How to get a job

One year before school began, I was scheduled to teach two health classes. Two days before the end of preplanning, the curriculum director came to me with bad news. She told me the neighboring county school system was offering their eighthgraders a course in what they would be studying in the ninth grade. I would be teaching this class to our eighth graders instead of health. I told the curriculum director that I would need a teacher’s guide to be able to teach something that I had no knowledge of. She said, “I’ll get it to you as soon as possible.”

School started, and I had no guide. I called the curriculum director and asked where the materials I needed for the class were. She said, “I’ll get them to you in a couple of days, until then, just fake it.” I rambled on about everything I could think of for a week – no material. One day, a week later, she shows up with all the books that the kids would be using in the ninth grade. I passed them around and said, “This is what you will be studying in the ninth grade.” I then told them that we were changing this class to a “How to Get a Job” class. I had graduated from high school, I had graduated from college, but none of these schools ever had a class on how to get a job.

I told the class that, to get almost any job, the boss or someone in management would interview them and that the first 10 seconds of the interview are very important. The first impression that you make will weigh heavily on whether you’re hired or not. You should be dressed in the nicest clothes that you own. Know the interviewers name if possible. Go in with a big smile on your face, look them in the eye, shake hands and introduce yourself. You should have a good story to tell why you want the job. Tell them your qualifications, if any, and why you would be an asset to the company. I would have them individually come up to me with a smile on their face and look me in the eyes, then introduce themselves. I was shocked at the number of kids who could not perform this simple act. I drilled them on how to shake hands; when shaking hands, you squeeze their hand with a gentle squeeze. A limp wrested handshake will not get you hired. I told the big boys, “don’t squeeze too hard, a broken hand won’t get you hired, either.”

I played the role of a rich business owner. I said, “There are 32 of you in this class and I’m only going to hire one of you. This is the most serious competition you will have in life – competing for a job.” Their assignment was to come up with a good reason for me to hire them. I heard some of the lamest reasons that you can imagine: I need money to buy a car, I need money so I can get married, I need money to buy pot, and on and on. I was hard on them. One kid says, “I have a wife and six kids, I need money to support my family.” I said, “Put your family on welfare. What are you going to do for me? I’m in this business to make money; how much money are you going to make for me?”

One kid said, “Mr. Davis, I’ve been checking out your company and everyone says it’s a great place to work. If hired, I know I will have to start at the bottom, but I’m a hard worker and in a few years, I hope to be one of your managers.” My reply was, “YOU’RE HIRED.” Billy Davis is a U.S. Navy Veteran and retired from the U.S. Air Force. He is a former band director that worked in both Floyd and Murray County. He resides in Calhoun with his wife, where he enjoys writing “Ramblin with Uncle Billy” and traveling.