I guess you don't really want a job, do you?

[SamiHami]

Maybe this is the wrong place to post this, since the people I'm going to describe don't work, and don't seem to want to!

My organization occupies about 3/4 of the buiding where we are located. The other 1/4 is occupied by several much smaller businesses. Those businesses seem to be having difficulty hiring employees. I know this because their candidates always stop by the lobby of my company in search of the correct office. These are things I have observed very frequently:

-The person doesn't know the name of the company they are looking for
-or the name of the person they are to interview with
-They are dressed very inappropriately
-They cannot seem to put together a coherent sentence
-And, my personal favorite-I am often requested to print out their resumes for them. Um. No. Not going to happen. We are not Kinko's and we don't use our time and supplies for people wandering in off the street. I even had one guy get really angry at me for refusing, as though he was entitled to it!

Then yesterday I had one of my own. We are hiring, so my boss had me set up interviews. One candidate came in yesterday and she flatly refused to interview him. This guy showed up for a professional interview in a sweatshirt and sweat pants! Who does that? Boss told me she wasn't wasting her time interviewing someone who can't be bothered to dress appropriately for an interview. I was pretty straightforward when I told him that we were cancelling his interview. I told him that he was not dressed appropriately and that was the reason for canceling on him. His response? "Oh, well I've had a busy day." 

Do people just not want jobs? Or are they so plentiful that they think they don't have to put any effort at all in making themselves attractive candicates? What the heck?

[Carotte]

Maybe this is the wrong place to post this, since the people I'm going to describe don't work, and don't seem to want to!

My organization occupies about 3/4 of the buiding where we are located. The other 1/4 is occupied by several much smaller businesses. Those businesses seem to be having difficulty hiring employees. I know this because their candidates always stop by the lobby of my company in search of the correct office. These are things I have observed very frequently:

-The person doesn't know the name of the company they are looking for
-or the name of the person they are to interview with
-They are dressed very inappropriately
-They cannot seem to put together a coherent sentence
-And, my personal favorite-I am often requested to print out their resumes for them. Um. No. Not going to happen. We are not Kinko's and we don't use our time and supplies for people wandering in off the street. I even had one guy get really angry at me for refusing, as though he was entitled to it!

Then yesterday I had one of my own. We are hiring, so my boss had me set up interviews. One candidate came in yesterday and she flatly refused to interview him. This guy showed up for a professional interview in a sweatshirt and sweat pants! Who does that? Boss told me she wasn't wasting her time interviewing someone who can't be bothered to dress appropriately for an interview. I was pretty straightforward when I told him that we were cancelling his interview. I told him that he was not dressed appropriately and that was the reason for canceling on him. His response? "Oh, well I've had a busy day." 

Do people just not want jobs? Or are they so plentiful that they think they don't have to put any effort at all in making themselves attractive candidates? What the heck?

Do you live in a country where unemployed people have to prove they scheduled/went to X number of interviews to receive their financial/unemployment aid?
I don't personally (live in such country) but that's something I've seen many posters here explain.
I also want to know where you live, if there are so many places hiring I need to move in there! Even the bottom ladder or retail jobs here asks you for some prior experience!

[SamiHami]

I am in the US, and you can apply for jobs over the internet to satisfy the requirements for unemployment benefits. You only have to document how many companies you apply to, not how many interviews you go on.

[melicious]

It's crazy that in this day and age people don't know how to interview properly. I thought that basic interview etiquette was common knowledge. Besides, there's loads of information about it on the Internet. I mean, even if you're to interview at McDonald's you don't show up in a sweatshirt and jeans. And to request the interviewer print out their resume for them? Ridiculous. I always carry at least two copies, in case the interviewer didn't have time to print one out.

[bah12]

What kind of business occupies the other 1/4 of your building?  In my line of work, we dress in business suits, especially for interviews and important meetings, but my husband runs a construction company.  He has an HR firm that is located in a building with other businesses, but the people he hires are not going to show up there in business suits and ties. They also don't speak very eloquently.

