Ive failed at two interviews today, and for each one it was something out of my control that forced me away. first was an LP job at the park (six flags discovery kingdom vallejo) and i got denied because my girlfriend works in HR. the second one was much more bitter, i impressed and small talked the owner of a local shop knowing he was looking for an installer. everything was going great, i gave him examples and experiences I've had installing and what instantly changed his tone was when he realized i had no Formal shop experience, just out of my house. he instantly turned me away. >_< i cant seem to get my foot in the door and college isnt paying for itself!!!!!
-Drew
Replies (7)
ttocs on 02/21/2008 01:42:36
how long you had that problem, the G-friend?
it will be tough for you to get your foot in the door and go straight into the bay. Most installers(myself included) start on the sales floor and then work their way back when they are too tired of the customers(me again). I don't think there has been a day in the shop that some guy comes in sayin he does all his buddy's stereos and how we should hire him(even though we are installing HIS amp(true story)). These people are normally chased off as they are the scariest people to have install you stuff(bubble gum and band-aids). If you want to make yourself stand out a bit from these guys then go in, act like you know diddley(nothing is more annoying then a know-it-all in YOUR bay) but want to learn, and that you are willing to sweep the floors and clean the bathroom for barely enough money to pay for the equipment you buy at cost and they will probably let you in(YUP, me again!)......... We all earn our way to the bay in one way or another.
The last two shops I have worked for(part time side job) were both modivated to have me come in to help them out when they were swamped and needed help. To be honest when I came to AZ from IN I was lost. I came from shops that occasionally got a custom job or two into a shop on my first day worked on 2 bmw M8's and a 911 C4TT all for custom 10k systems, completely lost......... The owners always liked my attitude and the fact that I was willing to learn and I was bailing them out by doing all the easy piddly stuff to free them up to do the big stuff.
Does that help?
newB on 02/21/2008 11:29:01
yeah, i see what your saying and when i'm in a shop i choose my words wisely. always tell them i'm willing to learn, and that i know the basics. i dont mind sweeping floors and cleaning bathrooms in a shop if it pays for school books.
-Drew
cplkittle on 02/21/2008 13:20:29
Bug the hell out of them. Right after I started, they hired a guy part time just because he stopped by everyday or every other day just to chat. He quit after about 3 weeks, but we gave him a chance.
Also tell them you want to learn how to do it right. That your installation practices have not been tainted by a halfass shop. Make them understand you are still moldable.
SQLThump on 02/21/2008 18:51:40
I feel your pain man. I have had so much trouble getting a job in the biz, that I pretty much quit trying. Didn't try anything the above guys said, except I would sweep the floors and make the toilets sparkle. Didn't think of haniging around to learn, clean and just to buy at cost though. Hell, I would do that right now.
Ash on 02/21/2008 19:03:20
You know, I always heard and even told myself that you have to work doing something you love. Then I found out that was a big dang lie! You have to do something that's gonna pay the bills. What you love is a hobby and if it just so happens that your hobby pays and pays well then your one of the rare lucky ones......
Oh and by the way, your girl's job and your experience with that:
I deem that a no-no as do most companies. Most serious businesses have a policy against it (nepotism) for a reason. Not saying it would happen to you, but they judge by experience from all the problems that can arise from it. You could only imagine the things that people will pull (or at least try to) when someone close to them is working in the same company.
So don't feel beat up about it. It's just the way the world works...
newB on 02/22/2008 19:25:18
yeah i'm not to beat up about it, i knew it could come up as a potential issue when i went into the interview. Another frustrating thing that my girlfriend told me was that her friend in HR is dating an LP guy, so obviously its a well enforced rule.
-Drew
swez on 02/23/2008 08:15:45
These wasp stings will go away in time and the main thing to consider, is what have we learned in the process! True learning will cause intense pain and mental termoil in the moment and to be expected. But these setbacks are a test of personal resolve, determination and how badly one desires to make the next big step. (Overcome the obstacles later) This often requires one to step back, look at all options and weigh the cost VS benefits to such things.
In the meantime, take time to step back, readjust the goals into smaller bites and then press on with a fresh plan. We all have to start somewhere and it's often at the bottom rungs of the ladder. That's OK and those who can "deal with/accept" the long-term gratification delays and do what is assigned to them in the process with great skilll, they will eventually find their way to master each level and progress upward too.
We also have to deal with rules and regulations in the process. The rules are there for a good reason, but not always the last word. For the person that is determined to make the next leap to a higher level, persistance and determination will often make the change happen later. The first "NO" is not always the last word.
If one performs and excels over their peers for an extended period of time, there are loop holes and concession available, if the company sees the ultimate benefits to itself and the parties concerned. If that means shunting the g/f to a lower level on the priority grid, so be it. (This may be temporary or permanent, depending on many variables one has yet to uncover)
If that is not a good option, then looking outside the present situation and consider applying for "LP status" at another park that is not governed by your ties to the HR g/f.
What say you on this one?
Swez
PS What does the "LP" designation in this program actually mean?
PSS Ash makes a very good point in his comments. Sometimes, we have to do undesireable tasks to put the most food on the table for the moment. But if we start a passion as a hobby and willing to extend the time line until we master the hobby, some find a profitable market for these passioned skills later.
