Luck of the Irish… or Pom in this case.
I have just finished speaking with a guy who might possibly be getting a job with us. He is from the UK, has come to Australia on a skills shortage visa, and is now looking for work. The only problem is (like it is for all these migrants) is that they don’t have a Queensland Electrical Licence.
This particular guy called me the other day about getting a job with us, and I emailed him back with some links to some forms he needed to fill out, and what he needed to get, and the course he needed to do. Today he came in to see me. It was quite unexpected, and I didn’t remember his name, but when he spoke I recognised his voice. He was quite nice, and had come in to show me his paperwork, explaining that he had already done most of what I had suggested. He was looking to be a t.a. while he did the electrical licence course. Fair enough.
It is so easy to bull shit crap your way through anything in an email. I had seriously just been chatting to dad on skype and cutting and paste what he said! But in person, I could no longer play it up. I told him straight out that I actually look after apprentices, and that Graham (dad) looks after employing tradesmen, and he is in Mackay today. But I took him into my office anyway and gave dad a call.
After talking to dad the outlook wasn’t so hopefully, but he did suggest I talk to Andrew or someone and see if they needed anyone. But he wasn’t aware if they did. I thought of Rick immediately, who is in charge of Caboolture. Caboolture is not THAT far away, and I knew things were changing in his area. So I went in to see him, which Nick was still in my office. Rick’s eyes lit up when I explained the situation. “You know,” he said, “Andrew and everyone are having a meeting right now and when they come out they will have decided to advertise for a new person. He might just fit the ticket”! I was suprised, and glad for this guy, who obviously wanted a job.
So I introduced Nick to Rick, and they had a little chat. He got Nick’s number, and will call him back as soon as he knows anything more.
Fancy that. I just think it’s incredibly how quickly your odds go up of getting a job when you actually come in in person. When I emailed him yesterday, I thought that was the end of him. And to be completely honest, that is how I think of most the people I email. If they contact me again with all the right things to do work experience, or get a job, then I will sort of think of them as new, and I will get out my old emails to remember what I told them. But there are just too many to remember them all.
So my tip of today is if you’re looking for a job, go in and see the people in person!! You never know who might walk past the window, job the memory of the person you’re talking too, and hey presto, you have a job the recruitment officer didn’t even know was available!
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March 26 2008 02:58 pm | 3Work
March 26th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I don’t suppose he happens to be a British man of the single, attractive, Christian variety? ;P
xxB