KILL WHAT YOU EAT: LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE

On Friday, I spotted an ad on Craigslist for a talent scout. I know what the ad was for. Someone wanted to hire a recruiter. For those who don’t know, a recruiter is a person who scouts out candidates for a position in a company, and receives a fee for placing a person there. The responsibility also involves recruiting employers to place the new recruits in.

I often wondered what life would be like on that side of the table. I have done this work for years, but I was never in a position to collect a fee for it. Out of curiosity, I threw my hat in the ring. I formulated a kick –ass resume and emailed it off with a cover letter that extolled my ability to walk on water – which for mortals is normally not built in a day.

I received a telephone call an hour later. Before being interviewed, though, I was to answer a questionnaire that would give an indication of whether I had the right stuff, the killer instinct, and the ability to kill what I eat. I hung some raw meat up over my desk, growled and gnashed my teeth at it and did the questionnaire within a few seconds.

I’ll find out Monday whether I have that level of a sociopathic personality.

About 20 years ago, I landed my first position as an employment counsellor with the Vancouver School Board. I was interviewed for the position by the head of human resources, and somehow I got the job.

I was placed in a program that dealt with men over the age of 55 who had a variety of barriers such as low education, histories of addiction, and lengthy criminal records. Some even had disabilities. The idea was get them, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the world of work so they could retire with some sense of dignity.

One of the barriers my group shared was racism. I recognized this, and learned that the School Board had a special team that dealt with Racism, and had developed a workshop that I might find useful. I twisted their arms and had them do their presentation. After they did it, I wrote each presenter and the coordinator a letter of thanks as their presentation appeared to work. My gang of ruffians was tamed and sensitized.

Apparently the letter is something one normally doesn’t do. I received phone calls and visits from superintendents, and I was promoted to a coordinator’s position in a community school where I stayed for two years.

About 13 years later, I received an email from a HR person from a bank who said that so-and-so from a large recruiting firm wanted to be put in touch with people who worked with people with disabilities, as they wished to include the disabled in their workplaces.

I asked if that was the same so-and-so who used to be the head of HR at the Vancouver School Board.

It was.

I called her up and we had a meeting, and as a result, I found temporary and permanent placements for some of my clients.

This was the same company that phoned me up. They may kill what they eat, but they seem to have their hearts in the right place. I hope I wasn’t too vicious in my questionnaire.

Mike Broderick WAS the Employment Specialist for the Neil Squire Society in Burnaby where he FOUND employment for people with physical disabilities.
HE IS NOW SEEKING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
He remains an active ambassador with the Vancouver Board of Trade and a member of the Labour Task Force of the Burnaby Board of Trade He does some work as a field Archaeologist and is a fitness instructor and frequent contributor of fitness humour articles to alive magazine in Port Coquitlam. You can reach him at home at michael_broderick@telus.net  or at 604-464-4105
If you’re looking for a career change, he is the Spin Doctor and can give you a resume makeover at competitive rates .
Apparently 22% of companies in the Greater Vancouver area will be hiring within the next month. Get your resumes ready.