I have some visitors this week from our company headquarters. Maurice brought me a present all the way from Ireland. It was a travel mug - but not just any travel mug. It was a Guinness travel mug! Maurice is now currently my favourite team leader.
This weekend Manish and Maurice arrived over from Craigavon. They’ll be staying at the apartment across the road for two weeks. It will be good to spend some time with them, showing them around (to the good restaurants at least).
The fact that they arranged for me to pick them up at the airport and then jumped into a taxi is another story altogether.
Life is full of opportunites. Sometimes we can sit back and let them float past. Recently, I’ve shifted a gear. If I see an opportunity I’m going for it. As Christians we can often sit around waiting for “God’s timing” when all along He just wants us to get off our ass and go for it!
I wouldn’t normally post the following on this blog - but I have a whole new funny category and I need to throw some content its way!
Part of my current job responsibilities while here in the US is to interview candidates for positions available within software development. We would start by sorting through some resumes that we receive from job adverts. Then we make a round of telephone screening to get a feel for their skill sets.
We phoned one person and after we had assessed their skills over the phone we asked them to come in for a face-to-face interview. That afternoon, the following was delivered by email. I have censored parts of the email to protect the applicants identity.
Point 3 is my favourite.
I’m sorry, but after reviewing the job description, I think I should cancel the interview tomorrow.
1) I don’t have experience with the […], […], or […].
2) I had a […]. The last place that asked me for a credit check for employment, stated that the […] was they’re reason not to proceed with my employment application and lowered my credit score by pulling my credit.
3) I don’t have a working printer. I have three, but there’s something wrong with each of them. Mostly, the ink dries up if you don’t use it for 3 months, and I haven’t printed anything here in over 2 years. The only other place that required me to print anything out for an employment application, is the one that pulled my credit.
I hate to turn down an opportunity to interview for employment, but it doesn’t sound like I have the skills you are looking for. It seems a skills screening would be more appropriate at this stage than having me handwrite all my creditentials into another set of forms and submit to a credit and background check. I’m working on a sample app for a company that seems like a good fit, and I want to get as much done on it as I can before Monday. So, I’d rather work on that. When we spoke before, it sounded like it would only be an hour or two of my time. Thanks again, but I have to decline.
Regards,
A. N. Applicant.
Surely there is a better way to decline a job interview?
Anyway, I thank God for opportunities and I pray that I see them when they spring up in my life.