STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

not going to go over the whole thing, this first needs to be much shorter, by at least half.

the third paragraph is the best one, I would cut out the last sentence in it, however.  paragraph four devalues the role of a receptionist and I would delete it completely.

just tweak it, make it more diplomatic, and verbally concise, some of the language you are using could be taken the wrong way.  if I were the recipient, I would find some of the context rather threatening.  don't say words like, "frustrated" and "forced (to find other employment)," find another way to express your desire to gain a position of both interest to your studies and with better potential for upward mobility.  I would either delete or find another way to communicate overused phrases such as "under the impression" or "lead to believe" or "timely fashion."  This communicates both a lack of patience and a feeling that they owe you something.

All that is needed is a summary of your responsibilities and a request for consideration to be interviewed (whatever the process?) for the permanent position you originally intended to attain or at least be offered.

Sorry I chopped that up for you, just want you to use language to successfully persuade and make the best impression and if you do find other employment, not burn any bridges.  Good luck!

-- Edited by lorelei at 10:38, 2005-10-11

I'm going to be blunt. I wouldn't send it - it's polite and reasonable - for a PERSONAL relationship. BUT This is work, and I don't think any of it will fly. There has to be a positive tone, and it has to focus on the company. "I don't think the company is getting the most it could from me, given all the extra work I'm doing, which is evidence that you can get even more from me..." And the solution to this problem? Hiring you full time and changing your duties, so you can be free to build on these past successes.....

Right now, giving them this long list of problems makes it look like you have too much time on your hands. And that's not good.

PS - it's also important to cut out any emotional words "frustrated" "unhappy" this is work and an emotional vocabulary isn't going to trigger the response you want.

-- Edited by Dizzy at 11:05, 2005-10-11

Dizzy wrote:

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I'm going to be blunt. I wouldn't send it - it's polite and reasonable - for a PERSONAL relationship. BUT This is work, and I don't think any of it will fly. There has to be a positive tone, and it has to focus on the company. "I don't think the company is getting the most it could from me, given all the extra work I'm doing, which is evidence that you can get even more from me..." And the solution to this problem? Hiring you full time and changing your duties, so you can be free to build on these past successes..... Right now, giving them this long list of problems makes it look like you have too much time on your hands. And that's not good. PS - it's also important to cut out any emotional words "frustrated" "unhappy" this is work and an emotional vocabulary isn't going to trigger the response you want. -- Edited by Dizzy at 11:05, 2005-10-11

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I think Dizzy is correct in a lot of what she wrote. I wouldn't send it.. at least not until you have another job lined up. If you are still not hired to perm, by the time you leave there, then with your resignation... go right ahead and send it. Tell them why you are leaving, if you don't mind potentially burning some bridges. But until then, it could cause more problems than it helps.

Keep in mind, NO ONE likes to be told they are wrong or told that they have lied, misled, or anything negative like that. You have to remember to be sensitive to that. The person reading this, might become too offended to really understand what you are trying to say.

Nyla- I really wish you the best of luck!! I really want you to avoid any potential conflict. You need to start having an easier life! :)

 

Have you considered that maybe they don't want to hire you permanently? Perhaps they can sense your negativity towards your position as a receptionist and are thus hesitant to hire you permanently. Just a thought.

boop wrote:

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Have you considered that maybe they don't want to hire you permanently? Perhaps they can sense your negativity towards your position as a receptionist and are thus hesitant to hire you permanently. Just a thought.

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That was totally uncalled for.  She comes here to vent to her friends, not to be critized and/or judged.

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-- Edited by NylaBelle at 08:43, 2005-10-13

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-- Edited by NylaBelle at 08:44, 2005-10-13

NylaBelle wrote:

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boop wrote: Have you considered that maybe they don't want to hire you permanently? Perhaps they can sense your negativity towards your position as a receptionist and are thus hesitant to hire you permanently.  ETA:  I also wasn't asking for a judgement. I was asking for an opinion regarding the situation.  Your response has me a little fired up since you seem to have just popped in here and spoken up about something you know very little about.-- Edited by NylaBelle at 16:37, 2005-10-11

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I don't think this comment was written to be taken negatively.  If I friend came to me in your situation:  over-qualified for her current position, frustrated at her current position, yet even more frustrated that she wasn't hired full time, I would be confused .  Please don't be defensive.  If you believe that this is completely untrue, that is fine.  But, it is always helpful to see your situation from another perspective.

I also do not think it is right to assume that someone cannot be familiar with your situation.  I constantly read threads without posting.  Sometimes I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said or I simply have to get back to work.  I don't think there is anything wrong with that.  Perhaps Boop is one of the many people (evidenced by the number of reads vs the number of posts) who reads your posts without posting themselves. 

As for your current situation: I am concerned that your boss has not mentioned the possibility of you going full time yet.  And I know that the must subtle body language can give away your true feelings about your current position.  I do believe this is what Boop was trying to convey.  I would ask to speak to your boss about the possibility of you going permanent rather than email him.  IMHO email in this situation seems passive aggressive.  Also, because you tried email once before, I assume this is not the way to get through to your boss. 

As for your overall situation:  I understand that it is difficult to search for a job that you love, as we have all been in a similar situation.  However, I fear that you will make yourself physically ill if you continue to be in your current situation without any changes.

I hope you do not take this post as offensive in any way, as that was not the intent.  I do know Boop personally and I know that she is the sweetest person ever. 

Nylabelle sweetie - you dont' deserve these hassles and I hope I've made it clear that I think you're really holding it together well, and putting up with way more than you should have to, in a perfect world.

Anyway, I think the thing that people don't get about my posts are two assumptions underlying pretty much everything I think about work: 1) Everyone needs to have a polite fiction in order to get the job done. This isn't a personal relationship. You're stuck with eachother. And everyone is snowing the people one level up. 2) On any given day, it's going to be a hassle. Everything is goign to take longer than it should. People are goign to get weird. Not everyone is goign to be nice, or reasonable, or even on the correct medication.

This sounds incredibly cynical, but I figure, 1) so everyone is lying. So what. They are communicating in a couple of different layers and it's your job to translate. Besides, underneath the lying is always a wink-wink level where the good people can connect. And 2) The hassles are what make the game. It's like a crossword, or a reality show, or whatever. If the hassles weren't there, my day would be all about work. And every single job can get done without me. But solving personal hassles gives me an opportunity to make a unique contribution that will be more valuable to my employer than stocking more widgets or whatever it is they've hired me to do. Plus, it's usually more fun.

Having said all that - I think the guy is sending you a message by ignoring your emails. He doesn't like how he's being approached. Or he doesn't like something about what you've said. And he's giving you an opportunity to recognize this and change your approach. I'd take the opportunity.

Oh, and just to connect the dots: everyone is lying, which means you have to find the fictional reason for doing the real thing that you want. The real reason won't work. Because the real reason is about you. And your boss cares about the level up, not you.

-- Edited by Dizzy at 12:51, 2005-10-12