The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by: Sally Day for the Quill
Recently I was scanning through Facebook when I saw a very interesting post. It was written by a friend of mine from Blandinsville, Tracey DeBold. She is the owner/operator of a small business there called The Sweet Shack.
The post was very good; very true; very articulate; and most people with whom I have discussed this topic totally agree.
The topic was how people apply for a job. Tracey started out by saying, "When you come in to ask for a job, my name is not "Hey'." Well now, that caught my attention. I thought, "Really. How rude!"
But, somehow I believe it. Socialization has changed over the years, but good manners has not. If you don't know someone's name, you might simply start out by saying, "Hello." You might go on to say that you are there to apply for a job.
She continued by mentioning that you shouldn't start out by saying you need money. I totally agree. Everyone needs money! It is unspoken; you would not be there if you didn't need money.
Apparently one person applying for a job even told Tracy, "I don't want to make ice cream cones, but I will make coffee." I have never had a job where I could pick and chose the chores I would do.
Another person asked, "What do I have to clean?"; to which Tracy responded, "Everything!"
Every job has pros and cons; things you like to do, things you don't mind doing and things where you may have to grit your teeth together to accomplish.
She also said some people came in like they just got out of bed. I can just see that...like it is so unimportant, "I am not in the mood to start the day, but I did come in here to grace you with my presence and apply for a job."
Another individual applying for a job text the entire time they were present, even when answering questions from the Tracey who was doing the hiring!
People come in to inquire about and apply for jobs wearing short shorts, flip flops and sweats. It costs nothing to apply for a job in clean and proper clothing.
Another problem Tracey has is job applicants not being able to count back change. Anyone applying for a retail job should understand the importance of and how to count back money.
One thing she wrote about how community oriented she is and that she expects that from her own children and her employees. She went on to say she expects respect, good manners, good communication skills, math skills and a hard-working employee.
Everyone I have ever worked for took pride in their community and their place of business. They wanted to present the best of themselves and their business to the public. And, I was expected to and did take pride in the business...always.
Schools should teach (and perhaps they do) the right way to apply for a job in their business programs. It is a very important step in business education.
Locally we have an organization called Family Outreach Community Center. They have a very good program helping teach people how to apply for a job. It teaches them many of these things, as well as provides them with clean and appropriate clothing for applying for jobs.
If you are still uncertain how to apply for a job, please contact the good people at Family Outreach Community Center in Stronghurst. They will be happy to help you!