How to, and Not to, Apply for a Job

We needed a new receptionist. Receptionists are the first voice patients hear on the phone and the first face they see when they come into the office. They can be the difference between a positive or negative impression of not only the practice but of the doctor on a personal level. A bad hire can lead to damage that takes months to overcome. With these reasons in mind I began the search process with a sense of dread. I did not want to make a mistake. Again.

I decided to attack the problem on two fronts. I called a local temp agency with whom I had worked in the past and also put an ad on Craig’s List. The resultant flood of resumes and applications revealed a lot of how, and how not to, apply for a job. Here are some of the lessons learned.

1-Career Objective statements on resumes are often stupid and can kill an applicant’s prospects.

I do not know who teaches medical assistants how to compile a resume but someone has been telling people to say really stupid things at the top of their resumes. Here are some of the opening goal statements-

“Obtain a Administrative position where utilizing extensive skills and knowledge will help people.”

“My objective is to one day rise up in a company and expand my knowledge, strengths and interests in the different things I do in life, also to learn and grow from my mistakes which I consider stepping stones in life for a better future.”

2-Many applicants seem to be seeking a job other than the one for which they are applying.

I received resumes from applicants stating they wanted to “improve sales” or “work in a hospital” setting as well as  others that did not make any mention of the position for which they were applying. In a competitive market applicants should take the time to edit their resume so it appears they are applying specifically for the job in question.

3-Grammar and spelling matter

One applicant was very interested in a "postion" with my company. She didn’t get it. She didn't get the position either.

4-Many applicants don’t understand they need to do what the boss wants.

In order to make the process more efficient I decided to conduct all of my initial interviews via Skype or FaceTime. There are times when I can tell someone is not a good fit within just a few minutes. It seems unfair to both of us to make someone drive to my office for what may be a brief interview. FaceTime seems to be a great way to conduct a brief initial screen and respect other's time. I called one applicant and asked if we could schedule a brief initial interview on FaceTime. She replied, “I would rather not do that.” The result was that she did not get interviewed at all.

5-A little homework goes a long way.

In our area our office is the top rated practice on Yelp. I have an office website and Facebook page as well as this personal website/blog. Less than half of the applicants I interviewed had taken the time to read about me or my practice and as a result were unable to give specific reasons why they wanted to work for me. They came across as interested in any job, not for this specific job. As I was looking for someone who believed in our vision and philosophy of care these people placed themselves at a significant disadvantage.

6-Your past is not a secret.

One applicant sent over by the agency gave a good interview and we were ready to hire her. Then her background check revealed she had multiple felony counts pending for stealing prescription pads and writing fraudulent prescriptions. Another applicant had judgments against her for breach of contract. In an internet era a person's background is only a few clicks away.

7- Do it right and you may get more than you expect.

The person we hired had none of the above problems. Her career objective on her resume was “To obtain a position in a company where my experience and skills can be utilized to better improve patient satisfaction.” As our primary focus is quality care and service, this statement showed she shared our values. Her resume emphasized her experience in medical offices in a clear and concise manner.

When I called and asked if she was available for a FaceTime interview her reply was perfect. She told me she thought that was a great idea and that she would be available that afternoon. When I “called” her, she was dressed nicely, had appropriate hair and makeup, and was ready with a smile and pleasant demeanor. She had done her homework and knew who we were and what our values were. She had read our reviews on Yelp and told me she liked our emphasis on customer service.

Finally, her social media presence showed someone who was mature and committed to family. Everything about her was positive and appealing. When all of this was combined with the talents she revealed when she came in for a working interview it is not surprising that I hired her right away at a salary above what she requested.

She comported herself like a winner and won the job. She made me feel like a winner as well.

Bart

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Fighting to be Thankful

I woke up Thanksgiving morning feeling more stressed than thankful. While not unaware of the blessings that fill my life, these blessings have recently taken a back seat to stress. Turnover in the office, conflict in some relationships, a recurrence of chronic pain issues and even a sick dog have weighed heavily on my mind. My morning began with a tinge of sadness and I found myself reflecting on more negatives than positives.

A tweet helped change my mind.

