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May 23, 2004 — The Morning Call
WEIRD SCENES FROM THE JOB APPLICANT FILE
by Dan Shope
Looking for a job?
Looking for a laugh?
Sometimes, both can be found in the same place.
InterSource Personnel Analytics in Whitehall Township is one of those places.
President Tina Hamilton runs a "prehire" service for which she recruits applicants, screens them and develops a short list for potential employers.
In starting the business, Hamilton figured that many businesses outsource their accounting and legal work, even payroll processing, so why not hiring?
Previously, she owned and operated a South Whitehall temporary staffing service franchise, now called Spherion, for 11 years.
After the parent company of the franchise merged, Hamilton decided to sell the regional franchise.
She said she was an entrepreneur at heart.
"We started InterSource in April 2002," she said. "We work alongside small and midsize companies. They own the resumes and we charge by the hour.
"We are an extension of the company, like an accountant or an attorney. We are involved with about 35 companies. We have lots of fun."
Often, those seeking jobs respond to newspaper advertisements.
"We laugh a lot because there is such an interesting mix of people," Hamilton said.
And an interesting mix of mistakes in interviews, resumes and letters.
Her favorite interviewing errors:
Q: Why did you leave your last employer?
A: I quit working there because they kept taking money out of my paycheck every week. They were stealing from the employees.
Q: Do you mean they were taking out payroll taxes?
A: Ohhhhh.
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Q: Can you explain why you were terminated from this employer?
A: For stealing food. I wasn’t really stealing though... I only ate one or two sandwiches a day.
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Q: When we contact your past employer what will they tell us about your attendance?
A: My attendance was great when I was there.
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During her interview, a woman answered her cell phone and started a conversation.
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A guy said he needed a temporary job until his court hearing came up. He stated that he may not be available after that.
Resumes:
Civil status — celibate without children.
I left my last position because I had a life-altering experience and I had to go follow the sun.
If you call my home and someone is rude to you, please hang up and call back another time.
Good health. Married with two children, a huge puppy, and a very weird hermit crab.
I know I would be good for this job because I am a Virgo.
Cover letters:
Controller: I am interested in what this job entails. I can fax u my resume, I am a very fast learner and am very reliable.
Bookkeeper: I think I can do almost anything through a computer, and if I don’t know how I "most of the time" figure out a way.
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