Dear Prospective Employers:

[ZR1Vette09]

No. You're quite right. It's complete ****. Bear this in mind: Any time you can find a way to nab grant money, do it. You're entitled to it as much as any other student. All young people, myself included, are getting shafted pretty freakin' hard in one way or another. I had to wait till I was 23 to start college because I couldn't get in any other way. My parents made too much money and still couldn't afford to give me much for college, what with my stepfather's medical bills (even with insurance).

Too hard to get anything anymore. All the indians are coming over and taking it all. i graduated high school with a 34 ACT score and a 4.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Know what I got offered? about 8k a year. school costs at least 24 a year. So I went to community college, took aggressive courses, still have a 4.0, and I get 3500 a year. still costs 24k a year.

[Ravenwald]

I'm thankful I live where I live. Not a lot of minority 23+ people looking for grant money, so it's possible to get a full ride on grants (community college here is cheap though).

[rynoman03]

I went to a 6 month training school to learn my IT skills and it cost me 26k. I'll be paying that forever. Although i went directly from the $9hr i was making before at Lowes to $18.00hr and I got hired on with Dell. Sure beats manual labor or the general public jobs i had before. I pay about 300.00 a month in student loans now though with the two years i went to a State College and my training college. FML.

[SlowNA06]

6 month training school...to $18.00hr

Not too shabby, my friend. You're further ahead than most 4-year college graduates.

[Streetfire gtp]

Hope that interview went well for you Ravenwald . Everywhere you turn everyone one says go to school, get a degree, well maybe that is not the best thing to do in this economy when we can't afford to pay the loans! And yes the whole getting a degree, worth nothing unless you have experience. I have a bachelors what's it worth...50k in student loans with half on forbearance because I cant afford them.
Maybe we will get out of this like we did in 1929??

Best advice: Before the interview, research the company, go on their website, read their history, sound like you know who they are. That's a question I got alot....so what do you know about us? hmmm...

[Streetfire gtp]

Not too shabby, my friend. You're further ahead than most 4-year college graduates.

Riiiiight! He makes more than me lol

[04trbogp]

There are steps being taken to make private student loans dis-chargeable again. Here are some interesting articles about student loans and bankruptcy, feel free to pass them on:

The Valley Advocate: News - Killer Loans

Glenn Reynolds: Higher education's bubble is about to burst | Glenn Harlan Reynolds | Op Eds | Washington Examiner

This one is more of a site to educate
StudentLoanJustice.Org

This one is probably the best
Higher-Ed Tuition Costs: The ‘Conservative’ view is not on either extreme, by Gordon Wayne Watts

[Ravenwald]

I admit to laughing when student loan debt surpassed credit card debt as the number one form of debt in America.

[04trbogp]

I admit to laughing when student loan debt surpassed credit card debt as the number one form of debt in America.

Yep, and the sad thing is these loan companies expect people to default and they can collect even more money.

[jarheadbobandmax]

we had a simular situation under Carter with the economy at my graduation, only intrest rates on car loans were 15 to 17% on four years (no 60-72months) home rates were 20-22%...min wadge was 2.35 hour and the goverment and welfare was just that, didn't refer to it as intitlements.... simple stupid questions we ask are as said to measure responce and attitude to see who we are hireing, have already looked at the app and ran checks now we just want to understand what is comming into the workspace.. If you are qualified , go in with confidence make eye contact in a non challenging way and don't stumble more than likley you will get hired. I jumped straight into the Marines under a gauranty of engineer training , saw the world went to night school and came out with two degree's twelve license and no debt.. sat thru one interview twenty seven years ago and have never sat thru a second...we get the pretender out of office and people will once again spend money, expand thier business footprint and hire more people. no one is expanding or hirering more employees because of the hidden federal cost per person...all the same was said in 1980 and a changing of the gaurd (Reagan) cut taxes and goverment programs unleashed twelve steady years of growth and remained steady through the ninetys...Big Fxxxking companys are not the problem good luck with the call backand as was said earlier degrees are fine but a flush bottom line is what is going to keep and advance your standing as well as pay..

[GrandPrixSE]

LOL! Me and the OP's list looks almost the same

I used to hand this out at interviews a long time ago and it did get me hired to a few places

Dear Prospective Employer,
Thank you for reading this during my interview. What I have written down below consists of a type of list. I do hope this answers some of your questions for this interview.

1. I sat at your "Hiring station" and it took me about 2 hours to complete the application because of your slow computer. I don't like playing "20 Questions" and half of them have been designed in such a way that I could end up sabotaging myself, so thats why I didn't answer them.

2. Don't expect top notch work at Minimum Wage. If you are willing to pay more, I'm willing to give more.

3. Please note that I have applactions all over the area, so if another employer is willing to pay me more for the same kind of work don't expect me to come back.

4. If I'm doing something wrong or have done something wrong, I expect you to tell me about it so I can fix it or make amends to it.

5. I really am a hard worker. If I'm the only one working for 3rd shift without help, then you can't expect me to move faster than I already am, I'm not willing to injure myself by moving any faster, I'd like to keep all my fingers. I can only do so much at one time.

6. I don't cover up anyone's tracks for anything. I don't care how much you want me to lie for you or someone else, it just won't happen. Not even with a pay increase.

7. Don't come to me after a few months and tell me you have to let me go because of something I've done or some other ****, please read #4 again.

8. I don't like anyone wasting my time, I expect to be hired after this interview. If I'm not hired, then you have wasted my time(and my gas) I could of spent checking back in at other places. I expect to be compted for my wasted time and gas.

Thanks for reading this cover letter, if you should have any other questions, and I expect you will, feel free to ask them!

[stealthee]

The question I hate the most is "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

I, personally, have never been able to look ahead that far. Especially when you are getting hired for a job you don't expect to excell in and move up from.

I will tell you this though. I was hired at my current employer a day after my first interview. They hired me as a shipper at $9.50 an hour, which in this area is acceptable. I had been making $9.25 at my previous job.

4 or 5 months after I started I was given a 50 cent raise. This is after everyone who had worked there for years said raises are hard to come by there. 4 months after that raise I was asked to take a promotion to production scheduler and given another 50 cent raise. 90 days after I took the promotion I was given another 50 cent raise. My production scheduler status has basically flowed intp being a floor manager. My boss said he is already working on the CEO to get me another raise by the end of the year.

I was given 1.50 an hour in raises in a year of employment with more to come by my two year anniversary. At my last job I garnered 1.25 an hour in raises in 4.5 years.

So you may get yourself into a position that you don't necessarily see yourself staying in, and end up succeeding more than you though. You are also right in saying that if the people above you don't like you, you are likely to be dead-ended.

[neel2008]

Man i aggree 100% with the OP....I prob wounldnt have the balls to come out and say that to an employer though. lol

[Ravenwald]

I received an offer from Dr Pepper Snapple Group yesterday for a job with them. I just have to do the drug test and background check song and dance and I'm in. Funny thing is, I ended up being late to the interview for this job because I had to ask a police officer to show me where they were, being unable to find it on my own. Of course I mentioned that to the hiring manager who himself was from another state and could sympathize.