The tweet was from Don Willett, Texas Supreme Court Justice. It featured the picture in this post with the comment, “This Thanksgiving, remember with gratitude America’s peerless military, far from home & close to danger.” I did what as Justice Willet suggested, and took time to remember the blessings secured and preserved by the millions of men and women who have served.

I remembered that I live in a free nation, with a free economy in which I am blessed not only to have a job, but to own my own business. I go to work when I choose, leave when I choose, pay my employees what I choose to pay them and am free to do what I believe is in my patients’ best interests.

I am free to worship. Each Sunday morning, I wake up with the ability to not only go to church, but to choose which church to go to. The pastors are free to preach whatever they want without fear of recrimination or arrest. I am free to give to the church of my choice and the money I give is not taxed by the government.

I am free to vote. I may not always like the choices I find in the ballot booth but I am free to vote, or not vote, for whomever I want. The candidates are chosen by the people, not by the government.

I am free to speak out. I can criticize the government, I can march against perceived oppression, and can stand on a street corner with a sign supporting or denouncing any cause or position I choose.

I have all of these rights and hundreds more because someone else fought for them. My ability to sit with my family to eat Thanksgiving dinner today exists because of others who have sacrificed time with their families in order to preserve my freedoms, which is a lot to be thankful for.

Bart

A Silly Game, Enduring Values

It was a stupid, simplistic table game. As we were too young to know we should have been bored to tears by its lack of sophistication we played it over and over. The game was called “'Tis so” and it was based on the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Its purpose was to teach proverbs to young kids. It worked.

The game consisted of small 1.5 inch by 0.5 inch pieces of cardboard that each had a portion of a proverb written on one side. Proverbs were divided into three sections with the words for a particular proverb all written with the same color font. The goal was to collect the three parts of a proverb and then lay them out in front of you in a fashion similar to the card game “Go Fish.” The player who had the most proverbs in front of them won the game. Pretty simple concept but it had a profound impact on me.

It was through this game that I learned a proverb that has shaped my life-

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1

I was only 10 years old but I understood what the verse meant. There is nothing in life more important than your character. It was clear to me that if I was ever forced to choose between doing the right thing and making money that the right thing should always win out. Good men never count the cost before doing the right thing. From that time on I set my sights on the lofty goal of being a good man. Although I ended up pursuing a well paying job wealth was irrelevant compared to integrity. What mattered the most was who I was inside, not the stuff I possessed.

I have worked hard to instill this value in my children. When my son was in 4th grade we went to his parent/teacher conference. When we sat down with the teacher she briefly mentioned some behavioral issues our son had displayed, that he had been mean to a special needs child. She quickly told us that the issue had been dealt with and then tried to move on to a discussion of his stellar academic performance.

To her surprise and chagrin we had no interest in discussing his classroom performance. “I know he is smart,” I said, “I am more concerned about his character.” I told her I would rather my son be a trash collector with character than a dishonest President of the United States. I backed up my beliefs when we went home.

We learned that he and another student had been picking on another child while they all played on the school's new and very popular playground equipment. We told him that he was banned from that equipment for the rest of the school year, a total of 8 months. “Every time you see the other kids having fun on that playground I want you to remember why you can’t" I said,  “We are Barretts, we don’t pick on the weak, we defend them.” We said nothing about his academic success. Both my son and his teacher learned that day that in our eyes character was more important than worldly success.

It seems that the values found in Proverbs 22:1 are increasingly on the decline in our nation. We just completed an election cycle led by individuals who seem to believe that character is irrelevant. All that mattered was winning by any means possible. This seems to be the  new American way, which means we have lost out way as a nation. People cheat in business, on exams and in their marriages. There was once a time when a handshake sealed an agreement, we now live in an era where promises are made to be broken. 

I cannot change America but I may still be able to make a difference. It is my hope and prayer that I will be a honorable and trustworthy man and as a result encourage those around me to do the same. I may not end up rich, but perhaps I can leave this world with something of greater value. A good name.

Bart

Complaining About Everything and Changing Nothing. Thoughts on Protesting Trump.

I don’t get yelled at by patients very often but when I do there is one question I want to ask the offended and angry person. “What are you hoping to accomplish by yelling at me?”

I have been yelled at more than once for not prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection. Each time I wondered if the patient thought my medical opinion was so weakly held that it would change once a certain decibel level had been reached, if antibiotics were indicated not based on the severity of the infection but on the anger of the patient.

