I’ve had a great day….. but this wasn’t it.

Posted on 11 July 2007 by boryssnorc

How to… write a complaint about a bad interview. Yes, you’re actually allowed to do that you know!

11^th July 2007

Manager
NastyArse Recruitment Agency
Eagle Street BrisVegas

To Whom It May Concern:

Hello my name is borysSNORC and I attended your Brisbane office of the NastyArse Recruitment Agency today for an interview with one of your representatives, Snotty Brigit, with a view to signing up as a candidate with your agency. I was specifically interested in some vacancies you are currently handling for the Equally Despised Goliath Co and had a prearranged 9.30am interview with Brigit to discuss whether these roles might be a suitable match for my skills.

As is my habit, I arrived 15 minutes early for my interview, whereupon I was handed a privacy statement to read and directed to wait in the reception area. I waited until 9.45am at which time the receptionist apologized for the delay and went to see what happened to Brigit. Brigit at this point did come out to greet me, and informed me that she had double booked herself and lead me to a room to complete some testing on Microsoft Word, Excel and a typing test. When making the appointment I had let Brigit know that I was required at work by 11am – she did not at this time indicate that I would need to allow time for this testing. I completed the testing in as short a time space as possible, and as such did not manage to give the tests my full attention or perhaps to score as well as I might have were I not now starting to feel pressed for time.

On completion of the tests, I returned to the reception and informed the receptionist, Jessica (who by the way, spent most of the time I was waiting in the foyer earlier complaining about how overworked she was, and then continuously wasted time on informal personal chat with her workmate on the front counter) that I had completed the testing, and enquired as to whether Brigit would have time to discuss the available roles with me today or would I have to come back.

I have no knowledge of what the receptionist, Jessica, told Brigit on the phone about my enquiry or my demeanor, but when Brigit came back out to the reception area to see me, and I let her know that I was expected at work shortly, she was short and curt with me. She seemed to be under the impression that I was annoyed, which I certainly was not, at this point. Brigit took me to an interview room and proceeded to lecture me about allowing for some flexibility in the workplace, stating that things like double booked appointments will happen, and that I needed to allow for this sort of thing. She also told me that she felt I had trouble taking directions, when I mentioned that I perhaps hadn’t done so well on the tests, as perhaps I could have, given that I had rushed through them. I was really confused as to why she being so aggressive and at this point, I interrupted her to ask why she was under the impression that I was annoyed. She ignored my question, berated me for interrupting her, and again mentioned that I should be more flexible with my time. I told her I wasn’t concerned about the time being kept waiting and that I wasn’t even trying to solicit an apology, just that I had been trying to inform her that I had a commitment to my current employer not to arrive late, and was therefore now on a truncated timetable due to the time spent testing. Brigit now indicated that my lack of flexibility would inhibit her ability to find me an appropriate position! To which I responded that were I to be employed by your agency, this situation would never arise as I would be at the company’s disposal and surely she wouldn’t expect me to disregard my commitments to my current employer…

As you can see the situation was escalating, and I have to admit to being confused over what had started this. Brigit continued to be combative and aggressive with me, stating that I was now wasting even more time, and she wanted to proceed with signing up the paperwork. At this point, I indicated that it seemed a waste of time continuing, as it was obvious that she had somehow gained such a negative impression of me that I didn’t feel she would adequately recommend me to any prospective employer. Brigit’s disposition seemed to alter a bit at this, and she remarked that she was impressed by my resume and still wanted to sign me up. But by point, I was so bemused by her conduct throughout this entire episode that I did not wish to continue the process to sign with your agency.

And all this, came from a person who I had met for less than 30 seconds while being led to a computer to do some tests. I could not believe the absolute total lack of professionalism from this representative of your company. I have signed up with several agencies in the past, and have never encountered such discourteous, disrespectful and downright rude behavior as I experienced at your firm today. Brigit treated with me as if from a position of perceived superiority which is not only bad mannered, but entirely inappropriate. At no time did Brigit adequately apologize for having double booked the appointment time. I was so disgusted at her unexpected and unwarranted, pugilistic behavior that I left feeling quite upset and wondering how someone like this could possibly be responsible for matching people to customer service oriented roles, when her own customer service skills were so appalling.

I come from a wide and varied employment background and in the current employment climate, would likely to be an easy placement for an agency such as yours. I bring this matter, of my rather distressing treatment, to your attention in the hope that something might be done to avoid this sort of interaction happening with your prospective candidates in the future.

Regards
borySNORC

**************************************

A job hunting we will go huh? Don’t you just love a day that ends in a written complaint of some sort? It just warms the cockles doesn’t it? Now just to scam the personal email address from Brigit’s manager out of the dopey receptionist tomorrow…. hmmm and maybe a regional or state manager or two…

UPDATE: Heard from a friend who works for the same firm in a different office… the snooty Ms Brigit was sacked after receipt of this complaint. Apparently, it wasn’t her first less than stellar performance with prospective clients. Suck pus, bitch!

Tell us something we don’t know!

Posted on 10 July 2007 by boryssnorc

From an article that appeared in Psychology Today… (sent to me by Yale for obvious reasons!) Have to say… I’m not sure whether all this is true or not… cos we all know why men love blondes…..

Men like blond bombshells (and women want to look like them)
Long before TV—in 15th- and 16th- century Italy, and possibly two millennia ago—women were dying their hair blond. A recent study shows that in Iran, where exposure to Western media and culture is limited, women are actually more concerned with their body image, and want to lose more weight, than their American counterparts. It is difficult to ascribe the preferences and desires of women in 15th-century Italy and 21st-century Iran to socialization by media.