For the near-term, it's nothing more than a hobby. Ifone can turn a profit while learning, that's an added bonus. (Most cannot until their financial obligations shrink and the kids are out on their own) The thought here... don't give up on that passion entirely. Just prioritize it until the timing is right. If that time never comes, we still have a creative outlet as a hobby and the benefits are less measured by $$$'s VS personal satisfaction to oneself and the clients we serve.
-Drew
Replies (7)
ttocs on 02/21/2008 01:42:36
how long you had that problem, the G-friend?
it will be tough for you to get your foot in the door and go straight into the bay. Most installers(myself included) start on the sales floor and then work their way back when they are too tired of the customers(me again). I don't think there has been a day in the shop that some guy comes in sayin he does all his buddy's stereos and how we should hire him(even though we are installing HIS amp(true story)). These people are normally chased off as they are the scariest people to have install you stuff(bubble gum and band-aids). If you want to make yourself stand out a bit from these guys then go in, act like you know diddley(nothing is more annoying then a know-it-all in YOUR bay) but want to learn, and that you are willing to sweep the floors and clean the bathroom for barely enough money to pay for the equipment you buy at cost and they will probably let you in(YUP, me again!)......... We all earn our way to the bay in one way or another.
The last two shops I have worked for(part time side job) were both modivated to have me come in to help them out when they were swamped and needed help. To be honest when I came to AZ from IN I was lost. I came from shops that occasionally got a custom job or two into a shop on my first day worked on 2 bmw M8's and a 911 C4TT all for custom 10k systems, completely lost......... The owners always liked my attitude and the fact that I was willing to learn and I was bailing them out by doing all the easy piddly stuff to free them up to do the big stuff.
Does that help?
newB on 02/21/2008 11:29:01
yeah, i see what your saying and when i'm in a shop i choose my words wisely. always tell them i'm willing to learn, and that i know the basics. i dont mind sweeping floors and cleaning bathrooms in a shop if it pays for school books.
-Drew
cplkittle on 02/21/2008 13:20:29
Bug the hell out of them. Right after I started, they hired a guy part time just because he stopped by everyday or every other day just to chat. He quit after about 3 weeks, but we gave him a chance.
Also tell them you want to learn how to do it right. That your installation practices have not been tainted by a halfass shop. Make them understand you are still moldable.
SQLThump on 02/21/2008 18:51:40
I feel your pain man. I have had so much trouble getting a job in the biz, that I pretty much quit trying. Didn't try anything the above guys said, except I would sweep the floors and make the toilets sparkle. Didn't think of haniging around to learn, clean and just to buy at cost though. Hell, I would do that right now.
Ash on 02/21/2008 19:03:20
You know, I always heard and even told myself that you have to work doing something you love. Then I found out that was a big dang lie! You have to do something that's gonna pay the bills. What you love is a hobby and if it just so happens that your hobby pays and pays well then your one of the rare lucky ones......
Oh and by the way, your girl's job and your experience with that:
I deem that a no-no as do most companies. Most serious businesses have a policy against it (nepotism) for a reason. Not saying it would happen to you, but they judge by experience from all the problems that can arise from it. You could only imagine the things that people will pull (or at least try to) when someone close to them is working in the same company.
So don't feel beat up about it. It's just the way the world works...
newB on 02/22/2008 19:25:18
yeah i'm not to beat up about it, i knew it could come up as a potential issue when i went into the interview. Another frustrating thing that my girlfriend told me was that her friend in HR is dating an LP guy, so obviously its a well enforced rule.
-Drew
swez on 02/23/2008 08:15:45
These wasp stings will go away in time and the main thing to consider, is what have we learned in the process! True learning will cause intense pain and mental termoil in the moment and to be expected. But these setbacks are a test of personal resolve, determination and how badly one desires to make the next big step. (Overcome the obstacles later) This often requires one to step back, look at all options and weigh the cost VS benefits to such things.
In the meantime, take time to step back, readjust the goals into smaller bites and then press on with a fresh plan. We all have to start somewhere and it's often at the bottom rungs of the ladder. That's OK and those who can "deal with/accept" the long-term gratification delays and do what is assigned to them in the process with great skilll, they will eventually find their way to master each level and progress upward too.
We also have to deal with rules and regulations in the process. The rules are there for a good reason, but not always the last word. For the person that is determined to make the next leap to a higher level, persistance and determination will often make the change happen later. The first "NO" is not always the last word.
If one performs and excels over their peers for an extended period of time, there are loop holes and concession available, if the company sees the ultimate benefits to itself and the parties concerned. If that means shunting the g/f to a lower level on the priority grid, so be it. (This may be temporary or permanent, depending on many variables one has yet to uncover)
If that is not a good option, then looking outside the present situation and consider applying for "LP status" at another park that is not governed by your ties to the HR g/f.
What say you on this one?
Swez
PS What does the "LP" designation in this program actually mean?
PSS Ash makes a very good point in his comments. Sometimes, we have to do undesireable tasks to put the most food on the table for the moment. But if we start a passion as a hobby and willing to extend the time line until we master the hobby, some find a profitable market for these passioned skills later.
For the near-term, it's nothing more than a hobby. Ifone can turn a profit while learning, that's an added bonus. (Most cannot until their financial obligations shrink and the kids are out on their own) The thought here... don't give up on that passion entirely. Just prioritize it until the timing is right. If that time never comes, we still have a creative outlet as a hobby and the benefits are less measured by $$$'s VS personal satisfaction to oneself and the clients we serve.
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