The I'm-too-good-for-this-job Attitude

[Paisley]

This week, I've interviewed two candidates for a word processor position at a nice, professional office. We have a couple of tests we have job candidiates take, and neither candidate completed both tests. One of the ladies seemed a little perturbed that she'd have to make copies and run a binding machine and answer the phone now and then. The other seemed like she'd just as soon be waiting in line at the grocery store as trying to get a job.

The I read an article this morning, the thrust of which was, "What [some] folks are saying is that the America founded on the Puritan ethic of hard-nosed industriousness has become a nation of lazy, above-it-all 'job snobs'..."

So we have people looking for secretarial jobs that pay middle-management wages and don't require much secretarial work. We've also had people with poor spelling and no relevant experience wasting our time by applying for the job.

Maybe it's how I was raised or the jobs that I've had, but to me, you look for a job where you can make yourself useful. I think that used to be the prevailing attitude decades ago as well.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

If you're applying for a secretarial position and are unwilling to answer phones, bind, and make copies, what the hell are you willing to do? I worked in marketing and had to do all that stuff when necessary, except answer the phones...

 

[scotrace]

Paisley, I've thought many times that if ever I need to hire someone for my own company that would help us be successful and make money, I'd call you. You clearly have your head on straight.

Of course, I ain't got no cumpnee.

 

[Paisley]

What a wonderful compliment! Thank you.

 

[MrPumpernickel]

It's not just in the US, it's the same deal here in Sweden really. People expect to go directly from education to a high paid job where they'd hopefully don't need to do much to deserve that money. I was raised, despite being born in the 1980s, that you start low and work yourself up. Only way you're going in on a high position off the bat is if you have connections.

 

[Viola]

Isn't that what secretaries...do? Unless they're actually Secret Service agents or something?

I am confused. I mean, I could see myself applying without knowing a particular filing system, but come on.

-Viola

 

[Chanfan]

Huh. I sometimes have to make copies, run a binding machine, and answer the phones. Mind you, my title is "Technology Manager", and when I'm not snooping on peoples hard drives for pay, I'm likely to be fixing the copier, troubleshooting the binding machine, and upgrading the phones…

 

[Paisley]

This particular position involves proofreading, transcribing tapes, updating financial statements, making sure documents are in the right place on the server, making sure that all sign-offs are complete before issuing documents to clients, making draft copies for clients, making copies for the accountants, filing documents, sending older documents to off-site storage, making final copies of financial statements and other documents for clients, all while following company policies and statues regarding retention of financial statements.

To that end, you need to use a Dictaphone, run the copier, use the binding machine, address envelopes, put paper in the copier (which our $300-an-hour PIC sometimes does as well, but not if I'm standing there). For this office to run, you need pitch in and help where needed. That means covering the front desk, taking down and getting the mail, getting off-site backup tapes, helping people with their own word processing issues, un-jamming the copier, etc. Who do you expect to delegate this work to--the partners? The staff, who already work 50 or more hours a week?

Yes, we work hard here (normally--it's a slow day today), but the company is really professional, we have a great reputation, we're profitable and debt-free. We have employees who have run their own businesses, people who will only work for winners.

Um, any takers?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Filing

That sounds like a fun job. Sounds like it would be interesting and important. Something like I'd like except that I love my job already and don't want to move. Doesn't give a gal a lot of time to sit on the boss's desk and file her nails, though.
I work with one slacker out of five clerks and it angers me. Good luck finding someone good.

 

[pretty faythe]

While working as a receptionist a quite a few years back, these were my duties. Answer phones, take messages for 10 different cpas, greet clients, type tax papers, type billing info, type letters, file and organize, sort mail, make copies , use a binding machine to make presentation materials, sort through old files to be destroyed, etc etc etc.
So yes, I think people have just gotten lazy. Oh, plus the fun part, decorate the office for the holidays!!

 

[ShooShooBaby]

in my town, it seems like people are groveling for decent work. so many $1-over minimum-wage, no health benefits jobs are expecting workers with degrees and several years of experience! i recently applied for a job with a non-profit magazine that had slightly better wages and benefits, but didn't get an interview. i have a degree in the subject area and recent experience with the job duties, but i later found out there were hundreds of applicants, and the person hired has a PhD! soo00o much competition for jobs here.

maybe i should move to colorado! (JUST KIDDING.)

 

[52Styleline]

As a Director of Human Resources, I run across this all the time. I am truly amazed at the number of college grads. who have no ability to spell or write complete sentences expressing their thoughts clearly and with appropriate grammar.

