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Disclaimer

Examine the expectations and inferences underlying selected job positions. Consider timely topics in career preparation and the struggle for fulfilling employment. Analyze what could be improved in either situation. If this blog reminds you too much of work, then peruse my namesake blog for lighter fare.

Fuck UWM and all universities! UW-Milwaukee and their brethren are mediocre. Click banner ads on ClixSense instead; it's a better use of time than a college education in the UW System.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Custodian at "Palooka University" UW-Milwaukee; To Be Hired via Random Number Generator

http://wisc.jobs/public/job_view.asp?annoid=23049&jobid=22564


Job Title: UW-Milwaukee Custodian

Job Announcement Code(s): 07-01844
County(ies): Milwaukee
Classification Title/JAC: Job
Working Title: CUSTODIAN 07-01844
Type of Employment: Full Time (40 hrs/week)
Part Time (less than 40 hrs/week)
Evening 2nd Shift (3pm to 11pm or similar hours)
Evening 3rd Shift (11pm to 7am or similar hours)
Seasonal (minimum of 600 hrs/year but less than 1828 hrs/year)
Salary: The starting pay rate is $11.284 per hour (schedule/range 03/08), including an excellent benefits package. A 6-month probationary period is required.

Special Qualifications:
Must be able to lift up to 60 pounds and push/pull up to 100 pounds; must be able to bend, twist, stoop, push, pull and climb ladders.

Contact the UWM Human Resources Department for further information and application procedures:
Phone: 414-229-4463 Fax: 414-229-4102

Bargaining Unit: Non-Represented
Area of Competition: Open
Deadline to Apply: Open
Exam Information: 89161-010 CUSTODIAN
Preview Exam: http://wisc.jobs/public/ExamApplicantPreview.asp?txtExamID=5732
WARNING: Question not assigned

The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee is currently accepting applications to fill custodian vacancies on campus. UWM, a doctoral/research intensive university, is Wisconsin's premier public urban university and offers a comprehensive liberal arts and professional education at the undergraduate and graduate level to its 30,500 students. UWM takes pride in being a student-centered institution that is deeply committed to diversity in its student body, faculty, staff, and programs. UWM's 103-acre campus is located on Milwaukee's upper east side, one of the city's most attractive residential areas and home to many faculty, staff, and students. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.uwm.edu/.

Job Duties:

Provide general cleaning and maintenance in offices, classrooms, restrooms and all similar areas at the University. Sweep, vacuum, mop and wax floors, scrub walls and fixtures; dust, move furniture and equipment; replace light bulbs, empty waste receptacles, replenish supplies, shovel snow and perform miscellaneous related household duties. Working Conditions: Work inside State-owned/leased space in a variety of environments. Dust, chemical odors and noise commonly encountered on job. Occasional outside work, including extreme weather conditions during snow and ice control. Equipment used to perform essential functions: Brooms, mops, buffers, scrubbers, shampooers, vacuum cleaners, measuring tools, shovels, scrapers and snowblowers.

Special Notes:
This position will require a criminal records review. A pending charge or conviction will not necessarily disqualify an applicant. In compliance with the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, the University does not discriminate on the basis of arrest or conviction record. For information relating to the campus security report for UWM, please visit the following: http://www.cleryact.uwm.edu/.

Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Qualified candidates will have the ability to move furniture, operate floor and carpet equipment, and work an 8 hour shift; the ability to use professional cleaning products; the ability to read and understand work instructions and schedules, warning signs and instruction manuals for equipment operation; and the ability to communicate effectively with supervisors, co-workers and building users. This position requires material handling up to 60 lbs. and pushing/pulling up to 100 lbs.

How To Apply:
Complete the Application for State Employment form, which is available online at http://oser.state.wi.us/application.asp or by calling the UW-Milwaukee Department of Human Resources at (414) 229-4463. List Job Announcement Code 0701844, check employment area (AREA 40) and send to UW-Milwaukee; Department of Human Resources; P.O. Box 413; Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413. There is no deadline as this is a continuous recruitment. A computer-generated, random numbering process will assign rankings. Applicants will remain eligible for three months. For additional information contact the UWM Human Resources Department at (414) 229-4463.


The employment application asks for contact information, EEO characteristics, and availability of both time and geography. It does not ask for employment history or criminal records. Why? A random number generator determines applicant ranking! UW-Milwaukee uses the meritless, socialist method of selecting job applicants via raffle.

