7th January 2009, 12:33 PM
A STRANGE TALE - that may be of some use?
A true tale, that occurred in 1992.
I was keen to work at "UNIT X".
I kept regularly sending CVs and following up with a phone call.
Each time I phoned, "Mr Posh Voice" would take my call and say: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
As always, the cure for this problem was: "It is not WHAT you know but WHO you know, that counts, when you want to get a job".
I discussed "UNIT X" and "Mr Posh Voice" at the local diggers (unemployed diggers?) pub.
One of the people at the pub "Smiley", said he knew that "UNIT X" would be wanting diggers, in two weeks time.
With this tip-off, I rang at the appropriate time.
"Mr Posh Voice" said: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
I said that I had been told, that they had.
"Mr Posh Voice" said: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
I decided to contact "Smiley". He was friends with a field officer in "UNIT X" - "Mr Cool Dude".
Smiley said: "phone them again, tomorrow morning, When Mr Posh Voice picks up the phone, do not ask if there any jobs, just ask to be put through to Mr Cool Dude. Say nothing else. Mr Posh Voice will assume you know Cool Dude, as you have just asked for him. When you get throught to Cool Dude, tell him you are one of Smiley's digging buddies".
So I did that. I phoned UNIT X. Mr Posh Voice answerred the phone. As usual, I did not give my name, but this time, simply said: "Good morning, can you put me through to Mr Cool Dude, please"
Mr Posh Voice said "cetrainly sir" and put me through.
On getting through to Cool Dude, I explained who I was. He said that they were desperate to get up to 40 diggers, for a site that had to be done. He immediately offerred me a start, next monday morning. So there you are. He had never met me before, never actually read my CV (he told me so) and accepted me as "good enough" as I had dug with one of his mates. All I had to do, was repay his kindness by turning up and doing the job.
A final part to my tale.
That morning, I had thus tricked "Posh Voice" into putting-me-through to Cool Dude and thus got a job.
I decided out of mischief, to phone UNIT X in the afternoon and put Posh Voice to the test.
Posh Voice picked up the phone. I gave no name as usual but said I was a digger that had sent CV and was looking for work.
"Mr Posh Voice" said: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
I should have called him: "A complete and utter two-faced anchor" or something like that but instead, I politely said "thank you" and put the phone down. Then I laughed.
Moral: It was knowing Smiley in the diggers pub that got me that temporary job. With him telling me to ask for Cool Dude, that made all the difference.
If you too, know a name to ask for, that might make all the difference!
A true tale, that occurred in 1992.
I was keen to work at "UNIT X".
I kept regularly sending CVs and following up with a phone call.
Each time I phoned, "Mr Posh Voice" would take my call and say: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
As always, the cure for this problem was: "It is not WHAT you know but WHO you know, that counts, when you want to get a job".
I discussed "UNIT X" and "Mr Posh Voice" at the local diggers (unemployed diggers?) pub.
One of the people at the pub "Smiley", said he knew that "UNIT X" would be wanting diggers, in two weeks time.
With this tip-off, I rang at the appropriate time.
"Mr Posh Voice" said: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
I said that I had been told, that they had.
"Mr Posh Voice" said: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
I decided to contact "Smiley". He was friends with a field officer in "UNIT X" - "Mr Cool Dude".
Smiley said: "phone them again, tomorrow morning, When Mr Posh Voice picks up the phone, do not ask if there any jobs, just ask to be put through to Mr Cool Dude. Say nothing else. Mr Posh Voice will assume you know Cool Dude, as you have just asked for him. When you get throught to Cool Dude, tell him you are one of Smiley's digging buddies".
So I did that. I phoned UNIT X. Mr Posh Voice answerred the phone. As usual, I did not give my name, but this time, simply said: "Good morning, can you put me through to Mr Cool Dude, please"
Mr Posh Voice said "cetrainly sir" and put me through.
On getting through to Cool Dude, I explained who I was. He said that they were desperate to get up to 40 diggers, for a site that had to be done. He immediately offerred me a start, next monday morning. So there you are. He had never met me before, never actually read my CV (he told me so) and accepted me as "good enough" as I had dug with one of his mates. All I had to do, was repay his kindness by turning up and doing the job.
A final part to my tale.
That morning, I had thus tricked "Posh Voice" into putting-me-through to Cool Dude and thus got a job.
I decided out of mischief, to phone UNIT X in the afternoon and put Posh Voice to the test.
Posh Voice picked up the phone. I gave no name as usual but said I was a digger that had sent CV and was looking for work.
"Mr Posh Voice" said: "I am terribly sorry, we have no jobs here, at the moment".
I should have called him: "A complete and utter two-faced anchor" or something like that but instead, I politely said "thank you" and put the phone down. Then I laughed.
Moral: It was knowing Smiley in the diggers pub that got me that temporary job. With him telling me to ask for Cool Dude, that made all the difference.
If you too, know a name to ask for, that might make all the difference!