I have had patients yell and scream over the cost of an office visit. Some have threatened to seek care elsewhere if I did not waive my fees, apparently oblivious to the fact that no doctor wants patients who don’t pay their bills in their practice. Their behavior guaranteed an outcome opposite of the one they were seeking. Instead of begging them to stay I was glad to see them go.

These encounters came to mind this week as I watched the anti-Trump demonstrations. While Donald Trump has given Americans myriad reasons to be upset and angry I find myself wondering, “What are they trying to accomplish?”

There is no chance of a do-over. Elections do not work that way. No amount of yelling is going to change Trump’s mind. No clever sign or intensely chanted slogan is going to change the outcome. Instead of persuading others the most likely result of these protests is to galvanize those who against them. Those who voted for Trump rightly feel that their vote is being devalued and attacked. The natural result will be greater support for Trump among his voters and those who almost voted for him, making his policies more likely to succeed. This is not what the protesters want but it is what they will get.

If these protesters truly want to change people’s minds they are going to need to do it the old fashioned way. They will have to leave the bubble in which they live and engage in dialogue with those who disagree with them. They will have to listen, understand, and provide reasonable, rational and respectful explanations for their point of view. This will take time, effort, and patience. If they are as passionate as they claim they will make the effort. If they don’t, their words aren’t worth the poster board they are printed on.

If they want to impact elections they will have to do this the old fashioned way as well. They will need to register and vote, and support candidates with whom they agree. They will need to volunteer their time and donate their money. If they don't they will continue to feel as if they are outside of the process, because they will be outside of the process.

Bart

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Respect. The Lost American Value

He was in his twenties, had a high school diploma and no college, and was the manager of a shoe store in an aging open air mall. I was terrified of him. I worked in the strip mall and he was my manager. He was a shoe selling wizard, a company man devoted to footwear excellence. I was 17 and a senior in high school, working for $3 an hour plus commission. Every time I worked with him I was nervous.

My fear and respect of managers persisted in the years to come. After I graduated high school I worked on the loading dock at a Montgomery Ward store in Costa Mesa, California, where I found myself again intimidated, this time by the dock manager and the other workers. They were all bigger, older and stronger than me. During my brief time there I was constantly fearful that I would fall shirt and fail to meet expectations.

After I moved out of the house I worked as a box boy for a Vons supermarket in Whittier, California. The manager was a man named Tom Moore who had a perfect haircut, a full mustache and a strong personality. He had worked his way up from box boy to store manager in the company and managed several stores. He had no education beyond high school but he knew what he was doing and was good at it. I respected and feared him.

Looking back, I realize that these managers were not the type of man many would now find remarkable. They were not highly educated and did not seem to possess broad based skills. They were simply good at what they did. I did not know it at the time but I possessed more innate managerial talent and leadership potential and was probably more intelligent. They did nothing to earn my respect or to prove themselves to be my intellectual superior but I respected them all the same.

I respected them because they were in authority over me. I knew nothing about their moral character, school grade point averages, SAT scores or personal lives. They could have been terrible people outside of work. In spite of all of this, I respected them from the moment I started each job. That is how I was taught bosses were supposed to be treated.

The world has changed. Respect for position and authority has almost completely disappeared from our culture. I have seen this in my own profession. I have had my knowledge and authority questioned by job applicants and patients who knew nothing about my record of success or commitment to excellence. I have been cussed at by 10 year-olds and had my advice dismissed out of hand by millenials who believed that a semester of psychology and the ability to perform a Google search rendered them my medical equal.

The lack of respect in the current generation has not only damaged professional relationships, it has inhibited learning. While some would consider my high school educated managers to be inferior, they were not. I learned something from all of them that I could not have learned on my own. Richard, my shoe store manager, taught me how to sell, the importance of asking for help, and how to relate to others. On the loading dock I learned how to organize, pack, and move a refrigerator safely. Tom Moore taught me about business, how to manage large groups of people and the importance of improving overall company performance and not just individual work. I could write multiple pages of the lessons learned from every less educated manager for whom I worked.

Most importantly, they taught me the importance of respect and the value of submission to authority.

Bart