Last week I got an email from a girl who wanted a job. I won’t post her email address, but suffice it to say that it didn’t impress me and neither did her typos.
She asked: “I was wondering if you were currently hiring. I am a student at Sullivan University hoping to go into the event/hospitality industry. Feel free to contact me at your convience. Thanks!”
I responded: “Thank you for your inquiry. I am fully staffed for the winter. If you expect anyone to take your job search seriously, you might want to get a more professional email address for business purposes and attach a resume outlining your qualifications. Good luck at Sullivan, I hear it has an excellent hospitality program.”
Her response follows, and I can’t decide what surprised me most, her responding or her response.
“Hello, Thanks so much. I do have one but I use this one as a back up. I have given a more professional one before and have recieved a lot of spam. I give it out upon request. [referring to her email address]. I do have a resume but also give that upon request. Thanks”
I responded: “I would never let spam deter me from putting my best foot forward. Seems you need some decent spam blocking software. Also, since its costs nothing to attach your resume, I would do so with the initial contact. When you are applying for career positions that pay $50,000+ you can be coy about who gets to see your resume.
I get 30 emails and/or phone calls a month from girls asking for a job. I always say no, because they give me no reason to say yes. No background info, no experience level, just “are you hiring?” I am always looking for a potential-filled assistant to hire for my team, but never hiring for “a job.”
I need to see some passion for your choice. Telling me where you are right now (student at Sullivan) does not tell me how many classes you’ve completed, where you want to be when you’re done, how you chose this path or give me a glimpse why you have the slightest chance to be successful at it. I am sure you have formulated brilliant answers to these questions, however, have not used your 15 seconds of email time to convey them to me in an effort to pique my interest. Had you sent this during my busy season, I wouldn’t have even responded, but it’s a little slower right now and I always feel that you can’t complain about something unless you have a solution.
I do complain from time to time about not be able to find good help, and write it off to the lame inquiries I get. So this is my attempt to help maybe one smart girl out there do a better job at creating interest in her abilities in order to develop a job into a career. I wish you success in whatever you choose to do.”
My point in all this is, I don’t have time to have to pry info out of people seeking to be a part of my team. Be smart enough to make it easy for me to want you. Dazzle me right off the bat with what you have to offer. I’ll ask questions after that. Kate has been gone 13 months, she was my right hand for 8 years, but I do need someone to replace her. I’ll admit I’m spoiled and it will take someone special, but that person is out there, and they are probably hiding behind some funky email address and waiting for me to play 20 questions. I don’t have time to play games. I need a creative, self-reliant, problem solving assistant who is not afraid of hard work and long days of unglamorous tasks in order to make it all look glamorous. I hope whoever she is, she finds me soon. Wedding season will be here before we know it.
That’s so frustrating! I hope you find a wonderful assistant soon
It’s so hard to love what you do so much and then have to field others who maybe don’t “get it” as much. Totally feel your pain!