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QUESTION FROM February 11, 2008

Dear Jobinator, 
I currently have a part time job working  the kitchen at my high school. One lunch hour I was asked by another co-worker to assist with cleaning the tables. This was a different job I am normally assigned to do by my supervisor, because my supervisor was not around to ask I went ahead and did it, the regular job of mine did not get done. The next day my supervisor asked why my job did not get done the day before. I explained how my co-worker asked me to do something different. How should I handled that situation? 
Lucy

Dear Lucy,
It is great to be helpful to your co workers. It leads to great teamwork and camaraderie at work. However, as you know you still need to complete your assigned duties. If you find yourself in this position in the future, you may respond by saying: "I will be glad to help you. I do have some work that has been assigned to me by my supervisor. As soon as I am finished with my duties, I will assist you."

The Jobinator Speaks - December 31, 2007 - SPECIAL EDITION

Ten Ways to Stand Out as a Job Applicant

1. Eye contact
   The sooner the better. The second you see the person you are going to talk to, make eye contact and hold it for a second or two and smile.

2. Handshake
   Strong, enthusiastic, with eye contact. Pretend it’s Kevin Garnett or someone you wish you could meet.

3. Appropriate dress
   No baggy pants, no bare skin, no dangly jewelry, no hats. Remove piercings, cover tattoos. Tuck in the shirt.

4. Complete application
   Don’t skip any sections. Have all your dates and places of employment written down so you can refer to them. If on-line, don’t “time out.

5. References
   Have these ahead of time, if you can. Name, address, phone number and e-mail for three references.

6. On-time for interview

7. Be there ahead of time. Wait patiently. Come alone. Even if you are interviewing at the Mall, make sure you don’t have a group of friends waiting nearby. This will distract you and will make a bad impression on your future boss.

8. Good verbal communication
   Practice!! Have ten things that you want to get across in your interview and practice saying these things out loud. Seriously – OUT LOUD.

9. Résumé
   You are never too young or inexperienced to have a résumé. Even if they don’t ask for it beforehand, have some copies ready to share at the interview

10. Ask questions
    Have one or two prepared before your meeting. Ask about the company, the work, the customers – not about breaks or vacation.

11. Thank you note
    The sooner the better. You might feel strange writing a thank you note for an interview. It can be very short, and it will make you stand out from the other applicants. Make sure to include your phone number and a hope that you will hear from them soon. 

QUESTIONS FROM November 27, 2007

Dear Jobinator, 
When is the best time to look for a summer job? Last year I started in May but every place already had someone. Then my friend got a summer job in July, so I don’t get it.
James

Dear James,
May is too late for most summer jobs. Late March or early April is best. The problem with that is that a lot of young people aren’t even thinking about summer jobs then, but that works in YOUR favor because you can be ahead of the crowd. Places that would normally hire extra people in summer will take applications then. There is more and more competition for summer jobs all the time, so the more you can do to make yourself stand out the better. An early application shows that you are thinking ahead and planning. Don’t be surprised id you don’t hear from the employer for a while – even a month. You should feel comfortable calling back and checking on the status of your application 3-5 weeks after you submit it, but only call once. Your best bet for a summer job is to put in several applications and keep track of when you submitted each one and of your follow-up visits or phone calls.

I think your friend was lucky. Sometimes people quit their summer jobs in the middle of the season. Then the employer has to hire quickly. You shouldn’t rely on being lucky like this. Plan early and follow up. Our WorkForce Centers have a summer jobs booklet that you can pick up. It’s worth a look. It’s there from about mid-February.

Dear Jobinator, 
I don’t know what to wear for an interview. Can you help?
Lori

Dear Lori,
It depends on the job. Interviewing for a full-time sales job or any office job would usually require a suit or a simple pants or skirt and jacket outfit.  For men a jacket and tie. But if you are interviewing at a hamburger stand or an animal shelter, for example,  the picture changes.

Most experts say to dress the way the supervisor of the company would dress for a meeting, but sometimes that is hard to imagine. If you know what people at the company wear, and this is very easy for retail, restaurants etc., follow that rule. You can never go wrong with khaki pants or skirt and a shirt with a collar. Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed, that your shoes are not sneakers and that you are not wearing a lot of jewelry. No perfume is best. 

Dear Jobinator, 
I got fired from my last job. Will that hurt me when I go to get another job?
Bella

Dear Bella,
That depends. The first thing you should do is to understand why you were fired and how you can avoid that sort of thing in the future. If you were fired for “cause,” meaning stealing, violence etc., your prior employer might mention it when called by a prospective employer. If you were fired for something less serious like not reporting or not calling in sick, they may or may not share that information. You should find a way to do something to make up for what happened at your previous employment. Write or call or visit the employer and apologize and say that you valued your time with that company and learned a lot and that you hope to put it all behind you and be successful now. You could even ask him or her for advice. A gesture like this is very meaningful to an employer.

In any case, be honest about why you left your last employment. You don’t have to go into details but just say that you made a mistake and have learned from it and now want to do a good job. The important thing is to get another job quickly and be absolutely perfect in all you do there. Good luck. 

Dear Jobinator, 
I have a job, and my friend wants me to get him a job at the same place. Should I do that?
Markus

Dear Markus,
You seem to have doubts about helping your friend get a job with your employer.  It’s very easy for young people to get into trouble at work when their friends are part of the staff. If you think that your friend might be any sort of problem, I would encourage you to help him or her find another job somewhere else.

