Job application form

[graysonscolumn]

Old fashioned, non-PC and proud of it.

I know. It’s a wonder we talk to each other.

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[% MAN]

There’s a very straight bat played to some of those points, Paul. Fight, for God’s sake, man, fight!

(Actually, don’t. Just do as you will but harm none. We’re all splendid when we do that.)

Per Lydia, I’d be neither clued-up enough nor too interested on what real or imagined agenda she may have with Bolger, being as he operates in the Wrong Code for my preferences. I’d presumed you brought up her name in specific response to Ugly Mare’s question of which women out there could commentate well on a horse race, and asked you what I did with that alone in mind. Any thoughts?

gc

I can do diplomatic sometimes and contrary to popular belief I do try to avoid conflict – unless my cage gets rattled!!!

In direct response to UM’s point I would suggest Lydia would be more than capable of calling a race and, along with Clare, is possibly the only one of the current female presenters who could possibly do the job with credibility – ignoring any timbre issues

[% MAN]

Old fashioned, non-PC and proud of it.

I know. It’s a wonder we talk to each other.

gc

They say opposites attract

[graysonscolumn]

In direct response to UM’s point I would suggest Lydia would be more than capable of calling a race and, along with Clare, is possibly the only one of the current female presenters who could possibly do the job with credibility – ignoring any timbre issues

Well shiver me timbres!

Let’s see if they ever get called upon to do so.

Going back to Jacqui Oatley briefly, you’ll be thrilled to learn, I’m sure, that she’s not the only potential female football commentator at Auntie Beeb’s disposal. It is known that tapes exist of Eleanor Oldroyd having performed trial commentaries (and absolutely nailing them), and Sue Thearle is also believed to have performed several dry runs; but their respective full itineraries, plus an already full-enough commentators’ roster, means they haven’t needed to be called upon to date.

They’re taking over, you know, by stealth. As fab early 90s riot grrrrrrl band Huggy Bear used to snarl; “This is happening without your permission!!”

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[the welsh wizard]

I cannot abide the SCREAMASLOUDASYOUCANANDBEGGARIFANYONECANUNDERSTANDIT!!!! delivery that is the first resort of Jonathan Pearce,

and Ian Bartlett.

[dave jay]

Positive discrimation is an insult to people who got their jobs through ability and talent. It’s also an insult to people who are talented and qualified who don’t get jobs because they aren’t a woman or they don’t have a brown face.

There’s a woman who I work with who is very good at her job and has loads of respect (from me anyway), but she gets tarred with the same brush as the lesser creatures who front up teams who don’t even know their eight times table. I feel quite sorry for her because she is good and gets no credit for it.

In time, they will have to abandon all of this $hite because it breeds inefficiency and incompentence. It might be all right in the public sector but it won’t do in industry, we have to make the game pay and you can only carry so much dead wood.

We are currently recruiting people and I don’t know if this is right, but if I take on a non-white, in a wheel chair who is a girl, does that count as three.

[Ugly Mare]

It should be pointed out that men have been only too happy to positively discriminate in their favour since time immemorial.

With this in mind, a little positive help, encouragement and importantly – good training, might be acceptable in encouraging women to come forward, to apply for jobs traditionally only ever done by men, such as the one we’re talking about here.

It would take a brave and bold woman to try, and she might not be the ideal for everyone, initially, but eventually the better able will be encouraged, and the situation in time, will hopefully be equalised somewhat, and the consumer will by then have become accustomed to the changes.

I’m not expecting a female Pope anytime soon, but I would hope horse racing could drag itself into the modern era a little earlier.

[moehat]

I think you need a deep manly sort of voice to commentate on races; I know that if I were ever [heaven forbid] to do so, by the end of the race my voice would be an inaudible squeak.

[mead1986]

Hi folks, Recently I graduated from University with a degree in Computer Science and have got a job application form for the position "trainee ICT technician". Now the first question is a section headed with "Trust" and the question is "How, in your career, have you had to inspire trust in others?"

For the last few months I have been working in a nice pub as a barman/waiter. Would it be a good idea to use an example from this job as teamwork is a big factor in providing good customer service and to ensure good teamwork each member of staff must trust each other? Would it be a good idea to expand this as the example?

