Do not for a moment think that because the machine shop trades involve a certain amount of dirt and grime that you can apply for a job dirty and sloppily dressed. You can try it, but the odds of your getting a job will be against you, especially if you are a beginner. First impressions are very important, and the prospective employer may see in your careless, sloppy appearance a similar attitude toward your work. Good machinists take pride in keeping themselves and their surroundings as neat and clean as circumstances will allow.
Whether you are applying in person, over the phone, or by mail, you will want to put your best foot forward when applying for that first job. You will want to make the best possible impression on an employer. This means being prepared to present yourself and your qualifications effectively.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, first impressions during the interview do count. The employer will judge by what he or she sees.
This does not imply that you need wear your best suit in looking for a job. Just make sure the clothes you are wearing are clean and presentable. If you have long hair, be sure that it is clean, neat, and not too long for safety in a shop situation. Why handicap yourself? Watch your language and do not try to oversell yourself and your abilities. For example, do not try to give the impression that you are an all-around machinist if all you can do is run a lathe or milling machine.
Consider the following list of suggestions that was developed by the guidance department of a large vocational-technical high school in New York City for the use of its graduating classes.
- Be neat and well groomed.
- Check to be sure that your clothes are clean and pressed.
- Have your shoes polished and in good condition.
- Have your hair and fingernails neat and clean.
- Watch your English at all times, avoiding current fads of pronunciation and slang.
- Let the employer see that you are truly interested in the job for which you are asking to be considered.
- Show some enthusiasm for the job and the company.
- Take aptitude tests and complete application forms willingly and cheerfully.
- Do not be too modest! Inform the employer of your special abilities, skills, and interests.
- Do not be afraid to ask questions and respond politely and honestly to those asked of you.
- Do not be afraid to smile occasionally.
- Try to relax and be yourself.
- When the interview is over, thank the interviewer and walk out.
If you apply by letter or telephone, remember that you need to impress the employer with your qualifications so that he or she will want to consider you further. Your telephone voice and manner or your neatly typed, well-worded letter will give a clear picture of you. Correct spelling is very important.
In the past, it was possible to get work after a direct interview with a shop supervisor or department head. On the basis of the information in your application blank and a few questions, you might be hired and told when to report. While this simple system is still followed by some employers, most companies today take a few more precautions when hiring because it is very costly to hire people quickly and then be forced to fire them for incompetence or other reasons. As a result, you may be asked to take some tests. For example, you may be required to read and answer questions about some shop blueprints; you may have to make some simple calculations based upon these prints. Many large firms administer certain standard mechanical aptitude tests to check whether you do have the dexterity or mechanical deftness you claim to possess. You may have taken some form of these examinations before, in school or with some vocational counseling service. Some companies have developed entire batteries of tests by which they can determine with a considerable degree of certainty whether you are worth hiring.
In addition to these technical aptitude examinations, you may be required to take a standard pencil and paper test which will evaluate you personally. It may surprise you to know that your prospective employer is just as interested in your behavior and attitudes toward other people as he or she is in your mechanical skills.
Many surveys have shown that more people lose their jobs for some personality difficulty than because they are incompetent in their work. You can see why the employer will try to avoid hiring the person who is always unhappy and disgruntled, who is always complaining, who is forever bickering with the other workers or the supervisors, or who, in short, is a potential troublemaker in the organization. To prevent this situation, many companies give all job applicants a social behavior test. They may use a standard form purchased from a psychological testing service or publisher, or they may develop their own. At any rate, you can expect to encounter this sort of testing in your search for a job.
The New York State Employment Service published a pamphlet entitled Why Young People Fail to Get and Hold Jobs. This two-part pamphlet contains twenty-four actual case histories showing how attitudes and behaviors of certain young people prevented them from landing their first jobs. It also contains seventeen actual experiences of other beginning workers whose attitudes and behaviors cost them their jobs. Write to the Department of Labor, Employment Service, Albany, New York, for a copy. It's well worth the trouble.
Here are a few suggestions made in the pamphlet:
- Your appearance can be the difference between getting the job and getting the brush-off.
- Attitude and behavior play almost as important a part in getting and holding a job as does skill.
- Ignorance of labor market facts can result in costly mistakes.
- Misrepresentation is bound to be discovered and work to your disadvantage.
- Sensitivity about a physical defect can be a serious obstacle to getting and holding a job, if you let it.
- Unrealistic wage demands greatly increase the odds you won't get the job.
- Absence or lateness without good reason can cost you your job and could make it difficult to get another one.
- Insufficient training is an obstacle to getting the job you want.
- Insistence in doing the job your way most likely will create animosity and work to your disadvantage.
- Balk at entry requirements and you are likely to miss your big opportunity.
- Apply for a job with a friend along and you probably won't be hired.