To be fair, although we get some of the people you describe, many of the young people who work for us are really sharp and motivated. Sometimes they are a bit impatient and may have unrealistic expectations for immediate employment in positions beyond their capability and experience, but they usually realize that we geezers still have a few tricks to teach them and I find most learn willingly and quickly.

Often, the worst in this area are the newly minted MBA's. Some of them seem to really believe they are masters of the universe because of their degrees. The Business schools really do not do a very good job preparing many of their graduates for the reality of the workplace. We usually pair up a new MBA with a mentor who has the experience the new employee lacks. If the newbie is any good, he or she quickly realizes that they really don't know it all and then their true education can begin.

 

[Dan G]

You see this everywhere. Not just in the white collar field, or upper blue. When I was logging, we used to get these college kids back for the summer who thought logging was a tough manly knuckledragging job, and they figured they try their hand at it. They'd come on crew with this badass attitude, thinking that their time at school or their degree made them more important than the rest of us. Usually after the first 6 hours, they're ready for mommy. 'I can see that degree is really working for you pal, last time I checked Burger King was hiring.' What's the point of going to school and getting a degree if you're not willing to man up and work when the time comes? Don't they teach that at college?

Tell you what, grab that damn saw, and if you can keep up, I might humor you.

Alright I'm done.lol I don't get along well with a very high percentage of college boys.

 

[Elaina]

It's all over Dan, not just in any color collar job.

I worked earlier today waitressing (which is as pink collar as you can be). Been doing this for 17 years off and on, mostly on, 7 at this one company and I have management experience there and elsewhere. Some 20 year old college girl got put with me to train (because I am a damn fine waitress) and she knew it all because the job wasn't "that hard" and I was, essentially, white trash for being experienced at Waffle House (which might be some truth, remember Flo?).

She was in tears 2 hours later because she couldn't carry plates anymore (I can carry 9 plates at a time so my trips back and forth are much less), one of the customers got on her case for messing his order up (I was standing behind with the correct one) and she felt she should be tipped for being there and not working, not filling drinks and certainly not by being nice. I don't think I'll be seeing her there anytime soon.

My main job is working at home: I answer phones and sell stuff. Quite a few are educated and don't treat it any more seriously then the girl did today waitressing. It seems to me to be more entitlement then work anymore, and the lower the "skill" needed to obtain the job, the worse it is, unless, of course, you NEED to actually work and eat.

 

[Mojito]

When I first went to work in the UK, I took a secretarial job (at the time I didn't have my UK passport, and my working holiday visa did not allow me work in my professional field). I did whatever required doing - took the phones when I needed to do so, ran up six flights of stairs if there wasn't a clerical officer available to take up a package, photocopied, carried files around etc etc. I remember a new girl walking into the office - another Australian - who confided in me that *really* she was overqualified for this work and that *she* had a degree in project management etc etc etc. I smiled cheerfully and told her I was also a degree holder, and that my job in Sydney had been as a political adviser and speechwriter to a Government minister. But there and then, I was working and having fun, and I was doing what needed to be done.

I've known the Director of a National Museum - a person who has a world-wide reputation in her field and who holds positions on cultural boards both here and internatioanally - fold and stuff envelopes if we were racing a deadline. I've known a State Government Minister run copies off a photocopier if her staff were all busy and she some time. She'd pick up the phone, too, if the receptionist had dashed away from her desk and she happened to be nearby. I've defrosted the fridge in the office if it was easier than getting building services to do it, written out place cards for functions, and arranged flowers. I've loaded the dishwashers and cleaned the kitchenette in the board room. I'll wipe the whiteboards if I arrive at one of our venues to oversee the setup and find that the venues team is running late.

When something needs to be done, there's no point in being precious about it. If someone else has failed to fulfil their workplace role, leaving you to take up the slack, then I'll address it with them when I have the opporutunity. In the meantime, you ante up and get the job done.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The first paycheck job I ever had included cleaning toilets in the family gas station. Now, more than thirty years later, my current job at the theatre still involves restroom inspection duties, and it's still as disagreeable as it ever was. But *somebody's* got to do it. And I think to have any credibility with people who work under me, I have to show a willingness to do any job myself that I'd ask them to do. That was the rule I followed when I was a broadcast news director, and it's still a rule that makes sense to me no matter what field I work in. I am strongly suspicious of anyone who thinks they're too good to get their hands dirty.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Not sure if this counts . . .

