Why do the retail/entry level service jobs give a crap about qualifications? (credit, degrees)

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by InsaneTraveler

I don't quite understand what you are saying.....

There are a lot more flaws in narrowing down a pool of retail applicants compared(?) to other jobs (like what?) where less people would be qualified.

I guess I am looking for examples.

Bob's response sums it up.

Not sure it really applies to your example as your interview came via a college relationship.

[fireandice1000]

Originally Posted by thebunny

I work in recruiting for the retail industry, so I will respond.



Gee...maybe the long employment process, is to weed out the people like you who feel entitled to a job because you are breathing? You want the companies to hire anyone who walks through the door, to stop having standards and employment requirements, and then you complain about the quality of the staff and not getting service? Are you kidding???

Hahahaha...this is funny. Typical response of management. What do you expect for $8.00/hr anyways? Don't preach to me about work ethic when half of the velcro butt management don't work most of the time anyways. Nothing against you personally but I just don't get why management expects Cadillac service for Hyundai prices.

Oh, and the part about me getting fired for not bending over for management, that's called exaggeration. I was in retail but I wasn't a troublemaker, did my work and minded my Ps and Qs and ended up being driven out because of politics. The workers that actually were babysat like you mentioned were the ones that kept their jobs and were given better treatment. That's the way it is in every retail outlet I've worked. Funny thing is, managers were the ones that usually had the entitlement mentality. The genuinely good managers were the ones used as punching bags by their bosses and eventually quit or got fired. So, yes, I think a lot of people are going to have the 'attitude' you mentioned.

[fireandice1000]

Originally Posted by bobtn

No, they need to recognize they are causing their own failure, and clean up their act. If not, relatives can provide for them.


Society owes them NOTHING.

If society owes me nothing, then I owe society nothing. Deal?

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by fireandice1000

Hahahaha...this is funny. Typical response of management. What do you expect for $8.00/hr anyways? Don't preach to me about work ethic when half of the velcro butt management don't work most of the time anyways. Nothing against you personally but I just don't get why management expects Cadillac service for Hyundai prices.

Oh, and the part about me getting fired for not bending over for management, that's called exaggeration. I was in retail but I wasn't a troublemaker, did my work and minded my Ps and Qs and ended up being driven out because of politics. The workers that actually were babysat like you mentioned were the ones that kept their jobs and were given better treatment. That's the way it is in every retail outlet I've worked. Funny thing is, managers were the ones that usually had the entitlement mentality. The genuinely good managers were the ones used as punching bags by their bosses and eventually quit or got fired. So, yes, I think a lot of people are going to have the 'attitude' you mentioned.

Retail in general is one of the worst work environments on all levels of employees.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by fireandice1000

If society owes me nothing, then I owe society nothing. Deal?

Actually that is correct.

[goldenchild08]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

Anyone can get into college today. A degree means very little from a crappy school or crappy student.

That maybe true. However, only about a third of the American adult population holds a college degree. The percentage may be a bit higher for the younger population under 35. The fact is that America can no longer provide professional jobs for the minority of adults who hold college degrees. Everyone on the internet has already read the statistic of over 50% under and unemployment for recent college grads. A few short years ago in 2006, upwards of 90% of recent college grads found professional work a year after graduation. When the sh#t hit the fan in late 2007/early 2008, credit was rolled back and there was massive lay-offs which caused millions of seasoned career veterans to scramble for entry level paid professional jobs to get back on their feet. Experienced workers took a loss in the form of significant pay-cuts, but at least many of them were back to work. As a result, recent college grads without years of work experience in most fields in most places are no longer necessary in the job market because an employer can buy an experienced worker for the price that he paid for a recent college grad a few years ago. This is the reason why professional jobs in many fields suddenly require 3-5 years of directly related full-time work experience.

Unemployed college grads: the upside - CSMonitor.com

Americans don't lack skills or smarts. We lack jobs in America because our entire economy is based on consumption and not production. The only thing America produces is literally a lot of waste and trash which is our number one material export to the rest of the world.

To comment on the main topic of the thread, entry level retail/service jobs don't want college degree holders because they think college grads will quit as soon as a "better" job in their field comes along; which is mostly true. Low-paid jobs that do not require college degrees want "lifers". They want someone who has no other options but to work for $7.50 an hour. Having a college degree makes you look like a high class snob who is afraid of getting your hands dirty to many low wage employers who would rather hire teenagers, college dropouts, current college students who have yet to graduate or illegal immigrants as opposed to a college grad in their mid 20's and up. Most people who work low-wage jobs in places like McDonald's or Pizza Hut do not climb the ranks. There is a good chance your career at McDonald's or any other low-wage job might peak at the hefty wage of $10.50 an hour. Companies, big and small, are getting away with paying people as little as possible to work as much as possible.

