The Age of Convenience is Killing Humanity
This morning my attempts at acquiring gainful employment were directed at the local NBC affiliate and AT&T. KJRH is my personal favorite local news channel. My mother, when she still lived in Oklahoma, worked for two local affiliates including "Channel 2." I used to visit the office often enough that I was familiar with the on air personalities. No one works there now that did then...well, accept the sports guy, but I've never been big on sports, so that's moot. KJRH doesn't have anything open that I'm really qualified for, but it never hurts to put your foot in the door and drop off a resume. After a battle with the literal door of the lobby, I gave the receptionist my work history and she kindly told me that the owner of the station has a website that lists all their open positions and I could upload my resume on the internet. Thanks for your time, lady.
AT&T I once worked for, back in 2000. I enjoyed it, but it was only a temp job and after the holiday's I was let go. A few years later I worked for Cingular Wireless. This was at the time Cingular bought out AT&T's wireless division, but I was released before it became AT&T again. I made really good money, commission was bangin'. But I hated it. I had every intention of giving a customer what they wanted, but my bosses wanted me to pile on frivolous shit that nobody really needed. I also rubbed the owner's the wrong way. I never really understood that, but alas, I am abrasive and I will tell you off, I don't care who you are or how much more important you think you are than me. I'll also defend the actions of myself and the people I care about. I was fired for failing a "mystery shop." I was fired after a big meeting where the head-honcho wanted to give us a reaming for declining sales. I interrupted him during his hazing and said that every single one of us was trying, but we couldn't drag people off the street and force them to buy something, to which my direct boss agreed and tried to bolster my intended meaning. But Big Boss wasn't having any of it and jumped into the big middle of both of us, even losing composure and cussing about how he didn't care about fucking excuses. If something can be excused, shouldn't you hear it out? I had a big falling out with my direct boss because I felt I had been sacrificed. Heather, I'm sorry for acting like a douche those days, please understand I was devastated.
Moving on, it wasn't just internal politics that had me upset, but some customers, because they are people and this applies to every walk of life, only want to complain. Even if there's nothing to complain about. I'd take it for the team, you're supposed to, but sometimes these asshats and their "I want it all but I don't want to pay for it" attitudes would really get under my skin. Why would anyone ever want to be in sales? Some people enjoy the challenge, I guess. I enjoy the challenge of telling a good story. I enjoy trying to beat Ibuki with Ryu on Street Fighter IV. I enjoy a good L.I.T. Do you see what I enjoy? I enjoy things that directly affect the pleasure-centers of my brain. Winning over a cunt-bag with smelly hair or some shit-kicker off the farm who wants the most expensive phone for free or he's going to another provider despite he signed a two year contract four months ago are not my cups of tea. But the money is good and maybe I could hold down the fort while I continue to look for that job of holding up a wall with my mind that pays $15 an hour.
So I go to the AT&T store, the store, where I used to have to go for training and company meetings. Lady tells me to go online, they don't accept resume's on-site because they have an HR department that filters through everything.
Are you catching what's happening to me here? I'm trying to beat down doors, it's not just these two places, multiple places, including the freaking temp-agency, don't want anything to do with me...in person. "Upload your resume online." "Apply online." "Our job listings can be found at this website." A long time ago, even before my time, you had to make face-time, shake hands, show up and act like you cared. Now, the internet, that tool which I'm using to find leads, is also making it impossible for me to say "hello" to someone who might actually be able to help me get a job.
This is a double edged sword, of course. There's the convenience of doing all this from the comfort of my own living room. But also, if someone else applying for the same job has higher credentials, it doesn't matter if he's the dumbass Vulture and I'm Bugs Bunny. No one cares about intuition, craftiness, and a killer wit (none of which do I have, but I fake them with enthusiasm!), they want someone who looks good on paper. Well...on a computer screen.
AT&T I once worked for, back in 2000. I enjoyed it, but it was only a temp job and after the holiday's I was let go. A few years later I worked for Cingular Wireless. This was at the time Cingular bought out AT&T's wireless division, but I was released before it became AT&T again. I made really good money, commission was bangin'. But I hated it. I had every intention of giving a customer what they wanted, but my bosses wanted me to pile on frivolous shit that nobody really needed. I also rubbed the owner's the wrong way. I never really understood that, but alas, I am abrasive and I will tell you off, I don't care who you are or how much more important you think you are than me. I'll also defend the actions of myself and the people I care about. I was fired for failing a "mystery shop." I was fired after a big meeting where the head-honcho wanted to give us a reaming for declining sales. I interrupted him during his hazing and said that every single one of us was trying, but we couldn't drag people off the street and force them to buy something, to which my direct boss agreed and tried to bolster my intended meaning. But Big Boss wasn't having any of it and jumped into the big middle of both of us, even losing composure and cussing about how he didn't care about fucking excuses. If something can be excused, shouldn't you hear it out? I had a big falling out with my direct boss because I felt I had been sacrificed. Heather, I'm sorry for acting like a douche those days, please understand I was devastated.
Moving on, it wasn't just internal politics that had me upset, but some customers, because they are people and this applies to every walk of life, only want to complain. Even if there's nothing to complain about. I'd take it for the team, you're supposed to, but sometimes these asshats and their "I want it all but I don't want to pay for it" attitudes would really get under my skin. Why would anyone ever want to be in sales? Some people enjoy the challenge, I guess. I enjoy the challenge of telling a good story. I enjoy trying to beat Ibuki with Ryu on Street Fighter IV. I enjoy a good L.I.T. Do you see what I enjoy? I enjoy things that directly affect the pleasure-centers of my brain. Winning over a cunt-bag with smelly hair or some shit-kicker off the farm who wants the most expensive phone for free or he's going to another provider despite he signed a two year contract four months ago are not my cups of tea. But the money is good and maybe I could hold down the fort while I continue to look for that job of holding up a wall with my mind that pays $15 an hour.
So I go to the AT&T store, the store, where I used to have to go for training and company meetings. Lady tells me to go online, they don't accept resume's on-site because they have an HR department that filters through everything.
Are you catching what's happening to me here? I'm trying to beat down doors, it's not just these two places, multiple places, including the freaking temp-agency, don't want anything to do with me...in person. "Upload your resume online." "Apply online." "Our job listings can be found at this website." A long time ago, even before my time, you had to make face-time, shake hands, show up and act like you cared. Now, the internet, that tool which I'm using to find leads, is also making it impossible for me to say "hello" to someone who might actually be able to help me get a job.
This is a double edged sword, of course. There's the convenience of doing all this from the comfort of my own living room. But also, if someone else applying for the same job has higher credentials, it doesn't matter if he's the dumbass Vulture and I'm Bugs Bunny. No one cares about intuition, craftiness, and a killer wit (none of which do I have, but I fake them with enthusiasm!), they want someone who looks good on paper. Well...on a computer screen.
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