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Maybe in some professions but I've had to clean up after a company that decided to hire a chemist based on likability and clichéd interview BS. It was not fun and not cheap for the company. I would have just sat back and smirked If it wasn't part of my job to clean up the mess.
I read the link and it seemed the person was not qualified in the first place?
You are correct, it depends on the company. With my company, if you make it to the interview, you are already qualified for the position as an unqualified person would never be selected for an interview (in theory at least); at the interview, it is now just a question of "do we want to work with you."
This hospital laboratory where I'm finishing my internship at has an awful track record when it comes to hiring men. The vast majority of the 37 lab techs are women in their 20's up to their 50's. Plus, four out of the five hiring managers in the laboratory are women.
There are only three men in the entire hospital laboratory. Two of them have been working in the lab for over ten years, and the third one last year had to beg one of the lab supervisors to hire him.
Personally, I have a right to call BS. For the past ten years or so, most of the female interns have managed to land jobs within the hospital laboratory, while the male interns have been left out in the cold.
Sorry if I sound bitter. But it isn't fair for equally qualified men to be shoved aside in a workplace that just happens to be mostly women.
i was actually thinking about this thread because my bosses told me they're thinking of making an internal hire to replace me when i leave, and i'm thinking of advising that they don't. i am not the most social person at work, but i get along with everyone and i'm really even-tempered. it's something that's always remarked upon in my reviews and as someone who does a lot of communication and has to work with hundreds of different people, it's really important to my job.
this woman, while she's not a jerk or anything, is just really irritating. she speaks and writes in a really overly formal way and every time she asks me a question she keeps interrupting me to finish my sentences with her guesses about the answer (which are generally wrong). training her is going to drive me loopy, i think! and she's going to drive my bosses and the staff in the unit loopy as well. she also is really high strung and doesn't deal well with even the smallest amount of stress.
she has the intelligence and skills she needs to do my job (maybe not everything i do, but everything in the job description), but she really doesn't have the personality. that's important too. everything i can do, a reasonably capable person can learn. but you can't change your personality so easily.
Likability plays a huge factor overall.
Hiring managers will go over skills and qualifications, but they also look at personality. How well will you get along with your team? How apt are you to be a sour stick in the mud? Are you a team player or an individual worker?
Also many people may tend to loose their jobs after short term because the "fit" just isn't there.
We all like to say that it should come down to the person that does the "best" job, but if your team members don't like you than it can create an atmosphere of hostility where noone does their work in a timely manner.
Example... in retail if you have an employee that doesn't quite fit with the rest of the team working in an area. The other team members get along with her, but there is just something off... you start to notice the other team members copping an attitude about "not helping their team member because of.... *fill in the blank with some stupid comment*"
Guess who suffers than? The customer.
It's important to be a good fit.. but don't let it get you down.. Every team is different and every fits into a team in a different way.. You may get another opportunity
OP you still haven't mentioned if relocating is an option for you. You are young and have a good degree.
Also good looking girls always have an edge. That is just a basic rule in how the world works. The rules are actually a lot more relaxed for a girl who is good looking, they can be less qualified but get the position over you based on looks.
If you were an employer would you rather hire the hot chick or the awkward guy?
This hospital laboratory where I'm finishing my internship at has an awful track record when it comes to hiring men. The vast majority of the 37 lab techs are women in their 20's up to their 50's. Plus, four out of the five hiring managers in the laboratory are women.
There are only three men in the entire hospital laboratory. Two of them have been working in the lab for over ten years, and the third one last year had to beg one of the lab supervisors to hire him.
Personally, I have a right to call BS. For the past ten years or so, most of the female interns have managed to land jobs within the hospital laboratory, while the male interns have been left out in the cold.
Sorry if I sound bitter. But it isn't fair for equally qualified men to be shoved aside in a workplace that just happens to be mostly women.
But you said that you and Anna had similar skill sets. Anna is naturally friendly however, and that may have tipped the scales in her favor.
I used to be very, very shy. It really messed me up in the workplace and in my private life, too. While I was shy -- as in "terrified" -- I found out that some people interpreted my lack of communication with them as snobbishness or aloofness.
I would strongly suggest joining Toastmasters or something similar and really work on your communications skills. It can only help, not only in your professional life but in your personal one as well:
Also, are you a member of any engineering associations? Are you willing to relocate? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Are you active on Facebook and Twitter? Chemical Engineering Jobs
I think likability is a good/bad thing that gets you a job. Sometimes you are able to learn a job, other times you are not. I wouldn't say it is or isn't a be all, end all. More or less a foot in the door. Eventually people realize if you are good or bad worker.
