Careers & Job Searching: How Far is Too Far to Go when Trying to Get a Job?

Due to economic hardships, many companies are suffering financially. As a result, many people are being either fired or laid off with little hope for tomorrow. In the summer of 2009, one call center in Manhattan NY took a financial hit also resulting in talks of down sizing. After months of meetings and debates, lay offs were official.

On the morning of December 23, 2009 employees of the call center received word that a few people would be laid off. Later on that day about 20 people lost their jobs and a friend of mine was in the number. She (Carol) has a family at home to take care of and the unemployment promised to her wasn't going to make ends meet. Being a single mom of two with no job was very frustrating for her. Groceries were needed in the home for her growing children and her first unemployment check wouldn't be there for 2 weeks. Thankfully she had already taken care of Christmas shopping. Carol had to dip into what little savings she did have because of the overwhelming bills and other finances that needed to be taken care of. She decided that staying home wouldn't do it but she would have to go out and look for a job.

Carol got her resume together started her search. It was a long and hard search with so many rejections. She went day in and day out waiting hours for an interview only to get a message to come back the next day or to let her know all positions were filled and to come back at a later date. She began to get stressed out but always remembered the motto we learned in school. "I can, I will, I must, I shall endure to be the very best, never doubting my ability, always striving for the prize." Carol repeated this daily and continued her search for employment. When February 3, 2010 came around her landlord came knocking at the door. The rent was behind and he was becoming a bit impatient. Carol assured the landlord that all she needed was about two more weeks. She was tired of searching for employment but knew she couldn't give up. Bills were behind and life was just upside down. Carol had it in her mind that before the next Wednesday came she would have a job.

The next day, her youngest child had a dentist appointment. Upon arriving to the dentist she noticed the receptionist wasn't present. The receptionist was never absent so this was a surprise to her. She continued waiting until the dentist called for her child. While the dentist cleaned her child's teeth, she asked about the receptionist. The dentist proceeded to tell her that he fired him for harassing the customers. While the receptionist seemed to be a nice man, if he was harassing the customers he had to go. Carol asked the dentist was he holding interviews for a replacement. Although he knew he needed a receptionist in the office he quickly declined saying that everyone he gets for the position always lets him down. Carol explained to the dentist that she was out of a job and she would be able to take the place of the receptionist. The dentist knew her for a number of years but was skeptical about her taking over the position. He told her he will call when he is ready for the position to be filled. It just to so happened that her oldest son had an appointment the coming Monday.

When they walked in on Monday the office was a disaster. The dentist had about 40 patients on the waiting list, the security officer couldn't calm everyone down, the phones were ringing off the hook with no one to answer them, children tearing up the place, it was just a disaster. The job of the receptionist was to take the calls and make the appointments while keeping the place in order with security as a last resort. Since there was no receptionist, Carol was determined to prove that this job was for her. She told the security guard she was going behind the desk to help out a little. Her children were patients there for years so it was a sure thing for her. Carol went behind the counter and began answering the calls and writing down messages for the dentist. She told the callers that appointments were on hold but she would do her best to try to get the appointment approved. After getting the telephone under control she calmed the children down and began fixing the place with their help. After about 3 hours the patients were seen and things were back to normal.

Later that day, the dentist received word of what Carol did and he was impressed. The next afternoon he called her to the office and told her to be at the office Wednesday morning. When she walked in he handed her an employee contract and an envelope. After reading over the contract and signing it, she began to cry. She really wanted this job and because of her determination and not giving up she got the job. What was in the envelope? It was a note from the dentist thanking her for her assistance that day. Along with the note was a check with an amount to cover a her back rent and then some. She was overwhelmed. Although tough times may come in life you must get up and do something about it. How far is too far to impress an employer to get hired? There is no limit. You must do what you have to do in order to make your money. That is the only way to survive. While others allow pride to get in the way of getting what they need, people like Carol will do what they must to get what they need.