|
An applicant was
filling out a job application. When he came to the question, "Have you
ever been arrested?" He answered, "No."
The next question, intended for people who had answered in the
affirmative to the last one, was "Why?" The applicant answered it
anyway: "Never got caught."
Employer to
applicant: "In this job we need someone who is responsible."
Applicant: "I'm the one you want. On my last job, every time anything
went wrong, they said I was responsible."
"Young man, do
you think you can handle a variety of work?"
"I ought to be able to. I've had ten different jobs in four months."
Reaching the
end of a job interview, the Human Resources person asked a young
applicant fresh out of Business School, "And what starting salary are
you looking for?"
The applicant said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending
on the benefits package."
The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5-weeks
vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching
retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every two
years - say, a red Corvette?"
The applicant sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"
And the interviewer replied, "Yeah, but you started it."
In
a job interview for policemen the applicants are shown a profile
picture of a man, and the interviewer says, "The job that you're
applying for requires powers of observation. Make one observation about
this man."
The first
applicant enters and says, "This man has just one ear."
"Get out!!" screams the interviewer.
The second
applicant enters and says, "This man has one ear."
"Get out!!" screams the interviewer again.
Then the third
applicant gets up to go in for his interview. The first two guys are
out there and they tell him, "The guy that's giving the interview
doesn't like to hear that the man in the picture has one ear."
"Thanks for the tip" says the third applicant.
So the third
applicant enters, stares at the picture for a while and finally he
says, "This man wears contact lenses."
The interviewer is impressed and says, "Excellent observation. Tell me,
how could you tell?"
So the guy says, "Well, this man has just one ear, how could he wear
glasses?"
When you hire
people that are smarter than you are, you prove you are smarter than
they are.
R.H. Grant
The local
sheriff was looking for a deputy, so Gomer went in to try out for the
job.
"Okay," the sheriff drawled, "Gomer, what is 1 and 1?"
"11" he replied.
The sheriff thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but he's
right."
"What two days
of the week start with the letter 'T'?"
"Today and tomorrow."
The sheriff was again surprised that Gomer supplied a correct answer
that he had never thought of himself.
"Now Gomer,
listen carefully: Who killed Abraham Lincoln?"
Gomer looked a little surprised himself, then thought really hard for a
minute and finally admitted, "I don't know."
"Well, why don't you go home and work on that one for a while?"
So, Gomer
wandered over to the barbershop where his pals were waiting to hear the
results of the interview. Gomer was exultant. "It went great! First day
on the job and I'm already working on a murder case!"
| A man
applied for a job as an industrial spy. Together with several other
applicants, he was given a sealed envelope and told to take it to the
fourth floor.
As soon as the man was alone,
he stepped into an empty hallway and opened the envelope. Inside, a
message read: "You're our kind of person. Report to the fifth floor
Personnel Office."
|
 |
An
applicant was being interviewed for admission to a prominent medical
school. "Tell me," inquired the interviewer, "where do you expect to be
ten years from now?"
"Well, let's see," replied the student. "It's Wednesday afternoon. I
guess I'll be on the golf course by now."
The navy
psychiatrist was interviewing a potential sailor. To check on the young
man's response to trouble, the psychiatrist asked, "What would you do
if you looked out of that window right now and saw a battleship coming
down the street?"
The baby sailor said, "I'd grab a torpedo and sink it."
"Where would you get the torpedo?"
"The same place you got your battleship!"
HR Manager to job candidate: "I see you've had no computer training.
Although that qualifies you for upper management, it means you're
under-qualified for our entry level positions."
Several weeks
after a young man had been hired, he was called into the personnel
manager's office.
"What is the
meaning of this?" the manager asked. "When you applied for the job, you
told us you had 5 years' experience. Now we discover this is the first
job you've ever had."
"Well," the
young man said, "in your ad you said you wanted somebody with
imagination."
"Where did you
receive your training?"
"Yale."
"Good, and what's your name?"
"Yim Yohnson."
