"; if you read that INTO the ad, you're the one with the sexist attitude problem, not the employer. You're the one who needs to work on honesty.
Seems to me, since you're so upset about the 18-25 year old hot females "getting all the jobs", maybe what you really want is a sex change operation. I get the feeling you'd make one UGLY broad, though. Because, so far, you're making one ugly guy, at least, based on your personality.
MinPin
Please do not feed the troll. Here's why:
http://monster.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=111&nav=messages&webtag=mstvent&tid=453
Brilliant response, MP. I have never seen posts quite like yours. The words just flow from your fingers. How do you do it?
I wish EEO_Atty would come back. I hope she is okay. Her background and posting style is similar to yours. She is awesome and is also a brilliant writer with a vocabulary that is unbelievable. I would love to read a dialogue between the two of you.
I answered your last email so check it when you get a chance.
Bunzo
I see what is so often the incorrect thing to say to me is making the assumption that I'm desperate. So desperate that I'd have a sex change? Are you kidding me?
It's a rhetorical question since the answer is and can only be yes you are. But rather than let this lame-brain response go unanswered, I'll simply state that one who criticizes employers as often enough as I do would not undertake such a drastic procedure for something unguaranteed, like for example, a job.
If you're trying to be funny, a woman of 44 years, steroid therapy and a cane doesn't cut it.
Actually, my grumpy little friend
Love it MinPin - thanks for the chuckle ! When I was still looking for a job I was contacted by a firm that had an accountant's/receptionist position open. (still shaking my head over the combination of the two but whatever floats their boat) - but I politely turned down their invite to interview since I know darn good and well that a company will not hire an almost 50 year old woman with tattoos on her wrists for a front desk position. I know enough for the most part when companies are looking for an won't waste my time or theirs.