Does anyone else get a lot of this?

[Boozy]

We're currently hiring (again) and I cannot believe the number of mothers that come in with resumes for their sons or daughters. A few of them have also wanted to speak to the manager about the job.

First of all, we're a wine store. We're not hiring teenagers.

Secondly, if Precious Darling is old enough to work, they're old enough to bring in their resumes themselves.

One woman came in a few days ago with a resume for her son. I had spoken to her earlier in the week about the job, but I thought that she was asking questions it about for herself.

I decided to be honest with her. "Maam, you don't want to leave this with me. I have been instructed by my manager to toss any resumes handed in by parents into the garbage. If your son is truly interested in this job, he needs to come in and speak to us himself."

She looked a little shocked, but thanked me and left.

Once, my manager was so impressed by a resume a parent gave us that she called the kid for an interview. He didn't know what the hell we were talking about. He didn't tell his mom to apply for a job there for him, and he sure as hell didn't want the job. Nice try, mom. If you want your son to get a job and get out of your basement, why don't you try talking to him.

Anyone else see a lot of this?

[Norton]

Yup! At my last job, parents would often hand in applications for their children. We'd take them, smile, and rip them up as soon as the parent left. If the person applying for the job is not responsible enough to hand in the app. themselves, we didn't want to work with them.

I also used to get people who would ask for applications or try to hand in a complete one at the drive-through. That was another no-no. If you're too lazy to walk inside the store in order to be hired, you're too lazy to work.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Doesn't happen at my store because we don't use paper applications anymore. We have a computer kiosk at the service desk where you fill out your application, or you do it online at home. Unless mom or dad is filling out the application for the child, which I guess is possible.

[Boochan]

Over Christmas (when we wern't hiring as we got our staff prior to the xmas rush for obvious reasons) we got an absolute ton from parents that were just handing them in... into the bin they went. The other kind was a kind that bothered me, was the fact that many parents themselves, as well as kids mailed in their resume when standard procedure is to either apply online and get shown around different area stores, or come into the store and chat with us, and give us your resume. These kids were generally 14, 15 (they generally don't hire anyone under 15 or 16 as part time/holiday work) and were total nerds judging from the resumes (and their flawless academic record), which is not good for any form of retail. If they had come into the store and shown us their interpersonal skills, then sure.. but otherwise we just tore them up as well. We are a small electronics store, and we aren't necessarily looking for nerds.. especially the fact we don't want holiday temps upstaging us with their knowledge, but unable to sell because they are socially awkward.

[tropicsgoddess]

I can understand if a parent guides their teen on how to fill out a job application or make a resume, but to do it for them is another thing. If they're old enough to do it themselves and if they want the job, they should be the ones that should be coming into the store, NOT the parents. Boozy, I'm pretty surprised that the parents would even THINK of coming in for their underage kids to get them a job in a wine shop. If I'm not mistaken, you have to be18 or older to work in establishments that sell or serve alcohol?

[Boozy]

If I'm not mistaken, you have to be18 or older to work in establishments that sell or serve alcohol?

Yes, you do. Our store requires that you be 19 or older (legal drinking age here) because we expect our staff to participate in wine tastings in order to get to know the product.

To my knowledge, we've only received one or two resumes from under-aged kids. Which sort of makes the fact that parents are dropping the resumes off even more pathetic. If you're in your 20's, why are your mommy and daddy doing these things for you?

[Broomjockey]

The only reasonable excuse for a parent handing in an application for a child is the parent was already in the area for another reason, and the child was busy. Somehow, I don't think that's the case most of the time...

[Andara Bledin]

Helicopter parents. Churning out a nation of responsibility-stunted wusses.

We get the opposite problem around here, though.

We have people who come in looking for work who don't speak a word of English, and they bring their elementary aged children in with them to interpret for them. We tell them flat out that unless we can communicate directly with them, we will not hire them as it is a safety risk.

I really think that more businesses should tell the people dropping off the applications that they can only be accepted from the applicant themselves. Some of these kids might have great potential and their parents are just smothering it.

^-.-^

[bainsidhe]

This whole post made me

This is a huge peeve of mine. Just like when Mommy would call little Johnnie or Suzie in sick for work. Hell, it would be one thing if your kid COULDN'T call in because of being so sick, but I lose my patience when Mommy is the ONLY person that calls you in sick. Each and every single time. Sadly, this is a common occurance for the high school and even college-aged croud. Sad...and reeeally annoying.

[powerboy]

The only reasonable excuse for a parent handing in an application for a child is the parent was already in the area for another reason, and the child was busy. Somehow, I don't think that's the case most of the time...

Yeah exactly. I had my mom turn in an application for me. I was working a 11 hour shift for a month. During the time, I was looking for another job. I found one and happened to pick one up on a day off. Well they would only accept them during the week. Since my mother was in the area, I asked if she could turn it in for me. Needless to say I got the job.

Point is, not everyone that has a parent turn in an application or Resume' is lazy.

[Rapscallion]

I was in one Saturday (most of the business doesn't work on the weekend) and we were having a well-deserved break in the canteen when a car pulled up. I can't remember what make or model, but it was something on the very nice side of things. A guy in a very nice suit got out - the sort of suit that said 'upper management'.

I never knew suits could talk until that moment.

Anyway, I wandered around to our lobby and let him in, since there was no receptionist and no way in for him, nor do we have a letter box. It turned out that he was dropping off an application form for his son. The look he gave me when he saw my high-viz vest and scruffy clothes was amusing, as was his disdain when he replied, "No, he isn't," (I'd asked if his son was there to drop it off himself).

Guess he didn't know he was talking to one of the directors of the firm. Why yes, something extra did get scrawled on the envelope...

Rapscallion

[cinema guy]

Occasionally we have a parent who is at the cinema ask if we have any vaccancies for their children, but to my knowledge they haven't dropped of an application.

[Anriana]

I always thought the standard procedure was drop off a resume/application, then wait for a callback before anything else like getting a tour or demonstrating personal skills because the manager/hiring person usually isn't available right away. That's how it's gone everywhere I've ever applied. Does it really matter who drops off the application/resume? I can see if Mommy was coming to the store and filling it out there for the child, but I don't see why anyone would automatically trash a resume/completed application from a parent since you really don't know if the parents are looking for a job for their clueless teenager or just dropping it off because it's more convenient for them than the applicant.

[Sableonblonde]

This is a huge peeve of mine. Just like when Mommy would call little Johnnie or Suzie in sick for work. Hell, it would be one thing if your kid COULDN'T call in because of being so sick, but I lose my patience when Mommy is the ONLY person that calls you in sick. Each and every single time. Sadly, this is a common occurance for the high school and even college-aged croud.

At my last job I worked primarily with high school kids. Never...again. I didn't even like high school kids when *I* was in high school. But I remember there was one girl whose mother had called in to our supervisor to complain that her daughter was working too much. And there are really strict rules in place for minors as it is - they can only work a certain amount of hours a day, and on school nights they can't work past six or seven. But this girl just got her schedule cut back even more, which meant more hours and work for everyone else, mostly me, since I was one of the only non-minors.

Does it really matter who drops off the application/resume?

I think it does. It might be the case that it could be more convenient for a parent to drop it off, BUT it just looks way, way, way better if you drop it off yourself. I mean, how much would it look like you care about getting the job if you can't even be bothered to come in and turn in the application yourself? It reeks of laziness and carelessness, I think.

[Raieth]

I think one of the reasons we all do this is that we get so many resumes in a week we have to weed them out some how.