One cannot earn multiple drawings per period, either; it is purely luck of the draw and not influenced by any KSAs you may have developed. An institute of higher education, built upon the premise that education is necessary and good for advancement in life, posts a job vacancy which explicitly states that skills, experience, and education (such as vocational college) will not be considered towards the employability of an applicant!

Fortunately, a semblance of merit comes into play when the applicant needs to renew his/her application, which expires every three months. Those with the perseverance to re-submit an application up to four times annually will have better chances than those who let their application expire without resubmission.

Nonetheless, it is employment practices such as these random drawings for new hires which give Wisconsin government a bad reputation as a haven for those who are unemployable in any other organization. To be fair, the qualifications for high-level state positions such as budget analyst and program evaluator are pretty stringent in that you need at least five years of relevant experience. (I recently placed 4th out of all applicants on the civil service exam for budget analyst, but the results did not show specific item scores or the total number of applicants.)

The lack of union representation keeps the starting wage of $11.28 per hour lower than what state employees are known for, but the lack of prior experience or even any requirement of “excellent interpersonal skills” or “friendly demeanor” justifies an even lower wage. This is without considering the benefits, which bring total hourly compensation to a minimum of $13.50. I witnessed many custodians at work while I toiled at my student jobs, and they were never in a hurry. They each had a half-hour lunch break during which they could watch television in the break room, as I would see this while busing tables to collect trays whenever I had cleaned all dish carts in UWM Restaurant Operations.

The custodial work at UWM is nothing compared to the frantic pace of Pizza Hut and its demanding customers. The floors don’t complain when they haven’t been adequately waxed. Custodians need not please members of the public but rather only need to tape off their work area and post “wet floor” placards to keep people from walking over wet surfaces. The custodians I saw at UWM never smiled unless to each other. In short, they would do horribly in customer service. I suppose misanthropes who need some legal income can always become a university custodian. Why enroll at UWM when you can win its employment lottery and be set for life working as a custodian?

Dec. 7, 2013 Update: As of this writing, no one has responded as to why anyone earning a decent wage and benefits as custodian would ever spend money on a university education. While for some it might be a "hey, I'm middle class now in THEORY" kind of deal when you enroll and eventually graduate, the economic motive is severely lacking.

I'll say that if you're that Hell-bent intent on getting some "higher education," then go to trade school, get some hands-on job placement through a formal apprentice program, and earn some money instead of competing in the surplus labor pool of fellow over-educated higher education rubes university graduates.

Patronize your library and reliable information sources on the Internet. THEN, if you STILL believe you somehow need a university degree to validate your own personal and professional competence, then by all means blow $30,000 or whatever for a chance to network with people who won't care.
"Here's your &!##@^%^&# education!"

Joseph Ohler's Affiliate Click-for-Cash Program

Saturday, February 18, 2012

"HUSCO International" Ad Writer & Artist

https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=1096371


"Job Title: Marketing Assistant

Please fill in the information below and use the navigational buttons to continue.
Warning: Using your browser's Back and Forward buttons may produce undesirable results.

The Marketing Assistant works closely with our HUSCO International sales and marketing team to support marketing and social media activities and publications. A successful Marketing Assistant is detail-oriented, proficient in Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Office, able to rapidly learn new concepts/techniques, a strong team player and has a strong creative and technical background. Able to operate independently in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, a Marketing Assistant can switch gears quickly to meet project requirements and assure that our image and brand is compelling throughout our marketing material and events.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
•Design Graphics to Support Marketing Material. Responsible for the creation and improvement of company graphics as they relate to logos, images, etc. in our marketing material including presentations, articles, trade shows, logo merchandise/clothing, etc.
•Works closely with sales and marketing team to prepare conceptual sketches from required specifications and develop those sketches into workable material.
Creative and has enough experience to know what designs will work in different media.

•Write Technical Articles and Product Descriptions. Responsible for using technical aptitude and ability to absorb technical content to create articles and product descriptions.
•Update product manuals with graphics and technical descriptions.
•Manage and Maintain electronic media.
•Responsible for updating eNewsletter content, company Website, etc. in a timely and thoughtful way.
•Make recommendations for enhancing our electronic media presence and explore new ideas.
•Support Trade Show activities.
•Will project manage trade show exhibitions and will work with vendors and sales and marketing team to successfully represent the company brand and product at trade shows.
•Scale Steep Learning Curve. Rapidly develop an understanding of equipment, products, components, company culture, differentiators and initiatives.
•Strong Team Player and Contributor.
•Able to work well with colleagues and produce results within a fast-paced, high pressure and dynamic atmosphere. Combines strong attention to detail and technical background with ability to execute quickly and consistently with minimal supervision.
•Able to take direction, effectively managing priorities and communication.

