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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: dressed to impress
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Alan Plester
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 209
From: great yarmouth england
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 02-08-2009 05:36 AM
Is it me or what? Went for an open day interview dressed as always for that kind of thing, shirt tie ect, and was surrounded by people who just looked like they could`nt be bothered to even try to make a statement about themselves, hoodies,jeans,tracksuit bottoms,.. Reminded me of a story,some time ago, when a local gas station was advertising for an attendant and some one walked into the office dressed as above,and the boss told him to leave,the person argued that he was only going to pump gas, " Dont care " said the boss " you wont be pumpin gas dressed like that and your not sittin in my office like that either" . Question, would you as an employer look at potential persons dressed as above?. Dressing as i did, got me two interviews the same day, and on top of one of the forms that the employer was filling in was written " v s d c i c ". Knowing some one that had worked for the company before in the management sector led me to ask the question what if any, those letters meant, Very smart dress code ideal candidate, was the answer I felt good. Do you think that dress code on first meeting helps? I was always told first impressions count.
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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 02-09-2009 04:02 PM
I do all of the hiring and/or firing at my theatre, and I'm pretty picky about who I choose to work for me. Usually once a year in the spring, we'll have a "Now Hiring Day" at the drive-in. I put it up on the marquee and it usually brings in a cattle call of anybody and everybody who's looking for some part-time employment. I'll hand anybody an application who shows up, but won't necessarily hire them. If they can't write ledgibly - it sends a signal to me that they probably can't read very well either. If they don't have a social security number, they go into a totally separate pile. If they dress like a slacker, their work ethic is probably the same. What gets me more than anything are the ones who fill out an application and don't put any type of phone number on there to contact them.
I stress to all of my employees that their attitude and appearance on the job, reflects upon me and my business. If you want to wear facial piercings, visible tatoos, or multicolored hair....AT WORK, I'm probably not the kind of guy you want to work for.
I don't care what my employees do when they're not at work. They can drink whatever, smoke whatever, and do whoever they want when they're not at work, but the second they are scheduled for work, they should be dressed in uniform, and be in a bodily physical condition to be able to fulfill the requirements of their job. If they show up intoxicated or under the influence of anything, they no longer have a job with me.
Nothing against today's youth, but I find my most reliable employees to either be college age students, or older adults looking to supplement their day job income. Teenagers today work for two things... gas money and cell phone money, while the adults usually have a set goal of what they want to accomplish with the money they make at their part-time job. I had one lady in her mid-40's who used to work for us solely to pay her daughter's private school tuition.
When showing up to an interview, you've only got one shot at a first impression, and while a shirt and tie might be fine for the office environment interview, it would probably be overboard in a theatre environment - unless you were applying for a management position.
On another note: I stopped at McDonalds last night on the way home to pick up dinner for the family and while inside a young man came in and asked for an application. The manager told him, "I'm sorry we're out of ENGLISH applications, all we have available are in Spanish. It just reminded me of the comedian I once heard say... "If America is the melting pot.... then melt damn it."
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Justin Hamaker
Film God
Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 02-10-2009 01:02 AM
I usually do mass hirings - 5-10 people at a time as needed to fill the staff. And I normally only hire in late October and late April. And then I usually have to hire 2-3 people at a shot a couple times a year.
About a month before I'm ready to start hiring I'll start asking my good employees if they have friends who are looking for a job. The word usually gets out and I get a decent stack of applications. I pre-screen the apps by asking my employees for their opinions, making sure the app is completely filled in, and any contact I've had with the person as a customer or when they've checked up on their app. For this reason, I usually only schedule 2-3 interviews more than what I intend to hire and I go in with the mindset that the job is theirs to lose.
When it comes to appearance I'm flexible as long as they are clean cut. I realize some of the kids may be coming directly from sports practice or something else.
When I conduct the interview, I'm more looking for what I don't like than what I do like. Most everyone is trying to give me the answers they think I want to hear and they all blur together to the point that hardly anyone ever stands out. What I'm looking for is people who are evasive, who seem to have a chip on their shoulder, who are not articulate, or otherwise give me a bad vibe.
I'm basically trying to get them in the door so I can actually see how they work. I've had enough experiences with people who started good and then became slackers, and vice versa, that I reserve judgment until they've been there a week or so.
Lets face it, most of them are high school kids and this is their first job. They may not have had much instruction in school about how to present yourself for an interview. And the work I'm asking them to do is very low level for minimum wage.
I also tend to shy away from some of the uber students because they often have many other activities and work availability is limited. Plus, I've seen many who can solve the quadratic equation calculate molarity, but can't count change. My ideal candidate is usually a B student who is maybe in a club or sport and will be heading to a community college or a local state university. It's also someone who has to work for their own things because their family can't afford to give them everything.
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