Anyway, unprofessionalism is just that...it's unprofessional.  Dress and speech needs to be appropriate for the environment.  Preparedness is always important. 

[SamiHami]

One is a financial management branch of a major national bank. Another is some sort of sales company. Those are the two main ones that have interview candidates come through. Seriously-you want to do sales but you can't dress appropriately or communicate effectively? Tsk.

[SamiHami]

It's crazy that in this day and age people don't know how to interview properly. I thought that basic interview etiquette was common knowledge. Besides, there's loads of information about it on the Internet. I mean, even if you're to interview at McDonald's you don't show up in a sweatshirt and jeans. And to request the interviewer print out their resume for them? Ridiculous. I always carry at least two copies, in case the interviewer didn't have time to print one out.

Oh, but they aren't asking the interviewer to print their resume! They stop by my office looking for one of the other companies and while they are here they ask me to do it for them. I had one guy get downright indignant when I refused!

[melicious]

It's crazy that in this day and age people don't know how to interview properly. I thought that basic interview etiquette was common knowledge. Besides, there's loads of information about it on the Internet. I mean, even if you're to interview at McDonald's you don't show up in a sweatshirt and jeans. And to request the interviewer print out their resume for them? Ridiculous. I always carry at least two copies, in case the interviewer didn't have time to print one out.

Oh, but they aren't asking the interviewer to print their resume! They stop by my office looking for one of the other companies and while they are here they ask me to do it for them. I had one guy get downright indignant when I refused!

  Wow.

[Margo]

I think there are a lot of people who genuinely *don't* know what is expected - and even now, a lot of people who don't think to look for information online.

Of course some may be people who don't want to work, or who only want a very specific job. But I have had candidates who clearly, desperately wanted the job, but had no clue about how to present themselves or their application.

I'm not sure that this is something which people are actually *taught*

[melicious]

I think there are a lot of people who genuinely *don't* know what is expected - and even now, a lot of people who don't think to look for information online.

Of course some may be people who don't want to work, or who only want a very specific job. But I have had candidates who clearly, desperately wanted the job, but had no clue about how to present themselves or their application.

I'm not sure that this is something which people are actually *taught*

You're right. I hope my post didn't make me sound like a major snob. There are some exceptions and I should know better than to generalize. 

[Yvaine]

One is a financial management branch of a major national bank. Another is some sort of sales company. Those are the two main ones that have interview candidates come through. Seriously-you want to do sales but you can't dress appropriately or communicate effectively? Tsk.

Are they possibly a scammy sales company? There are some sleazy companies that will aggressively recruit anyone with a pulse.

[SamiHami]

I don't really know; I don't interact with them except for directing their lost candidates to their office. Could very well be, though.

[Margo]

I think there are a lot of people who genuinely *don't* know what is expected - and even now, a lot of people who don't think to look for information online.

Of course some may be people who don't want to work, or who only want a very specific job. But I have had candidates who clearly, desperately wanted the job, but had no clue about how to present themselves or their application.

I'm not sure that this is something which people are actually *taught*

You're right. I hope my post didn't make me sound like a major snob. There are some exceptions and I should know better than to generalize. 

I don't think you came over as a snob. I think one of the hardest things to remember is that  something which  is obvious / common sense to you or me, may not be obvious to others - which then led me to try to think whether I'd ever actually been *told* or *taught* how to write a resume/CV - and as far as I can remember, the only time that happened was when I was at University, and it was a short (optional) presentation. I did get advice from others, but it was because I sought it out.  I don't know whether it is something which is ever covered in schools.  And one of the most useful pieces of advice I had came from my Dad.

[esposita]

Those businesses seem to be having difficulty hiring employees. I know this because their candidates always stop by the lobby of my company in search of the correct office.

Perhaps the more professional job-seekers know where they are going? So you only see the ones who didn't think ahead to ask for instructions on how to get to the correct office within the building?

[Sharnita]

I might have all of them fill out a questionaire that asks things like "How did you hear of this job/ company?"

I would be curious to know if one source is sending many/most/all of them to you.