REQUIREMENTS
•Bachelor’s degree in Technical Marketing, Graphic Communication or equivalent.
•Proficient in Adobe InDesign, MS Office
•High degree of creativity
•Experience in website creation and content management(br />•Technical aptitude
•Ability to absorb and understand technical content and create articles and descriptions
•Interest in off highway (construction and agricultural) equipment strongly desired
•Strong oral, written and listening communication skills.
•Authorized to work in the U.S.

**This position could be part-time (30 hours/week) for a candidate with the appropriate skill set."


A better title for this position would be “website designer and content developer.” Considering how the description does not mention compensation, I’m sure it’s around minimum wage under the excuse that such tradeshow experience and responsibility for an entire third-party website are tremendous resume boosters. I speak from experience when I say this is typically not the case when the industry of the firm is so specialized. Just as maintaining the entire UW-Milwaukee Bookstore and representing the bookstore at vendor events such as Summerfest does not impress non-bookstore employers seeking a web developer, doing such work for an agricultural equipment firm will similarly pigeonhole the employee such that he/she either stays in the job indefinitely despite the poor pay or becomes a front-end / back-end developer, graphics designer, or link builder (SEO content writer) for a larger company in which no individual is expected to do ALL of that.

Of course, the more efficient the worker, the lesser the compensation because you are scheduled fewer hours when you consistently run out of tasks. The phrase “could be part-time” implies that the position would be full-time, possibly with legally mandated overtime and benefits, if only the marketing assistant weren’t so blasted efficient. While I do not how Husco benefits from offering full-time employment by default and then scaling down, perhaps the job poster merely forgot to specify that the position would begin with a 20-hour work week and then scale up based on the usefulness of the employee. I do estimate from my own website development experience that designing page layout, editing graphics, and writing content would take more than 30 hours each week until the site template and company information pages are complete. Then, it might be feasible to create daily updates with text and a few graphics in under 20 hours a week, as that is about what I allocate weekly towards maintaining this blog.

Friday, February 17, 2012

"Kindercare Learning Center" Aide / Chauffeur

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA5/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=KNOWLEDGEUNIVERSE&cws=5&rid=799

"Job Title: Assistant Center Director

Location: WI - Wisconsin

Organization: Kindercare

Requisition ID: 799

# of Openings: 1

SUMMARY

The Assistant Center Director (ACD) assists the Center Director in operating the center in accordance with KLC policies, procedures and state licensing standards to provide an educational, nurturing, and safe environment for children, parents, and staff. Is responsible for all Center operations and assumes all Center Director responsibilities and duties in the absence of the Center Director. Participates in interview and effectively recommends applicants to be hired. Determines and implements discipline, effectively recommending termination with center management. Has independent authority to give verbal or written discipline to staff. Assists in the assignment and responsible direction of staff, provides input to Annual Performance Appraisals with the understanding such appraisals directly impact wage rates, and responds to and adjusts staff concerns. Meets expectations for delivering exceptional customer service through acquisition and retention, quality program, financial management, operational compliance, and demonstrates expected behaviors.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

·Fulfills all record-keeping responsibilities

·Understands developmentally appropriate practice in Early Childhood Education and ensures its use in the classroom

·Performs each of the essential functions for each position in the center, including, but not limited to, Teacher (all classifications of Teacher and Assistant Teacher), Cook, and Van/Bus Driver. In some states, ability to drive a van/bus is required

·Understands responsibilities as a mandated reporter

·Implements Company policies and procedures

·Complies with, and may implement, KLC and all governmental regulations regarding the care of children

·Complies with all governmental laws and KLC regulations regarding records management, e.g., HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), etc.