A business was
looking for office help. They put a sign in the window, stating the
following:
HELP
WANTED Must be able to type, have computer skills, and be
bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. |
A dog trotted
up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the
receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked
at it and whined a bit.
Getting the
idea, the receptionist got the office manager. The office manager
looked at the dog and was surprised, to say the least. However, the dog
looked determined, so he led him into the office. Inside, the dog
jumped up on a chair and stared at the manager. The manager said "I
can't hire you. The sign says you have to be able to type."
The dog jumped
down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to type out a perfect
letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager and gave
it to him, then jumped back up on the chair. The manager was stunned,
but then told the dog, "The sign also says you have to be good with a
computer."
The dog jumped
down again and went to the computer. The dog proceeded to enter and
execute a perfect spreadsheet that worked flawlessly the first time.
By this time,
the manager was totally dumb-founded! He looked at the dog and said, "I
realize that you are a very intelligent dog and have some interesting
abilities. However, I still can't give you the job."
The dog jumped
down and went over to a copy of the sign and put his paw on the
sentence about being an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The manager
said "Yes, but the sign also says that you have to be bilingual." The
dog looked at that manager calmly and said, "Meow."
Are
you qualified to this job?
Wanted:
Hair-cutter. Excellent growth potential.
Wanted: Man
to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
Wanted:
Part-time married girls for soda fountain in sandwich shop.
Girl wanted
to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.
Wanted:
Prepare of food. Must be dependable, like the food business, and be
willing to get hands dirty.
Applicant
Speak: what they say and what they mean by it
I know how to
deal with stressful situations:
I'm usually on Prozac. When I'm not, I take lots of cigarette and
coffee breaks.
I seek a job that will draw upon my strong communication &
organizational skills:
I talk too much and like to tell other people what to do.
I'm extremely adept at all manner of office organization:
I've used Microsoft Office.
My pertinent work experience includes:
I hope you don't ask me about all the McJobs I've had.
I take pride in my work:
I blame others for my mistakes.
I'm balanced and centered:
I'll keep crystals at my desk and do Tai Chi in the lunchroom.
I have a sense of humor:
I know a lot of corny, old jokes and I tell them badly.
I'm willing to relocate:
As I leave San Quentin, anywhere's better.
I'm extremely professional:
I carry a Day-Timer.
My background and skills match your requirements:
You're probably looking for someone more experienced.
I am adaptable:
I've changed jobs a lot.
I am on the go:
I'm never at my desk.
I'm highly motivated to succeed:
The minute I find a better job, I'm outta there.
I have formal training:
I'm a college dropout.
I interact well with co-workers:
I've been accused of sexual harassment.
Thank you for your time and consideration:
Wait! Don't throw me away!
Employer
Speak: what they say and what they mean by it
Entry level
position:
You'll be making minimum wage.
Entry level position in an up-and-coming company:
You'll be making minimum wage; we'll be bankrupt in a year.
Profit sharing plan:
Once it's shared between the higher-ups, there won't be a profit.
Competitive salary:
We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.
Join our fast-paced company:
We have no time to train you; you'll have to introduce yourself to your
coworkers.
Nationally recognized leader:
Inc. Magazine wrote us up a few years ago, but we haven't done anything
innovative since.
Immediate opening:
The person who used to have this job gave notice a month ago. We're
just now running the ad.
Casual work atmosphere:
We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up, although a couple
of the real daring guys wear earrings.
Competitive environment:
We have a lot of turnover.
Must be deadline oriented:
You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.
Some overtime required:
Some time each night and some time each weekend.
Flexible hours:
Work 40 hours; get paid for 25.
Must have an eye for detail:
We have no quality control.
College degree preferred:
Unless you wasted those four years studying something useless like
Philosophy, English or Social Work.
Career minded:
Female Applicants must be childless (and remain that way).
Apply in person:
If you're old, fat or ugly you'll be told the position has been filled.
No phone calls please:
We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.
Problem solving skills a must:
You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.
Requires team leadership skills:
You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or
respect.
Page
2
|