I know its a rather boring subject but any help would be really appreciated.

[Maxilon 5]

Hi Mead,

Firstly, if you’re young, then career can have a wider range. Break it down. Late school, sixth form/college, university, work. This is what the recruiters are interested in.

Secondly, who do they mean by "others". As you correctly assess, this could be colleagues, teammates or more importantly, managers, teachers or lecturers.

So when have managers, teachers, colleagues or lecturers trusted you with a task? I’d think of

three solid examples

in total.

In a work context, trust means

responsibility

. Barwork and waiting are fine. Are you a task completer? A worker or a shirker? Do you keep your promises? Can you keep important confidences? Can you work extra hours in a rush job? Have you responded well to an emergency, a crisis? Overtime?

Give examples.

Can your future employers rely on you? They are looking for reassurance here that you are a safe pair of hands.

When have you taken responsibility? Have you led any teams? Have you worked on any group projects and took a key role? Have you held money? Keys? An important password? Did you make sure they were all secure and thus lead your managers and lecturers reason to trust you with responsibilty again.

Just a few notes. Cheers.

[Bulwark]

I would agree with Max, but I would expect that where you have actually worked in a bar, it is not your "career" as such, and I would refer to career as your training at university.

I work in a similar sort of role and would expect they would also be looking at, and these could be filtered into your answer.

Ability to meet project deadlines?

You could surely get examples of this from your time at university.

Diagnostic Abilities

Your ability to actually diagnose and repair equipment faults is something that will build trust amongst colleagues. It doesnt matter if you have not yet actually worked on the specific equipment itself as yet (as I assume is the case), if you can suggest that you actually have genuine technical ability, and you have the general educational qualifications that should be enough, as in your line of work equipment and software training is part and parcel of almost every job.

Your dedication to rectifying equipment faults

Some people are driven to understand a problem and gain satisfaction from solving it (and thus are responsive and adaptable whenever faults occur). Some (even people in a technical role) do not, and can be intimidated by complex faults, you want to convey that you are the former.

Tradeskills and working practices

How you actually work in a technical environment, that you use the correct procedures and have the trade skills to get results in an efficient and safe manner. Quality, Health and Safety is a big part of working in a technical environment.

It may worth remembering that if you have not yet worked in a technical environment per se, that the fact that you are fresh from university may count in your favour as the company may want to have someone that they can mould to their way of doing things. One company’s working methods, may be viewed as bad habits to another company, so to speak.

I am currently seeking employment myself, and might I add that the website Totaljobs has been probably the best website I have visited.

[wit]

Consider also "trust" as being not just the relationship between techies, but between the techie group and the rest of the organisation.

Bob Lewis has been writing about those kinds of aspects for over 10 years in Info World:

http://weblog.infoworld.com/lewis/archi … tance.html

So in addition to the more techno-centric response, maybe also use examples of how you have demystified and explained technical issues to a lay person in such a way as to make them feel comfortable coming back to you with more questions, knowing they won’t be made to feel small for not having technical knowledge.

The last thing an organisation wants is a divide between its IT folk and the IT users, as lampooned on tv, in comics, etc

best regards

wit

[Pompete]

Is this the sort of IT guy your on about Wit

The Office

Good luck Mead…Sorry, can’t offer any advise…I’ve always made it up as I’ve gone along and lied.

[moehat]

Actually, you may have mentioned something quite important there; I spent years going to interviews when I was trying to get back into part time work when my kids were getting older. and I realized that other people were getting jobs and telling a few porky pies..not bad ones such as having a degree in astro physics etc..but sometimes you have to give the answer that the employer wants to hear rather than the gospel truth..it was a bit of a shock to me because I’ve always been honest but it did work. [err..I’ve now got a job as the village litter picker..and that isn’t a lie unfortunately…..]

[wit]

not a good idea to make stuff up for an IT position any more than an Accounts position: discovery of any kind of dishonesty likely to lead to dismissal in each case.

always starts small, too much to risk that it won’t grow:

http://www.dilbert.com/strips?Page=533

best regards

wit

[moehat]

I’d forgot about Dilbert; must dig one of the books off the shelf; my ex who is an engineer used to collect them….

[lollys mate]

Have to agree with Pompete.

Lie.

[Author]

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