Day 166: Hiring Workshop

Have I mentioned that we have 10.5 days of school left? No?  Just thought I'd bring it up.  I tell that to students, and they always seem to look surprised that I'm counting.  I know the truth now - teachers actually count down to the minute how much school is left.  Students focus on weeks and days.  If I went back and told teenage me what I now know teachers do, I'm not sure she'd believe me.  She'd attempt to convince me that no, surely her honors English teacher spent hours agonizing over whether to give her a 97 or a 98.  I couldn't bear to burst her bubble and tell her half the time I grade based on length, 10 second glance throughs, and my knowledge of the student's prior work turned in.   I rarely give 100% to a piece of student work, because I feel like such grades make students complacent.  I know I always felt that way...

Anyway, today was the type of day where one discovers at lunch that instead of grabbing the tupperware that contains leftover pizza, instead one grabbed the tupperware that contains cream cheese. Last time I checked, neufchatel does not microwave well.  Bummer.

I couldn't get the computer lab for my morning classes today due to testing, so I found myself with four periods to fill; I went over the website rubric and budgets.  We used TexasRealityCheck.com to build "grown up" budgets.  I love the housing page, where I have to prompt kids to ask the question: "Why does a 2-bedroom apartment cost more than a house mortgage?" Which leads us to the discussion about mortgages, which leads them into the webpage on a house.  My afternoon classes were in the computer lab today, and they are feeling like they have all the time in the world to finish this project.  They will be sadly crushed come next week when they don't realize how hard it is to find the perfect house...

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We had a whopping six students attend our hiring workshop after school, all of them mine.  I was a little sad - I figured more juniors and seniors would come; their English teachers told me several had put it in their phones to remind them.  I did have to move the location due to a meeting, but I put a sign on the library door, notified the librarian, and had a school-wide announcement made, so that can't have been why we had few kiddos there.  Still, the six who were there were there of their own free will and interest - and they brought job applications.  We made them copies, because you always mess up the first time, and students cannot turn in applications that they folded up and shoved in their pockets.  We spent about half an hour going over different job hunting and application stuff, then another hour going over resumes and applications they brought in.  Several other teachers came to help, so it was almost a 1-to-1 ratio for kids, which was awesome.

Many of their questions were ones I'd never think about - for example, one boy asked what "Address 2" meant in the contact info (it's just for a second line of address, like apartment number).  A girl wanted to know about all the Yes/No questions about TANF, SSI, and felonies on the online application for Sonic.  Another boy wanted to know if he could put his dad down for a reference if he also had worked for his dad's lawn care company.  I'm so proud of them; I hope they get hired.  The best part is, even though these were REALLY good kids and would probably get hired if they wore ripped jeans and turned in a crumpled application in pencil, the fact that they attended this little workshop will mean that they will attribute their success to our information.  This hopefully means if we do it again we'll have more students attending, because they'll believe it makes a difference.  I think this is a really great idea, and it was awesome to have so many teachers and students express interest in its happening again.  It's a great way to end the school year, knowing there are going to be new, exciting things to tackle next fall.

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While I can't get the pdf brochure I made to load, this is the information we gave them:

FIRST: Where are you going to apply?

• What are you good at? List strengths you have...are you good with kids? Spanish? Are you organized, strong, creative? Are you good with computers?
• Think about places you like to go to. Think outside the box—you can apply to Wal-Mart or HEB or fast food restaurants. You could also market a babysitting business or lawn care or cleaning. Think Craigslist or church the Radiogram for marketing.
• Look online for jobs: go to a company’s web- site and look for words like “Careers,” “Work Here,” “Employment,” or “Human Resources.”
• If a location isn’t hiring, consider volunteering there. Oftentimes places like the library or the animal shelter or YMCA offer new jobs to their volunteers first. BONUS: You have material to put on your resume.

How to Apply Online

• TRIPLE CHECK EVERYTHING before you submit. 
• If you can create an account and save your application to come back to it later, DO IT. 
• Get someone else to read your application too.

How to Apply in Person

• Look nice when you pick up an application (no holes in jeans, button-up shirt is preferable). First impressions are important.
• Get more than one copy, or make copies. You will make mistakes filling out applications. Don’t turn in one that is folded, crumpled, or has lots of eraser/ crossed-out marks.
• Don’t turn it in the same time you pick it up. Instead, take it home and have someone else double check it for you.
• Submit a resume with the application. It shows you are taking the job seriously, and that you spent more time thinking about applying than the next guy.
• Dress up when turning in the application too. 
• Say thank you.

After the Application...The Call Back

• Wait 2-3 business days after submitting the application.
• Make a phone call, or dress up and visit the manager. Have a conversation like this:

“My name is Kathy Smith and I submitted an application for a Team Member position on Tuesday. I wanted to call [visit] and ask if there is anything else I can add to help the application process. When can I expect to get a call for an interview?”

• If you submitted an application online, show up with a copy of it and your resume.
• GOAL: Remind them what your name is. Be polite. Show persistence.
• If the company says “No calls,” drop a note in the mail (include resume if you applied online) and say the same thing as above. Consider writing a cover letter to explain why you’re a good applicant (ask your English teacher for help with this!).

The Interview

• DRESS NICELY. No holes. No tattoos. No facial pierc- ings.
• ARRIVE EARLY. At least 10 minutes early. Punctuality is important in new hires.
• DO RESEARCH. Spend at least half an hour researching the company’s website. Look at the Human Resources page.
• MANNERS. Make eye con- tact. Have a firm handshake. Be SUPER polite. NO PHONE.
• THANK YOU NOTE. Drop one in the mail the same day.

THE GOAL

• Show the manager that you are the best person for the job. Be mature, poised, professional, and prepared.
• Demonstrate that you worked hard to get the job because managers want people they can train and who will work there a long time—they don’t want to hire someone new every three weeks.
• Sell yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to compliment yourself, but on a resume and in a job interview, it’s your responsibility to show how good you are—no one else is going to do it for you.