Who is a good job applicant?

My assistant had to quit her job last year to focus on her being a brand new mother, a single parent and to care for her two aging parents.

I haven’t looked for a replacement ever since, till now.
I wanted to give priority to candidates who were referred to by our current employees, or town mates or relatives of our long time employees.

I entertained the idea of getting someone from our town because there are things to attend to in Binangonan like the santo in Pila-pila, my Good Friday panata, going to the munisipyo, check this and that. Marami akong utos.

Today I’ve decided I will no longer give applicants from our town a plus 5.
In golf, when Edmund plays, his golf buddies ask for plus two, three, plus five, sometimes if they have really high handicaps, Edmund gives them plus 10. This is to level the playing field because they perceive Edmund to be a very good golf player so they ask for plus to increase their chances of winning or lower their chances of loosing.

So town mates will no longer get a plus 5 as a job applicant. I will evaluate and decide based on their qualifications and my fair judgment if they are suited for the job. Qualifications include education, work experience, and my initial perception of what their character is, if they determined to work for an honest living, etc.

This position as in any position, is trial and error. We’ll never know until we are already working together.

This morning, a lady is supposed to come at 11 am for personal interview. She messaged me at 10 am saying that she’s withdrawing her application. I was actually hesitant to consider her in the beginning because she’s been jobless for four years and never had a job longer than one month. But because she’s from our town and with good family background, I thought she could be it.

Based on my long years of being an employer, there are a few things I’ve observed.
1. In general, those who’s been unemployed for several years is not a good candidate. She/he has gotten used to not having any more responsibility and pressure, maraming oras matulog, kain, tulog again. Sanay na ang katawan na relax lang lagi.
2. Former employees who resigned from us and worked for another company/ies, then decided to come back to us, are also not good candidates. Maybe with rare exceptions. These persons would not stay with us for a long time. Naghahanap lang yan ng parking kaya kami naalala. Those we’ve re-hired didn’t perform well when given a second chance. I told my husband the other day not to re-hire those who have left us especially those who transferred to our direct competitors (other Ford dealers). Exceptions to this are those who resigned to work abroad, who got sick and for other valid reasons based on our own assessment.
3. People who receive monthly padala or dollar remittances from relatives who are gainfully employed abroad. They are used to someone providing for them, even if they don’t work. There’s no real pressure to earn a living through their own volition and perspiration.
4. People who are looking for a job just to have something to do or to show their parents and friends that they too, go to a nice office. They will not last working. Matagal na ang three months dyan.
5. After a one hour grueling interview, their parting words are “I will tell my wife first”. “I will tell my parents first”. Wala yan. Hindi yan papayagan and there would be too many demands. Meron syang agent.
6. Children of gainfully employed parents are best suited working for multinational firms. Their standards are higher naturally and the working environment must be pang international standards.

According to a recent survey, the number of poor people increased by some 20% last year. That’s really high but not surprising at all. The number of jobless increased of course. Come April, more college students would be graduating and some of them would start looking for a job. But majority would stay at home to rest first and before they knew it, they’ve been resting for several years without a job.

Good luck to my search for a fantastic personal assistant and good luck to all job applicants out there. May you find a job that’s equally fulfilling and meaningful.