However, one of the best ways for young people to get jobs is through their friends and employers are often happy to hire friends of their staff because they can vouch for them. This is a very normal thing. But if you are worried that your friend might be a problem at work, you should just say no.  

QUESTIONS FROM October 19, 2007

Dear Jobinator, 
I am trying to learn the cash register but it is really hard. I am afraid I am going to be fired. What should I do? Should I quit before they can fire me?
Sam

Dear Sam,
Hopefully, there will be something that challenges you at every job you will ever have.  It looks like you’ve found your challenge at your current job, but it sounds like you’ve already given up on yourself!  Certainly don’t quit.  If you have been really trying to get the hang of the cash register, but still find it difficult, talk to a manager about your concerns.  Explain the troubles you’re having and ask if there is anything they can think that might help.  Perhaps you could ask if it would be possible to come in and shadow a more experienced co-worker on the tills for a few days.  Or, maybe you could come in early before open or stay late after close to practice. 

The important thing is that your managers know your making a serious effort to learn.  If you make it clear that you are ready and willing to put in the extra time to get familiar with the register, they’ll know you are serious about the job and not just blowing things off.  There isn’t anyone who is good at every part of their job right away.  Stay positive and keep trying.

Dear Jobinator, 
I had to come to work late the last 2 days and now I am on probation. I was only 10 minutes late. Can they fire me for that?
Lola

QUESTIONS FROM June 25, 2007

Dear Bob,
No, you will not get paid for the lost hours when you quit.  You need to bring this to the attention of your manager right away.  Chances are the miscalculation is just a simple mistake, but you deserve to get paid for every hour that you work.  Talk to your manager, in private, and explain the situation.  It sounds like you have been keeping pretty good track of your hours, if so, be prepared with a written account of when you arrived and left work during that pay period.  If you haven’t been keeping track, start now.  Make copies of your timecard for your records, or if you clock in on the computer, save the print out of clock in/clock out times.  That way if this happens again, you’ll have documentation to back up your story.     

QUESTIONS FROM MAY 16, 2007

QUESTIONS FROM MAY 1, 2007

Dear Jobinator, 
I was supposed to get paid for 22 hours but I only got paid for 19 hours. This is the second time this has happened. Will I get paid for the hours when I quit?
Bob

Dear Bob,
No, you will not get paid for the lost hours when you quit.  You need to bring this to the attention of your manager right away.  Chances are the miscalculation is just a simple mistake, but you deserve to get paid for every hour that you work.  Talk to your manager, in private, and explain the situation.  It sounds like you have been keeping pretty good track of your hours, if so, be prepared with a written account of when you arrived and left work during that pay period.  If you haven’t been keeping track, start now.  Make copies of your timecard for your records, or if you clock in on the computer, save the print out of clock in/clock out times.  That way if this happens again, you’ll have documentation to back up your story.

Dear Jobinator, 
I just started a new job at a fast food restaurant. The boss seems to like me a lot, but that is the trouble. Now everyone is mad at me for being the favorite. Should I quit and try somewhere else?
Katie

Dear Katie,
Quitting because the boss likes you too much, now that’s a new one!  Being a good employee and a hard worker is not the same thing as being a suck up.  There is no reason you should feel bad about that. You said you just started, I bet that if you give it some time your coworkers will get over this as they get to know you better. 

A lot of times it can feel like bosses and employees are on two different teams, but remember that you don’t have to take sides.  For example, if your coworkers are bad mouthing the boss, don’t feel compelled to join in.  Or, if everyone else is slacking off because the boss went home early, it isn’t your place to tell them to pick up the pace. It isn’t impossible that you will be well liked by both your boss and your co-workers, just concentrate on your own work and being respectful to everyone.  

QUESTIONS FROM APRIL 12, 2007

Dear Justin,
One week isn’t very long, are you sure you’ve really given this job a chance?  There are good reasons to quit a job after only one week, but these tend to be pretty serious things.  There are some things that aren’t fun about having a job that will never change, no matter where you work.  There will always be days when you’d rather be doing something else, but you have to go to work.  You’ll always have to get yourself somewhere on time.  You’ll almost always have a boss that will tell you what to do and you will probably always have to work with people that you don’t necessarily like. 

Before you quit, take a few steps to make sure your making the right decision.  Weigh the benefits of work (money, experience and independence) with the drawbacks.  If the reason you want to quit this job is the same reason why you quit the last one you had, think about these benefits and how important they are to you.  Remember that you might not like everything about your job, and that’s okay.       

If you still decide this job isn’t right for you,  let  your boss know that you don’t think it is going to work out and offer the traditional two-weeks notice.  When you look for a new job, use your short time at XXX as a learning experience.  Remember what you learned about yourself and what you did and didn’t like about the work to help you find something that is a better match for you. 

Dear Jobinator, 
Last night when we were closing down the registers, I saw someone take some bills out of the register and put them in his pocket. I am not a snitch. Should I tell?
Lucy

Dear Lucy,
You definitely need to tell a manager about what you saw.  Unfortunately, your co-worker has put you in a difficult position.  I can understand not wanting to get anyone in trouble, but it isn’t your responsibility to protect anyone and it isn’t your job to decide what happened or what ought to be done about it.  Don’t make any assumptions about what is going on, just tell your immediate supervisor what you saw and let them take care of it.