I don't know how it happened, but I am clearly one of the Oldz now.
This rarely causes me problems (a lie, but never mind that for now), but I think it causes problems for the Yoots of America sometimes -- especially around the stilted dance of hiring or maybe hiring or thinking about hiring.
PROTIP for the Yoots Seeking Work/Internships:
If you are delivering, mailing, or otherwise sending out resumés to people you don't know, anticipate that some of those people you don't know who wind up looking at your resumé might turn out to be Geezers like me. If your resumé catches our eye, we will may pick up this thing called a phone and actually use it to CALL you (gasp!) to discuss your interest and maybe arrange to meet.
I know that using the voice function on a phone is probably a faux pas in your circles, and you may have had a phone for years and not ever have used it to place a phone call. But that's why I point out that I'm a Geezer, like many other job-offering people like me. We think you can learn a lot about someone by speaking with them on the phone, and when you apply for a job with us, you should be prepared to speak with us on the phone and to wow us with your poise and clear speech style. If we like what we hear, we might invite you to come meet with us.
What seems to happen more and more is that when I try to call one of the Yoots of Today, I get a voicemail recording telling me that the voice mailbox is full and is not accepting messages.
That's bad. It makes me feel rejected. And then it makes me less likely to call you or think of you again, because the message I get from that is that you didn't really think about my communication preferences, or what it means to put your phone on your cover letter and resumé, and you also didn't plan ahead for how to go from sharing your resumé to actually engaging with me.
What I, and Geezers like me, need and want to see in prospective employees are people who consider the needs of the other people they are communicating with, and who are always thinking about "What comes next? What will I do then?" I feel confident that I can teach you anything you might need to know about any job I might offer you if you are the right type of person -- by which I mean someone who is considerate of others, anticipates the outcome of your own actions, and has a plan for what to do on your way to attaining your goals. But if I don't think you are that type of person, no matter how much bling your resumé carries, I don't think it will work out between us.
And get off my lawn.
This rarely causes me problems (a lie, but never mind that for now), but I think it causes problems for the Yoots of America sometimes -- especially around the stilted dance of hiring or maybe hiring or thinking about hiring.
PROTIP for the Yoots Seeking Work/Internships:
If you are delivering, mailing, or otherwise sending out resumés to people you don't know, anticipate that some of those people you don't know who wind up looking at your resumé might turn out to be Geezers like me. If your resumé catches our eye, we will may pick up this thing called a phone and actually use it to CALL you (gasp!) to discuss your interest and maybe arrange to meet.
I know that using the voice function on a phone is probably a faux pas in your circles, and you may have had a phone for years and not ever have used it to place a phone call. But that's why I point out that I'm a Geezer, like many other job-offering people like me. We think you can learn a lot about someone by speaking with them on the phone, and when you apply for a job with us, you should be prepared to speak with us on the phone and to wow us with your poise and clear speech style. If we like what we hear, we might invite you to come meet with us.
What seems to happen more and more is that when I try to call one of the Yoots of Today, I get a voicemail recording telling me that the voice mailbox is full and is not accepting messages.
That's bad. It makes me feel rejected. And then it makes me less likely to call you or think of you again, because the message I get from that is that you didn't really think about my communication preferences, or what it means to put your phone on your cover letter and resumé, and you also didn't plan ahead for how to go from sharing your resumé to actually engaging with me.
What I, and Geezers like me, need and want to see in prospective employees are people who consider the needs of the other people they are communicating with, and who are always thinking about "What comes next? What will I do then?" I feel confident that I can teach you anything you might need to know about any job I might offer you if you are the right type of person -- by which I mean someone who is considerate of others, anticipates the outcome of your own actions, and has a plan for what to do on your way to attaining your goals. But if I don't think you are that type of person, no matter how much bling your resumé carries, I don't think it will work out between us.
And get off my lawn.
RSS Feed
