Not enough experence...

[Techiegirly]

So I just got shot down for a general stage tech position for not havnig enough experience. WTF? I've been doing it for almost 10 years now full time. I've worked in a WIDE variety of places including several unions and a certain butthole mouse in Anaheim as well as tons of of other local theatres in a few different states. I've done countless internships and volunteer gigs...etc.

Any ways I'm kind of angry because I feel this is just their excuse. I've obviously got the experience for the part. It's not some major technical position, I'd be hanging lights and running shows. Any monkey can do that. GRRRRRR

 

[derekleffew]

Don't take it personally, Techiegirly. Often an employer will issue will issue the boiler-plate: "We have decided to go with a more qualified applicant" in a rejection. Personally, I prefer the phrase "We have selected another individual whom we feel better suits our needs."

With apologies to, (I think), Rodney Dangerfield, I don't want to work for an employer that wouldn't have me as an employee.

 

[Techiegirly]

I'd much prefer the line "We have selected another individual whom we feel better suits our needs", over telling me I haven't got enough experience. It's like a slap in the face.

 

[sobenson]

The one thing I have come to learn about jobs, is not that you are not experienced enough to do the job, but that you will easily get bored of the job and start to look for another. This to the employer means that they are then going to have to train another employee to do your job. Hiring and training is a huge expense to an employer and they want to do it as little as possible.

 

[Spikesgirl]

Techiegirl - i was on the other end of the stick. I was given a job by which other folks were vastly more qualified for. Didn't know until after I was 'retired' that it was because the TD thought he could manipulate me more than any of the other people (all men) who had applied. That came back to bite him in the butt..heh, heh, heh.

Console yourself that the PTB(Powers That Be - whatever form they might take for you) thinks that there's something else that you supposed to be doing instead. Yea, it's a dodge, but it keeps me happy.

See if you can get a follow up meeting with the hiring people and see what experience they though you were lacking. Bet you find that you were qualified, but someone else was more qualified. If not, well, it might depend on how far you want to push back to get some justice. it's not easy to be a woman in this field - if you know what I mean.

Charlie

 

[mixmaster]

Often times, especially in a larger bureaucracy, the job that's listed bears only a small semblance to what the person doing the hiring is looking for. While it stings to get a generic "not enough experience" refusal, it's entirely possible they were looking for someone with a very specific skill set. Perhaps the "general stagehand" they hired doesn't know a turnbuckle from the Velcro on his shoe but he's a factory certified repair tech for a brand of equipment the house uses. Or he has some obscure certificate from somewhere that has no practical application but looks good to the bureaucrat conducting the interview. It's also possible that the company hires from within and only posts the job to meet some regulation. The experience that the new employee has is not with the theater equipment per say, but with the house personnel and the venue.
As crappy as it feels, the problem is not yours. It's theirs, and potentially their loss. "Not enough experience" is just a generic catch-all that is usually short for "we picked someone else, go away."
That being said, a follow up call may be a good thing. You may never get a direct answer as to why you didn't get the job, but thanking them for the opportunity, politely inquiring about future prospects, and generally presenting yourself as a member of the professional community may open some doors for you down the road, especially if the guy they hired this time doesn't work out.

 

[gafftaper]

I've been given the "not enough experience" line before too. In the end I found out that it wasn't that I didn't have enough experience it was that the other person had MORE experience. It's a fine line but an important one if you are the person being turned down. Also remember that there are a lot of reasons for not hiring that can get them sued. "Not enough experience" is one of the few legal reasons to not hire you that they can give you.

 

[len]

With apologies to, (I think), Rodney Dangerfield, I don't want to work for an employer that wouldn't have me as an employee.

Wrong on both counts.

Groucho Marx said "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member."

And for extra credit, can you name all five Marx brothers?

 

[Logos]

Gummo Zeppo Groucho Chico and of course Harpo.

I was going to be a real smartass and started with Julius moved to Adolph and couldn't remember their other real names.

I have actually been told (twice from memory) that I have had too much experience for the job I was applying for. In both cases it was part time swing techs that pulled around 10 - 15 hours a fortnight doing basic stuff for short term hires. I was sort of working on private projects and thought a bit of regular cash would help.