It is tough to say the least. Kids grow up hearing "go to college so you won't be flipping burgers like a LOSER" only to graduate college, not be able to find a "real" job and be told to flip burgers by their elders. This would be possible if low-wage jobs wouldn't label college grads as overqualified and employers would start hiring fresh college grads instead of people in the late 30's and up. There is no way to cut it and lie about it; it sucks to be under 35 today. Most kids these days are much more likely to land in jail than getting a decent job. This is not far off. America imprisons more people than anywhere in the world and no one bought into outsourcing and de-industrialization more than good ol' USA.

5 Ways We Ruined the Occupy Wall Street Generation | Cracked.com

[texdav]

Originally Posted by fireandice1000

It's not like Target and Walmart and Bugger King actually need college grads to work the deep fryers or stock shelves, so why do they make a big deal out of work history and education, etc? It's a throwaway job, why do they give a ****? Big deal, so I got fired from the previous Wallyworld-Burger-Barn for refusing to bend over for the manager. Why should they care? Working at these places shouldn't require even a middle school education. I know this is probably a dumb question to ask but I just don't get how they can stay in business. Instead of having all the questionaires and online application hell, they'd be better off letting the store managers make more decisions on hiring. If the store manager likes what they see, then let the person on. If they don't, fine. But now the service industries make it like they're hiring an engineer to work on some technical trinket that no one will care about anyways. Furthermore, everytime I go into a retail store it seems that 90% of the people there don't want to be there or aren't on Earth mentally. Years ago, you could actually get decent help, but not now.

That attitude is just what they are trying to avoid in workers.Now days most fast food workers can ring up a order corectly without a product key or even make change without the register doing it. We had a company blue collar teat and about 80% couldn't mark 1 and 3/16ths on a picture of a ruler. They stay in business because they make it hard to screwup ebcause that can make huge difference i profits when workers are poor and don't care.

[selhars]

Unless I missed it, did the OP or anyone else say he/she thought they were 'entitled' to a job.

Are we going to disagree that some aspects the job hunting process are BS? And that employers ask questions they don't need to, don't post openings when they know good and well they're going to promote from within.

Through its website -- I applied for a job with a major nationally known medical center in the Baltimore area -- they asked my SS number -- AND for permission to check my credit.....I COULD NOT even apply for the job without given them permission to pull my credit.

Now forgive me if I think thats BS...given that HUNDREDS of people likely applied, why couldn't they ask for that AFTER they'd narrowed the field to 5-10 people. Why just to apply do I have to give permission for a credit check when I may not even make the first cut for the gig! I did give the info because as I said -- it's a major renowned organization -- but I was pissed about it.

Over a more than one year period I applied for more than 100 federal jobs -- I got ONE frigging interview. I contact government workers and deal with them in a related field to what I'm doing -- and I KNOW I'm MORE than qualified for the jobs I applied for. But the resume process is so BS they want you to explain EVERY little damned thing you did on your job.

You can't just say edited copy -- you have to say "corrected written material for spelling and grammatical errors." Well - DUH -- that's what an editor DOES! But if I just said edited copy I would be found not qualified. One job listing for a stinking waiter -- said duties include taking orders and setting tables -- -- you think?

The private sector job search is frustrating -- the gov serch is down right insulting to the intelligence. After 20 years in a given profession you ought to be able to look at my resume and decide whether you at least would like to talk to me.

I thank God I gave up the search to leave where I was....and quit wasting my time.

[Colddiamond102]

Originally Posted by thebunny

I work in recruiting for the retail industry, so I will respond.



Gee...maybe the long employment process, is to weed out the people like you who feel entitled to a job because you are breathing? You want the companies to hire anyone who walks through the door, to stop having standards and employment requirements, and then you complain about the quality of the staff and not getting service? Are you kidding???

I knew I liked you.

Originally Posted by NorthStarDelight

WRONG!

Society owes *everyone* the right to live - that's called a "civilized society." We are NOT apes living in the jungle, we're human beings, and we're better than that. I wish people like you would claim an island and start your own damn country - so the rest of us can put things back together like they were in the good old days, when people cared about each other.

