Thank you again for the help you've given and hopefully the additional help that is to come.
I figure out the way systems work and game them. I've noticed a couple of things about the current bullshit that is the job hiring system in the US right now. Basically, the HR people and "specialists" have no idea what they're doing, are overwhelmed with TONS of applications, and need some way to lessen the pool of applicants that makes it look as if they care (they don't). Here's what I've found.
1.) Unjustly shifting accountability and blame to workers:
A.) You're no longer supposed to use the phrase "responsible for" on your resume....
Instead you are supposed to list what you "achieved." Laughable, if it weren't so sad. Most people, as a worker, have no say in what they do or how they do it, their boss does.... Said boss will take the credit when things go well, and blame the worker when things don't (despite said worker following boss' instructions and having no control over the situation). Basically you are now being judged by the company you formerly or currently work for, not on your own abilities.
I once represented a company that went bankrupt. My fault? Read the example below:
I once represented a company with a second generation president; he inherited it from his dad. He brought in "cost experts," I knew these pencil pushing morons were bad news the minute I saw them. They strenuously suggested closing down a department because it had ALWAYS lost money; "cheaper" was their watchword.... I implored the kid not to, because his dad had started the business from the back of a pickup truck, always had that department for over 50 years, and was not in the habit of losing money.... This was an "accounts" department in a custom metal fabrication shop employing about 3000 people, and they kept relationships with major customer accounts, took them out to dinner, saw that our products were meeting their needs, and let's be honest, kissed a bit of ass. He axed it, because it was cheaper.... Damn it, if it ain't broke; don't fix it.
Wonder kid and his "cost experts" kept asking stupid questions, like "Couldn't the sales and customer service departments handle the job of the accounts men in that department cheaper?" I presented a plethora of reasons why this was a bad idea: 1.) the company was not built on a "cheap" market strategy but rather a "custom" market strategy, and now you'll never compete with China for that "cheap" spot, 2.) You'll start a death spiral because the accounts department doesn't make any money but it supports 5 departments that DO make money.... Etc etc. Deaf ears. The company went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, all 3000 lost their jobs and the place sits idle and overgrown with weeds to this day.
Not a single one of those 3000 people are at fault for losing their jobs.... Well, rather, ONE single person IS at fault for all of us losing our jobs: wonder kid....
B.) Use of raw numbers as a be all, end all, metric for performance and ability.
Now, the HR drones want you to put specific numbers of what your jobs entailed. The real world doesn't work this way, and most people don't stop to tally what they've done every day. Rather it's "ok, got that done, and now onto the next one...." Your boss doesn't gain a thing from you taking the time to mark down everything, and instead that time costs him or her money.... Over simplified example, how many orders did you fill at your fast food job? No clue right? How many cars did that mechanic fix at his last job? People don't track this crap and only in the BS world of HR does this come into play at all.
Numbers don't tell the whole story. Quantity is not always indicative of quality. Would you rather I do 100 jobs poorly or 10 jobs the right way? I'm guessing you'd take that second choice, especially if the job I'm doing is yours. Now they want you to list, for example, how many clients you've handled as a lawyer. Number of cases is irrelevant, because it doesn't reflect the difficulties of handling various KINDS of cases, or even that cases of the same kind can be more or less difficult depending upon several variables like the judge, the arresting officer, presence or absence of witnesses/evidence, and even the client his or herself. Moreover, I actually visit clients in jail and put in extra effort. Most lawyers I've seen don't bother, because that's time they could use taking on another case or actually having some time to themselves (plus jail isn't a pleasant place to be...). Additionally, I was handling the absolute shit cases that nobody else wanted, and at one point, the secretary told me my boss at the time was sending me on "suicide runs" looking for an excuse to fire me (and I won enough of those hopeless cases that he couldn't find a reason to let me go until he closed his whole practice due to his age).
Speaking of shit cases (tasks) and difficulty, that goes into how you measure "success." If the criminal client is guilty as sin, and has left a trail of evidence several miles wide that even an idiot could follow, then "winning" the case (going scott free), is off the table. Then it's a matter of lowest sentence possible, hopefully probation, that should count as a "win." I'm sorry, but I wasn't the one getting arrested, filmed on the police car dashcam with my car sideways in the street blocking two lane of traffic with a heroin needle in my arm at the time of arrest all on film. By the way, I met this guy in a jail cell handcuffed to a wheelchair because he was screaming and going through heroin withdrawal in the jail cell and later in the courtroom. Took a whole ton of effort, but I got him probation.
I guess that case counts as "one case" in the total tally of the number of cases I've done, and I suppose it would be "one case" the same as another applicant for an attorney position who had a MUCH easier case in a much easier area of practice.... Doesn't quite seem to add up as equal in difficulty does it? I'm sure the same goes for tons of jobs.
Of course, this takes all the thinking out of the HR drone's job and reduces things to a simple number (which does not reflect reality). You are now playing "The Price is Right." For those not from the US, that's a game show where you try to guess how much things cost. Remember the part where there are those 4 or 5 people who are all lined up and trying to guess the cost of the thing on display without going over the price? That's what you're doing here. If you say you've done, I dunno, 1000 cases and the other guy applying says he's done 1001, then guess what number is going to be picked.... That's even assuming your job has numbers involved in it.
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The question now becomes the search for practical solutions to game this system. I don't know what to do about point A, but perhaps point B has an answer. Do you not put specific numbers? If you don't, does that automatically kick you out of the applicant pool? Not sure.
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Topic: Social Media, profiles and getting a job difficulties. (Read 4597 times)