Christmas employment

That season is almost upon us. And with it comes a newness we have come to expect. Of course I am talking about the Christmas employment season. Hundreds of teenagers and college students start applying for work they know is temporary but should put a little spending cash in their pockets.
As an employer I see applicants of all ages and with it I am seeing a disturbing trend. Who is teaching these students how to apply for a job? My guess would be nobody. So, if you will, please allow me to offer a few suggestions to the new applicants that might just improve your chances.
When applying for a job please don’t take the lazy approach and phone it in. If you call my store and ask if we are hiring I am going to tell you no – even if I am. Employers need to see you. They need to know that you will take the time to apply face-to-face. If you phone in your application we can only expect you to phone in your job as well. We don’t need employees like that.
When you do show up please wear appropriate clothing for the job you are seeking. Jeans that don’t even come close to hugging your hips and t-shirts that expose your navel ring will not get you a job you really want to keep. If you have done your research (and you should), then you should dress in a manner similar to what you hope will be your fellow employees. At the least you should be dressed in a business casual manner. Men should be in dress slacks and a button down shirt and the ladies should be attired in either a nice dress or a skirt or slacks and a blouse.
While I recognize this generation’s need to adorn themselves in piercings and label yourself with injected ink, it would be a good idea to cover the tattoos and leave the ornaments at home until you determine that such a thing is allowed at your prospective employer.
Most employers have an application form that you fill out when you get there. However, bringing a resume certainly enhances your chances. If you don’t have a resume or don’t want to bring one, at least bring a pen. I cannot tell you how many applicants come unprepared to fill out an application. At the very least you should have a list of a minimum of three references. These references should be asked before you use them and you should come with their addresses and their phone numbers. A certain way to assure you will not get a job is to ask me for a phone book so you can look up your reference’s address and number.
Hopefully these few ideas will help you in your search for your Christmas job this year. I wish you the best of luck in your job hunt.
Oh, and one other thing – I’m not hiring at this time.

I love movies

I love movies. I have a collection of DVDs that has outgrown my cabinet shelves and yet I continue to collect. While my collection of books is larger, there is something about movies that appeals to me. Although books begin and end my days, they require a little more effort to get involved in than movies. If you ever watch a movie based on a book the movie will usually pale in comparison. However, a movie allows you to see things that sometimes your imagination does not. Film showing the sun setting over the Pacific will never do the real thing justice. If you have never been privileged enough to witness that sunset in person, then a movie can at least give you a sense of what it would be like.
Whether you are a movie buff or just an occasional observer, movies have a way of marking our development as a people. Some movies give us a picture of the past while others show us what the future could look like. Watching historical movies is a great way to entertain kids while teaching them history. Yes, I know that not all historical movies are completely accurate in their depiction of past events or people but better way to learn a little about Mozart, Jesse James, William C. Wallace, or Marie Antoinette than through an entertaining film?
There was a time when I could tell you my top ten favorite movies. However, I have decided that trying to compose this list is impossible in this evolving media. It would be like saying my favorite food is strained peas because I liked them as an infant. What I can tell you is that we all have different reasons for enjoying different types of movies. One of my daughter’s favorite movies was Napoleon Dynamite. I don’t think she really liked the film. I think she just liked the reaction she got from her mother and me when she would make us watch it.
What often makes a movie for me are the lines that are worth quoting long after the movie is gone. Braveheart’s “they may take our lives but they’ll never take our freedom!” is a classic that is often quoted. A round of golf is seldom over without hearing, in a Bill Murray impression, “It’s in the hole!” For me, though, it is often the more obscure lines. My second favorite line in Ghostbusters is, “Listen… You smell something?” Then there are lines that are even more obscure that only have meaning when uttered amongst your closest friends. My friend and old college roommate Steve and I hardly let a conversation end without recalling a line such as “Let's go out dancing! You put on your black dress, and I'll go shave my tongue.”
When you feel the weight of the world pressing down on you try popping in a DVD and escape for 118 minutes or so. For those of you who think this is silly, “frankly my dear…”