I dont know WHAT kind of green stuff you've been smoking, but you need to take off those rose-colored hippie glases, because I dont owe you jack diddly squat.

Originally Posted by InsaneTraveler

You know, I recently went on a retail job interview (last week). It was for Dillards. I found it somewhat humorous that they were advertising their retail positions under the guise of a "Management Trainee Position", but I applied none the less and snagged a slot in one of their interview times on my campus.

-Keep in mind. I didn't "GET" the interview. As long as you were quick enough to snag a slot then they were obligated to meet you in person and speak with you for 30 minutes.-

But anyways, the interview went well from what I can interpret from it. I have a spotty employment history, but I do have four years of customer service work and a B.S. degree in Business Management. I know I am good looking because I used to be a go go dancer at gay bars during college. If you can do that, then you can do ANY retail job. What more could a company like Dillards want out of prospective employee?

But, its been a week now, and I haven't gotten a call back. The bottom line is that for early twenty somethings like us, the job market is the worst it has been since the 1930s. Employers can pick people with past work experience. Everyone has a degree so that hardly matters anymore. One day, things will get better, but it won't for many many years.

The one thing good going for us is that we are young. To all these high and mighty people posting on this thread. Guess what? You will be in your graves soon enough and the unemployed youth of today will be pissing on them.

I am going to answer your question about Dillards because I work for Macys, and I have a feeling I know WHY they didnt call you back if they were even hiring.
Sales. They want someone they KNOW their personality will sell things. It is 5 parts perky, 3 parts pushy, 4.5 parts manipulative, and loads and loads and LOADS of people-sense. Those people interviewing you are trained to spot those traits. It is entirely possible the interviewer was not confident in your ability to perform the job as needed. Trust me, its more involved than you'd think.


And to the OP:

My 'retail job' that a 'middle schooler' could supposedly do requires ALOT more than what your middle schooler could handle, and I thank GOD for a screening process so I dont have to put up with nearly as many incompetent idiots.
Much better than average social skills are required when trying to sell someone a $600 handbag, dont get me started on the product knowledge required on the hundreds of items in just ONE department (Mine is Handbags and Accessories, ie costume jewelry and pricey watches), let alone the other departments I periodically have to work in as well. I have to be outgoing, yet professional, honest without screwing up the entire sale,at times agressive to even GET the sale, etc, and intuitive enough to know when to back off, and extremely observant of body language. Its like fishing for people.
Yeah, Id LOVE to see a middle schooler try my job

[InsaneTraveler]

Originally Posted by Colddiamond102

I knew I liked you.


I dont know WHAT kind of green stuff you've been smoking, but you need to take off those rose-colored hippie glases, because I dont owe you jack diddly squat.


I am going to answer your question about Dillards because I work for Macys, and I have a feeling I know WHY they didnt call you back if they were even hiring.
Sales. They want someone they KNOW their personality will sell things. It is 5 parts perky, 3 parts pushy, 4.5 parts manipulative, and loads and loads and LOADS of people-sense. Those people interviewing you are trained to spot those traits. It is entirely possible the interviewer was not confident in your ability to perform the job as needed. Trust me, its more involved than you'd think.


And to the OP:

My 'retail job' that a 'middle schooler' could supposedly do requires ALOT more than what your middle schooler could handle, and I thank GOD for a screening process so I dont have to put up with nearly as many incompetent idiots.
Much better than average social skills are required when trying to sell someone a $600 handbag, dont get me started on the product knowledge required on the hundreds of items in just ONE department (Mine is Handbags and Accessories, ie costume jewelry and pricey watches), let alone the other departments I periodically have to work in as well. I have to be outgoing, yet professional, honest without screwing up the entire sale,at times agressive to even GET the sale, etc, and intuitive enough to know when to back off, and extremely observant of body language. Its like fishing for people.
Yeah, Id LOVE to see a middle schooler try my job

Perky, pushy, manipulative, people sense? Maybe you missed my part about me being a go go dancer. That job requires far more of all of those traits than your hand bag position at Macys (which the interviewer had absolutely nothing good to say about, btw).

Don't assume you know **** about someone after reading a paragraph, let alone enough to assume why they might have not been hired for a job. I was VERY perky for the interview. I have the boyish face and the big blue eyes to go along with it. I made it very clear that I can sell a product and that I am willing to work nights and weekends to get the job. I have the better than average social skills to do a retail job babe. I wouldn't be out dancing the night away with friends like I was tonight if I didn't.