·Keeps the Director informed of any necessary information regarding the care and safety of children

·Assists and accepts responsibility in other daily center duties that might be temporary in the event other personnel are not available

·Attends and participates in staff meetings, center events, and parent/customer meetings as requested

Requirements: Skills, Education / Knowledge, Experience

EDUCATION / KNOWLEDGE

·High school diploma or equivalent required

·Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education or Business highly desirable

·State specific requirements for position required

·State qualified for teaching positions required

·Valid driver's license, clean driving record, ability to drive center vehicles required

·Proficient in use of desktop computer required

·Ability to quickly learn software required

·Excellent administrative and organizational skills required

·Understanding of developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education and the ability to ensure its use in the classroom.

EXPERIENCE

·2+ years of early childhood education experience required

·1+ years of business management experience desirable, including experience with budgeting and accounting

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

·Knowledge required (or willingness to learn upon acceptance of position) HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) record keeping requirements

·Ability to respond appropriately in an emergency situation required

·Ability to be flexible in assignment and work hours required

·CPR and First Aid Certification or willingness to obtain desirable

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Excellent verbal, listening, and written communication skills required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is primarily performed in the center environment. Centers are dynamic with a high level of activity. Work may also be performed at community sites for field trips. Incumbent must be able to lift 40 pounds, stand up to 95% of the day, assume postures in low level positions that best allow physical and visual contact with children, bend to perform various tasks numerous times throughout the day, stoop, sit on the floor, have the agility to move from a seated position to a standing position promptly to respond to emergency situations, perform all activities with children, i.e. jump, dance, walk, run, etc. for extended periods of time. Must possess acceptable hearing and visual capabilities in order to monitor the environment and children's well being. Incumbent will need to be highly flexible and adaptable, able to engage in multiple tasks, able to respond quickly and appropriately to changing needs of children, staff, parents, and KLC. Work hours will vary to meet the needs of the children. Travel by car, plane, and other modes of transportation may be required for KLC mandatory and regulatory meetings. Travel may require occasional overnight stays and some weekends."


The successful applicant must be a nanny, chauffeur, and human resources generalist rolled into one! But wait, there’s another vexing requirement: You must dance with the children! Wallflowers need not apply! The vacancy does not specify what types of dances shall be modeled for the children, so I imagine that less coordinated applicants could get by with chair dancing and the basic square dance rather than need to be a ballet virtuoso or break dancer. (Spinning on one’s head would also present a risk of rug burn and spinal compression in the young ones, even when wearing a helmet.) I imagine that some exemption to the physical demonstration requirement could be obtained under the Americans with Disabilities Act because those applicants having the greatest knowledge of developmental instruction methods, records management, and staff coordination might not have full use of limbs.

Besides wearing the aforementioned hats, the successful applicant will also be a tough critic of his/her staff to “downwardly adjust” performance evaluations to keep pay increases under budget. I imagine this is quite frustrating to the subordinates, especially when the rationalization is clearly a stretch such as, “Hal has great initiative and excellent customer satisfaction results, but he has below-average ability.” (This was the performance review actually given to a coworker, and although he was in a customer service position, the example is demonstrative.) So besides the aforementioned responsibilities, the Assistant Director of Kindercare Learning Center must also be good enough at feeding nonsense to subordinates during performance reviews, lest turnover increase beyond what the training budget can accommodate.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

"JC Penney" Cashier: No Experience Necessary if a Happy Bot

http://jobs.jcp.com/job/Wauwatosa-Customer-Assistant-Job-WI-53208/1683761/

"Job Title: Customer Assistant Job

Date: Jan 25, 2012

Location: Wauwatosa, WI, US

Job Description

- Wauwatosa, WI---11800 W Burleigh St, 02852

Job Title: Customer Assistant

The #1 priority of Customer Assistants is to provide the best customer service possible whether or not the customer chooses to make a purchase.

Training is provided on how to give effective customer service, how to operate our cash register, and how to maintain merchandise so it is appealing to customers.

Pay is based on a competitive rate based on what other similar employers in the local community are paying.

Successful associates are friendly, enthusiastic and like working with people.

Associates must read information and follow instructions, for example on labels of merchandise they sell.

New associates must learn how to operate our cash register and be able to work with money and numbers.

These positions offer flexible hours of work, which may include weekdays or weeknights, and weekend time (Saturday or Sunday). [If there are particular times you are unable to work, please tell your interviewer.]

WHILE MAKING YOUR DECISION, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

Can You Do The Job and Do You Want To Do The Job?"


