Job Hunting

  So, as I troll around for a new job there are several things that seem to pop up on various job listings. There are quite a few employers that want much more than a cover letter, resume and references. A new requirement for employment includes essay writing, unpaid, required trainings and group interviewing.

  Since employers have the upper hand, as the job market is flooded with qualified candidates, it seems like some employers want to pit candidates against each other to see who is left standing.
  I recently applied for a job, a great job. After going to the orientation, I wanted this job. It was a school that sounded so amazing that I would have been honored to be a part of it. Then...thunk, the other shoe dropped.
  This job required all of the listed, new requirements. It required two essays to be written; one about team work and the other about a guest speaker at an upcoming meeting. It also required 12 days of training, 3 hours a day, dinner hours, for a span of twelve weeks. (Which means if you get a job offer in the interim, you cannot accept it because you have committed to 12 weeks.) In addition, the supervisor would sit above the group of candidates, watching to see who would fit the best.
  I understand and can appreciate wanting to make sure an employee is a good fit. But after doing the math of babysitting fees, tolls and gas, I discovered it would cost me about $800 for 12 weeks of unpaid training, without the promise of a job at the end. In addition to that, I had to take into consideration that if I left on time, while others were willing to stay late, it would look like I wasn't a team player and could be counted as a strike against me. But, my main team is my family, and my primary responsibility is my son. Yet, I wanted that damn job.
  Rather than just bailing, I wrote to the supervisor and offered the following: the two essays, 2-3 unpaid trainings, as many references as she wanted, (I have up to 10, not including personal references), as well as an offer to give a presentation to anyone/group she wanted.
  It was a no go. It was either commit to 12 weeks of unpaid trainings or I wouldn't even be a consideration. How far do you go for a job that feels like a perfect fit? How much do you eat in order to get it? Or, is it unreasonable for employers to expect people to jump through hoops AND come out of pocket with the mere hope of getting a position.
Disappointed, I passed.



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