Women’s desire to look like Barbie—young with small waist, large breasts, long blond hair, and blue eyes—is a direct, realistic, and sensible response to the desire of men to mate with women who look like her. There is evolutionary logic behind each of these features.

Men prefer young women in part because they tend to be healthier than older women. One accurate indicator of health is physical attractiveness; another is hair. Healthy women have lustrous, shiny hair, whereas the hair of sickly people loses its luster. Because hair grows slowly, shoulder-length hair reveals several years of a woman’s health status.

Men also have a universal preference for women with a low waist-to-hip ratio. They are healthier and more fertile than other women; they have an easier time conceiving a child and do so at earlier ages because they have larger amounts of essential reproductive hormones. Thus men are unconsciously seeking healthier and more fertile women when they seek women with small waists.

Until very recently, it was a mystery to evolutionary psychology why men prefer women with large breasts, since the size of a woman’s breasts has no relationship to her ability to lactate. But Harvard anthropologist Frank Marlowe contends that larger, and hence heavier, breasts sag more conspicuously with age than do smaller breasts. Thus they make it easier for men to judge a woman’s age (and her reproductive value) by sight—suggesting why men find women with large breasts more attractive.

Alternatively, men may prefer women with large breasts for the same reason they prefer women with small waists. A new study of Polish women shows that women with large breasts and tight waists have the greatest fecundity, indicated by their levels of two reproductive hormones (estradiol and progesterone).

Blond hair is unique in that it changes dramatically with age. Typically, young girls with light blond hair become women with brown hair. Thus, men who prefer to mate with blond women are unconsciously attempting to mate with younger (and hence, on average, healthier and more fecund) women. It is no coincidence that blond hair evolved in Scandinavia and northern Europe, probably as an alternative means for women to advertise their youth, as their bodies were concealed under heavy clothing.

Women with blue eyes should not be any different from those with green or brown eyes. Yet preference for blue eyes seems both universal and undeniable—in males as well as females. One explanation is that the human pupil dilates when an individual is exposed to something that she likes. For instance, the pupils of women and infants (but not men) spontaneously dilate when they see babies. Pupil dilation is an honest indicator of interest and attraction. And the size of the pupil is easiest to determine in blue eyes. Blue-eyed people are considered attractive as potential mates because it is easiest to determine whether they are interested in us or not.

The irony is that none of the above is true any longer. Through face-lifts, wigs, liposuction, surgical breast augmentation, hair dye, and color contact lenses, any woman, regardless of age, can have many of the key features that define ideal female beauty. And men fall for them. Men can cognitively understand that many blond women with firm, large breasts are not actually 15 years old, but they still find them attractive because their evolved psychological mechanisms are fooled by modern inventions that did not exist in the ancestral environment.

While the cat’s away…

Posted on 9 July 2007 by boryssnorc

the mice will … get sucked even further into the swirling time suck zone that is the World of Warcraft!

I went on holiday… and prior to leaving, I do believe I was co-habitating with someone. Since coming back from my holiday, I’ve discovered that my previous companion has all but disappeared …. down a rabbit hole or something. I was excitedly informed on my return that borysSNORC is now a Level 62 (still has the cold dead eyes of a killer) Blood Elf, has some sort of expensive strange tiger/pet thingy, lots of fancy new duds and I know not what!!!

Alas not all change is for the best. He used to come out and hang with me from time to time…. was even known to take in a movie or sit and chat after a meal, but now… sigh….. he’s been totally enveloped into the WoW and I think I can say with confidence that he’s officially a fully fledged, card carrying World of Warcraft addict.

So farewell Mr K, it was nice knowing you… for I can see you are no longer content to dwell on the fringes of the Wow and you are now only to be occasionally approached in the back room with cautious steps and no sudden moves…. where one might find you mumbling at your screen, rocking nervously, whilst smacking your veins and muttering ‘I can quit any time I want’…..
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What the hell is wrong with these people….

Posted on 8 July 2007 by boryssnorc

I’ve been watching this mess unfold at the Red Mosque in Islamabad as minor matter of interest having just been in Islamabad recently. We drove down down Constitution Avenue and contemplated visiting the Shah Faisal Mosque because its the biggest mosque in the world and can hold some 80,000 worshippers and has some 5000sq meters of bum space…. but dismissed the plan based on the fact that it looked like an abomination of modern architecture and would likely be a disappointment after the beautiful Ottoman architecture of Istanbul… and in truth I do recall saying I was a bit ‘mosqued out’.

So anyway I am kinda glad we didn’t pop in for a visit… makes me happy not to have been anywhere near these whack jobs…. geographically or temporally. The situation has been going from bad to worse over the last week…

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday

Pics

I just don’t get these people… they don’t seem to operate on the same plane of logic as the rest of us.
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Moral dilemma

Posted on 7 July 2007 by boryssnorc

Welcome back, borysSNORC

We are a million!

To celebrate the registration of a millionth user in its Cyrillic segment, LiveJournal would like to present each of this segment’s users with a non-material gift certificate worth $2. The certificate allows you to purchase virtual gifts for your friends or use it towards paying for your account. This special certificate is given only to our valued Cyrillic users who have registered before June, 27 2007. Congratulations!

Wow!!! Thanks LiveJournal!!! I am so excited to be part of your one million Cyrillic users…

Though now I am feeling a little guilty for having thrown out their statistics. 😐 Maybe I should fix my details and be from Australia instead… But I feel like I cant! Then they’d only have 999,999 Cyrillic users and everyone might lose their highly valued certificates!

Oh what to do … what to do?!?!!? 🙂