Want my job? Come and get it. Here’s the ad for someone to replace me.
Published in a local paper on July 22, 2005:
Secretary
___________ seeks a bright, Reliable, Experienced Secretary for a busy department. Candidate must have strong word processing (Microsoft Word, Excel), Telephone and Interpersonal Skills. Excellent Benefits.
Fax Resume to Director of Human Resources
_ _ _-_ _ _ -_ _ _ _
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with the head of Human Resources about getting a permanent position as a “floater” (someone who works wherever s/he is needed within an organization) for special projects, since my boss has made it quite clear that he doesn’t consider me a suitable candidate to become his secretary on a permanent basis. She said she’d hire me in a minute flat if Boss #1 would put me on his budget.
Later, I spoke with Boss #1 about being hired as a permanent “floater.” He said that he’d like to hire me, but that he’d have to speak to the Budget Committee concerning whose budget would cover my pay.
Just how stupid does he think I am? I walked out of that discussion knowing that the chances of me ever being hired on permanent basis were pretty much non-existent because the cheap s.o.b. doesn’t want to put me on his own budget line.
The Budget Committee meeting took place last week. I haven’t heard a word. Apparently, no one else wants to pick up my salary, either.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch house, the only thing I can do is look at that advertisement and laugh. When I described the problem with the ad to the folks at shul (synagogue), one person commented that all the ad proves is that whoever wrote it—probably not any of my bosses—needs a secretary! :)
Either all of the adjectives and nouns should be capitalized, or none of them should be.
The ad should say either “Bright, Reliable, Experienced Secretary” or “bright, reliable, experienced secretary.”
The ad should say either “Word Processing (Microsoft Word, Excel), Telephone and Interpersonal Skills” or word processing (Microsoft Word, Excel), telephone and interpersonal skills.
So I’ve decided that I have absolutely nothing to lose by going to Boss #1 on Monday and expressing my concern that the ad for my replacement is written in such a manner as to reflect poorly on our organization. I will, of course, just happen to mention that my boss on one of my most recent projects told me that I was the best proofreader she’d ever worked with.
It’s my sincere hope that he’ll have the good grace to be embarrassed, but, frankly, I doubt it. If he gave a rat’s @$$ in the first place, he would have hired me already.
I’ve always been of the firm belief that my job as an administrative assistant is to make my employer look good. I don’t appreciate it when we’re made to look like fools in public, even if I’m not the one responsible.
I consider it pretty ironic that I could have written a better ad for my replacement myself.
Secretary
___________ seeks a bright, Reliable, Experienced Secretary for a busy department. Candidate must have strong word processing (Microsoft Word, Excel), Telephone and Interpersonal Skills. Excellent Benefits.
Fax Resume to Director of Human Resources
_ _ _-_ _ _ -_ _ _ _
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with the head of Human Resources about getting a permanent position as a “floater” (someone who works wherever s/he is needed within an organization) for special projects, since my boss has made it quite clear that he doesn’t consider me a suitable candidate to become his secretary on a permanent basis. She said she’d hire me in a minute flat if Boss #1 would put me on his budget.
Later, I spoke with Boss #1 about being hired as a permanent “floater.” He said that he’d like to hire me, but that he’d have to speak to the Budget Committee concerning whose budget would cover my pay.
Just how stupid does he think I am? I walked out of that discussion knowing that the chances of me ever being hired on permanent basis were pretty much non-existent because the cheap s.o.b. doesn’t want to put me on his own budget line.
The Budget Committee meeting took place last week. I haven’t heard a word. Apparently, no one else wants to pick up my salary, either.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch house, the only thing I can do is look at that advertisement and laugh. When I described the problem with the ad to the folks at shul (synagogue), one person commented that all the ad proves is that whoever wrote it—probably not any of my bosses—needs a secretary! :)
Either all of the adjectives and nouns should be capitalized, or none of them should be.
The ad should say either “Bright, Reliable, Experienced Secretary” or “bright, reliable, experienced secretary.”
The ad should say either “Word Processing (Microsoft Word, Excel), Telephone and Interpersonal Skills” or word processing (Microsoft Word, Excel), telephone and interpersonal skills.
So I’ve decided that I have absolutely nothing to lose by going to Boss #1 on Monday and expressing my concern that the ad for my replacement is written in such a manner as to reflect poorly on our organization. I will, of course, just happen to mention that my boss on one of my most recent projects told me that I was the best proofreader she’d ever worked with.
It’s my sincere hope that he’ll have the good grace to be embarrassed, but, frankly, I doubt it. If he gave a rat’s @$$ in the first place, he would have hired me already.
I’ve always been of the firm belief that my job as an administrative assistant is to make my employer look good. I don’t appreciate it when we’re made to look like fools in public, even if I’m not the one responsible.
I consider it pretty ironic that I could have written a better ad for my replacement myself.
posted by Shira Salamone at 12:53 AM
6 Comments:
thye will not see the all or no caps error as being at all serious. you just have to convince them that you add more value to the organization than your cost. i sure you do. maybe it's time to move up the ladder, and make what you're really worth. people with good judgment are very valuable to business organizations. may you be blessed to be paid abundately for the great value that you bring to the organization (or another one!).
whyu doeent haolscan have spell check ^#$(*
Thank you for your good wishes, eliyahu, but if they haven't figured out by now that I "add more value to the organization" than I cost, they ain't likely to.
I'm not convinced that jobs for 56-year-old women who don't know Access or html grow on trees. (Yes, I tried to learn Access, by both taking a class and completing a home-study book, without success--it just eludes me. As to html, I don't even know where to go to learn it. And there's not much I can do about the 56 and female part.) The only reason why I'm still temping for this organization is that it has offered me more frequent employment than any other organization since 2001.
That said, I'll be looking for work again if I actually do get replaced and my assignments here become too irregular to pay the bills.
html is very easy. Really. If you can format a document in Word (i.e. if you understand what it means to make words bold, insert carriage returns, make bulleted lists, etc.), you can do html coding. Read http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimerAll.html and you will know enough to take you quite a ways!
That got cut off. Here is the full URL, in three pieces:
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/
General/Internet/WWW/
HTMLPrimerAll.html
Wow! Thanks!!! I'll give it a look.
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