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I have to add a funny side to this. Every day I review at least 20 new job applications plus digging through older to see who is most qualified for different openings.
I have been in the temporary staffing business for over nine years.
Don't throw rocks at me yet. I am human too. People think that this is personal.
I am their best friend and owe them something.

I am doing the same thing I hire people to do...a job.

There is a place on most applications where you may put a "nickname"

Come on people...Kimberly may prefer Kim, Thomas may prefer Tim, get my jist.
I do not need to know that people call you "money," "bulldog," "pizza face," etc.
I have seen words I would not dare re-type here.
How can you possible be proud to be called such things or to even encourage others to continue to call you these things.
But most importantly, how are you presenting yourself to me on paper?

Phone etiquette

I will answer the phone and hear so much background noise that I honestly can't make out the conversation. TV loud enough I know it's Oprah, child screaming. Or one of my favorites...someone answers....I ask for John Doe....They scream to the top of their lungs...."John telephone"....literally deafening me in the process. I can't hear when the person I was attempting to contact gets on the phone because my ear drum was ruptured. Please give a phone number where you can screen your calls if you can't change your family!

Enunciate, do not use slang terms....I have no idea what "it's been a minute" means when I ask have you ever applied with our agency before. A minute is 60 seconds. Not six months, not a year. If I have to say "excuse me" more than once I am not going to think you are capable of handling a switchboard or making presentations to customers interested in buying something.

Attire

I can smell your breath when you forget to brush your teeth, i know when you just rolled out of bed and rushed to not be late, Yesterdays wrinkled t-shirt does not suggest responsibility.....but when you come in with derogatory comments on your clothing it just screams "team player" to your interviewer.

You think we don't notice because we are giving instructions, shuffling paperwork, answering phones, etc. We notice, we are paid to notice, we are paid to make an educated hiring decision...most of us make the decision upon a few seconds of meeting and speaking with applicants.

Ask yourself one question before you waste your time and mine...Do you really portray the image of why I should choose you over the other 100 applicants this week in your application?

Learn more about this author, Stacy Tidwell.
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