Uncharacteristically for a retail chain, JC Penney touts that it will train the successful applicant not only on how to operate a register but also on how to position merchandise and otherwise “provide excellent customer service.” This lets pretty much anyone without any major criminal convictions (or too many minor ones) truthfully certify himself/herself as qualified to do the job. The lack of prior customer service experience implies that gaps in employment are not disqualifiers because no employment history seems to be necessary to be seriously considered for an interview. However, I’m certain that JC Penney is aiming for a particular appearance (no gaps in the teeth or over-large eyeglasses), so unfortunately those with prior customer service and cash handling experience will not necessarily have an edge over the 15-year-old applicant.

Although the duties of this job are deceptively simple, the job poster attempts to psyche out the reader by questioning not only the applicant’s ability to meet such minimal qualifications (add and subtract coinage to give proper change, realistically greet customers with small talk and a smile without overdoing it) but also his/her motivation. An online assessment should eliminate most who doubt their own qualifications and desire to position merchandise and operate a cash register for minimum wage. That sounds less hectic than a typical food service job, so I can only infer that most of the turnover in this position is due to qualified applicants being hired for other retail jobs offering better compensation rather than due to people quitting out of frustration.

It could also be true that JC Penney fires associates for not being “enthusiastic” enough about customers and clothes, or perhaps some service assistants garnered complaints from customers for being too flaky. I bet many employers anticipate the day when they can just buy a bunch of “Happy Bots” to perform customer service, eh? These blasted humans don’t always feel enthusiastic or happy, and we can’t have that! I suppose the solution for customer assistants who are no longer enthusiastic is to get a different job which deemphasizes enthusiasm.

If the customer assistant job has been truly irritating to a substantial portion of new hires, then JC Penney should merely state, “Masochists are preferred.” There may be another connotation to the disbelief that the applicant wants to perform the job: A scarcity of promotion opportunities might make the job into a career, and so those who apply for it out of desperation must be prepared to grow into it as a career because they aren’t going anywhere within the company anytime soon. Again, JC Penney could easily dissolve this ambiguity by saying, “This is a career position which starts at minimum wage and permits cost-of-living raises. You must remain cheerful despite changing policies and business conditions.” That would immediately discourage many applicants and save HR a lot of time.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Gymfinity Instructor w/ Stepford Smile

Found on 02-15-2012 at URL:

http://madison.craigslist.org/edu/2841789425.html

"Job Title: Gymnastics, Tumble and Trampoline and Events Instructors (Gymfinity 6300 Nesbitt Rd Fitchburg, WI)

Date: 2012-02-08, 5:29PM CST

Gymfinity is now hiring instructors for gymnastics, tumble and trampoline classes as well as for events (birthday parties, parents night out and camp instructors). All of these positions are some of our most important jobs! You will directly impact every child attending Gymfinity! You must be organized, efficient, cheerful, diplomatic, presentable and a team player. These positions also require a large amount of initiative, patience and detail orientation. The most important aspects are developing the child's skill level and self esteem while maintaining a safe and fun atmosphere. Experience working with children 15 months to 12 years old is required. Prior gymnastics, tumbling, trampoline or events experience preferred but not required. All positions are part time, and will start with 10 hours or less per week. Must be able to work afternoons, evenings and weekends. Pay range $8.00-$10.00 per hour depending on experience plus any acquired bonuses depending on job position. Full background check will be performed. Contact us for an application. 608-848-3547 or gymoffice@gymfinity.com

Location: Gymfinity 6300 Nesbitt Rd Fitchburg, WI

Compensation: $8.00 to $10.00 per hour depending on experience, plus any acquired bonuses"


It figures that “some of our most important jobs” are the ones which pay a mere $8.00 per hour. I suppose $7.25 per hour was too low considering the difficulty of qualifying: Not only does the successful applicant need prior experience supervising elementary school-aged children (presumably in groups such as what a recess monitor would do), but the applicant must also be cheerful! Dissatisfied people need not apply! If you’ve protested anything, better keep it under wraps because protesters are not seen as cheerful.

I imagine that clinically depressed people could be considered so long as they were good actors/actresses and were documented as taking medication, but what does it say about us when we feel the need to shelter our children from the harsh realities of life, that it is not always happy times and rainbows and ponies and ice cream? That is just kicking the revelation down the line to a time when the child will be expected to not only adjust emotionally but also be involved in a bazillion other activities to get into a respected college and maybe do something other than food service after all that schooling. Your child’s future employer will not value how much fun he/she had but rather what exposure to real job duties he/she has accrued. However, many teenagers avoid actual participation in the labor force in favor of fun things such as athletics, artistic performances, and student activity clubs due to remembering how much they were encouraged to have fun while growing up. When they meet the real job market, their prior endeavors are of no value.