. . . But every job I've ever had, at least one fellow employee, in a complimentary fashion, has told me that I'm too smart to be working there. lol


Lee
________________________

"If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday." - Noel Coward

 

[Elaina]

The first paycheck job I ever had included cleaning toilets in the family gas station. Now, more than thirty years later, my current job at the theatre still involves restroom inspection duties, and it's still as disagreeable as it ever was. But *somebody's* got to do it. And I think to have any credibility with people who work under me, I have to show a willingness to do any job myself that I'd ask them to do. That was the rule I followed when I was a broadcast news director, and it's still a rule that makes sense to me no matter what field I work in. I am strongly suspicious of anyone who thinks they're too good to get their hands dirty.

And the one boss I've had with that attitude, I would have done anything for, and indeed, took it with me when I became a manager at that company years later. I did my share of mopping and cleaning bathrooms, and all the kids I worked with were at least willing to do it once in a while too.

 

[Rosie]

As a Director of Human Resources, I run across this all the time. I am truly amazed at the number of college grads. who have no ability to spell or write complete sentences expressing their thoughts clearly and with appropriate grammar.

To be fair, although we get some of the people you describe, many of the young people who work for us are really sharp and motivated. Sometimes they are a bit impatient and may have unrealistic expectations for immediate employment in positions beyond their capability and experience, but they usually realize that we geezers still have a few tricks to teach them and I find most learn willingly and quickly.

Often, the worst in this area are the newly minted MBA's. Some of them seem to really believe they are masters of the universe because of their degrees. The Business schools really do not do a very good job preparing many of their graduates for the reality of the workplace. We usually pair up a new MBA with a mentor who has the experience the new employee lacks. If the newbie is any good, he or she quickly realizes that they really don't know it all and then their true education can begin.

#1 Education isn't what it once was. When I was still in the classroom, I was told by DIRECT SUPERVISORS, and the standards set forth by NY STATE, that spelling and grammar weren't important. As long as the child grasped the concept of what was being taught and could pass tests. When being taught to read in school, phonics are thrown out the window. Children are taught to read by sight. They see a word enough times and hear the teacher calling the word so they learn the word eventually. But, if they are presented with a new word, the kid is clueless. Then they were sent to me, or other linguistic teachers for Reading Rocovery. It's really ridiculous.

I've mentioned this on a few occasions, but it was to the point where I would lock my classroom door during a different scheduled period twice a week (say math, which we taught for two periods a day out of 6) or reading, (which we taught in a two hour block in the morning), and teach my children basic etymology and grammar. Children are sent from grade to grade without the basic skills they should have. I am no longer in the classroom and see students in middle school, on their way to high school who can not edit their own papers and can't spell for beans. I don't mean typos either, just full pages of mistakes and no concept o sentence structure. It makes me really sad.

#2 When I was in college, and in grad school, I was told by ALL of my professors, that literally, the sky was the limit, I would graduate school, get snatched up by some big corporation, because I was just that smart and talented, and make mega bucks. I HONESTLY believed this. Being a child, I had no real concept of the "real world" and was taught the only reason others weren't as successful as I was going to be was because they weren't educated well and didn't apply themselves. But we, were different, just look at all the folk who dropped out since freshman year.

When I graduated at 19 and didn't get the great job, I was told, get your graduate degree, NO ONE can deny you once your education is "COMPLETE", so, I went after the grad degree, two of them. Many schools really fill their students with unrealistic expectations. There is one thing to be positive, there is another thing to misleading.

 

[Fletch]

The first paycheck job I ever had included cleaning toilets in the family gas station. Now, more than thirty years later, my current job at the theatre still involves restroom inspection duties, and it's still as disagreeable as it ever was. But *somebody's* got to do it. And I think to have any credibility with people who work under me, I have to show a willingness to do any job myself that I'd ask them to do. That was the rule I followed when I was a broadcast news director, and it's still a rule that makes sense to me no matter what field I work in. I am strongly suspicious of anyone who thinks they're too good to get their hands dirty.

The principle can go "meta" very easily, though. In shops where there's a definite pecking order, sometimes you can lose the respect of your peers by balking at pointless or demeaning tasks nobody needs to do, that are just ritual or initiation.

(This is in part a hangover from clubs, fraternities, and the military. The air cadet doesn't have to find the nonexistent bucket of prop wash, but if he refuses the order to look for it he's in big trouble.)