This hospital laboratory where I'm finishing my internship at has an awful track record when it comes to hiring men. The vast majority of the 37 lab techs are women in their 20's up to their 50's. Plus, four out of the five hiring managers in the laboratory are women.
There are only three men in the entire hospital laboratory. Two of them have been working in the lab for over ten years, and the third one last year had to beg one of the lab supervisors to hire him.
Personally, I have a right to call BS. For the past ten years or so, most of the female interns have managed to land jobs within the hospital laboratory, while the male interns have been left out in the cold.
Sorry if I sound bitter. But it isn't fair for equally qualified men to be shoved aside in a workplace that just happens to be mostly women.
I am still stuck on how you went from chemical engineering to blood banking...
Here is a different perspective. Maybe because your educational credentials are in a completely different field, one in which you have the potential to earn a lot more, the employer saw you as someone who wouldn't be likely to build a career with them. Why waste all that time spent getting your engineering degree? If an engineering job came along next month, wouldn't you go for it?
Hiring someone who has more general experience or prospects, who fits into the culture, who deals well with customers and is likely to grow with the organization is the smarter choice for this employer.
Hey everyone. I’m a 33-year-old male, and I have a BA in chemistry and a BS in chemical engineering.
In 2010, I was fired from my job by a micromanaging supervisor. I subsequently kept struggling to find another job.
After two years of being unemployed, I enrolled in a medical technology internship program at my local hospital last year. The idea was that, upon completion of the program, I could quickly land a job in the medical field- because “people get sick”.
A few months ago, I started working in the hospital’s blood bank alongside another intern, Anna. For four weeks, she and I individually assisted the blood bankers with their daily workload.
During the training period, there was an open, full-time position in the same blood bank. Once Anna and I had completed the training, both of us applied for the position. Other than a few outsiders, she and I were the only current interns in the pool of applicants.
Last month, I found out that Anna had been hired for the position. According to the rumor mill in the lab, the blood bankers and their manager hired her over me because she is “more likeable”.
Now, I have nothing against Anna. But I feel that she and I are equally skilled, and that I’ve shown as much interest in blood banking as she has. Plus, Anna has a tendency to become high-strung during stressful situations. And if you’re a blood banker, the last thing you want to be is a stressball.
To put things in perspective-
Anna is a blond, attractive, 23-year-old student from Poland. Her personality can be described as “a splash of vibrant sunshine”. She’s very perky and outgoing. Everyone in the lab thinks she’s so cute.
On the other hand, I tend to be more on the quiet, reserved side. I prefer to keep to myself.
During the four-week training, I noticed that Anna clicked really well with the blood bankers and their manager. She shared incredible chemistry with them. She would regularly socialize with them during lunch/coffee breaks and even during busy hours. It’s worth mentioning that the entire blood bank consists of women, and that Anna was treated as “one of the girls”.
Needless to say, I didn’t form the same relationships with the blood bankers as Anna managed to do. And, for some reason, the blood bankers gave Anna excessive time-off, but never did the same for me.
Do you guys honestly think that Anna was hired over me largely due to her being “more likeable”? Or did she just get lucky?
Is likeability truly a major factor in the hiring process? Do I need to change how I present myself to prospective managers and colleagues?
I don’t want to sound cynical or anything. But I feel that there’s a lot of BS going on in today’s hiring practices.
She was hired over you because she became "One of the girls." They liked her personality, and she shared an "incredible chemistry with them." Of course she was going to be their choice. It's the same thing for a woman who is passed over because she isn't "One of the boys." Happens ALL of the time.
Now in the restaurant and retail industry (in which I recruit for) it's not so much a likeability factor. It is more like "Does he/she have the proper qualifications?" "Is he/she young, (under 30), well put together, trainable, or just the "right fit." I can't begin to tell you how many well qualified managers I have sent in for interviews, and they bombed. Why? Because the hiring manager felt they would not fit in. They either gave weird answers, or had a strange/weird personality, were under dressed, unprofessional, wouldn't look them in the eyes when speaking, laughed inappropriately etc.
The only advise I would give to you is to continue to be yourself. If anything, a little enthusiasm, and smiling can go a long way.
Also good looking girls always have an edge. That is just a basic rule in how the world works. The rules are actually a lot more relaxed for a girl who is good looking, they can be less qualified but get the position over you based on looks.
If you were an employer would you rather hire the hot chick or the awkward guy?
But what about having the proper skill sets and the appropriate amount of experience?
Quote:
Originally Posted by confusedasusual
I am still stuck on how you went from chemical engineering to blood banking...
I already mentioned previously in this thread that I've spent the past several years looking for another engineering job. But all I've received are rejections. Employers keep saying that they won't hire me because I "don't have the experience".
I figure that going into the medical field will help me land a job relatively easily, because "people get sick".
Does that help explain my situation?
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