I argue that emphasizing fun so much in the kindergarten and “Gymfinity” years sets the wrong tone for children by spoiling them into unrealistic expectations. You cannot miss a life of carefree leisure if you never had it. Perhaps it drives the entertainment economy to some extent when people grow up thinking they need to seek fun experiences, but those dollars would surely be spent elsewhere if not on entertainment, and so economic growth remains. What do my readers think?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Entry-Level Account Coordinator w/ "Monster" Attitude w/out Being Monstrous

http://madison.craigslist.org/mar/2842066133.html

"Job Title: **ENTRY LEVEL ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT* Monster Attitudes Apply! (Madison, Wisconsin)

Date: 2012-02-08, 8:36PM CST

*ENTRY LEVEL ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT* (again)

Due to sizable demand from our main client, DIRECTV , Platinum Promotions, INC is expanding at a tremendous rate.

We are now looking to fill ENTRY LEVEL account management, retail sales, and electronics sales positions as soon as possible.

Our main focus right now is building our office to a capacity that can meet our clients' hefty demands. On a daily basis we are inside major retailers educating targeted consumers on the services our clients offer. We are experiencing phenomenal growth as a direct result of our success increasing our clients (sic) brand awareness by attracting new customers and exposing their products to new tiers of distribution.

Requirements

We are looking for future leaders to grow into a management role with our company while focusing on the following areas:

QUALIFICATIONS

• Outstanding communication skills both verbal & written

• Able to prioritize and work independently with minimal supervision.

• Able to work effectively in a team environment

• Detail-oriented with the ability to follow up on tasks.

• Work effectively under pressure and maintain a positive attitude

• Prefer minimal 2 years customer service, retail or sales experience

***Ability to pass a background check***

______________________________________________________________

***APPLY TODAY!!!***

_______________________________________________________________

Ideal candidates will possess the following attributes:

• Good sales/communication skills

• Ability to build professional working relationships with retail staff

• Thrive in a performance ridden environment

• Proven track record of reliability

• Ability to pass a background check and/or drug screen

• Willingness to travel and work in multiple markets

If you find yourself meeting this criteria (sic), please send your resume to Chris Linden at platinumhr@webhrdept.com.

Also, please take a look at our website! www.platinumpromos.net

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE DO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEZvu30Al_Y

© 2010 DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV, and the Cyclone Design logo are trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are property of their respective owner

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Compensation: Weekly, plus bonuses"


Whoever wrote this job vacancy on behalf of Platinum Promotions evidently believed that typing in all caps and using the phrase “entry-level” three times within the first paragraph would attract quality applicants. Considering how displaying words entirely in capital letters is equivalent to shouting (at least in netiquette) and how many workers with customer service experience have been only in the fast food industry (which generally emphasizes quantity of product over quality due to low margins and generally impatient customers compared to other segments of the service sector such as fine dining and personal wealth management), the ad writer could have better tailored the ad towards telecommunications service workers by specifying, “Previous call center or electronics store floor experience is preferred.”

Tthe successful applicant “thrives in a performance ridden environment,” as opposed to a performance-driven environment. Whenever someone uses the adjective “ridden,” what other word most likely comes to mind? Fleas! The connotation is important: If you had to work under either condition, would you prefer a flea-ridden employer or a flea-driven employer? (Perhaps the latter is a pest control company.) On the bright side, Platinum Promotions states on its website that it “only promot(es) from within,” so it’s not like some Ivy Leaguer fresh out of college will swoop in and take your promotion as his first non-internship job.

What gives me pause is the headline imperative, “Monster attitudes apply!” If the job poster is seeking someone who is both confident and a team player (per stated requirements), then “monster” is not an adjective I would use to modify the noun “attitudes.” It implies a grotesque way of relating to others, a general lack of social skills, and apathy towards others. A monster is generally not someone who is well-adjusted enough to get along with coworkers or to instill enough trust from strangers to convince them to buy a more expensive telecommunications package. Perhaps posting, “Friendly Type A personalities are preferred,” would have been more to the point because they will haggle and badger in a non-threatening way due to enjoying confrontation while having the people skills to not lose their temper when others remain reluctant or refuse to follow their leadership.