May 24, 2022
Guest Host: Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV
Radio
A Very Special Episode: How to Get Hired!
Guest: K.P. Wee, Author and Podcast Host
SUMMARY:
You’re in the process of nailing
down a promising job and feeling excited with good reason, but
there can still be red flags and bumps in the road worth noting.
This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast welcomes back Stan Markotich,
former News Director at CJIV Radio, who along with K.P. shares
anecdotes and advice about shady hiring situations. You’ll learn
about real-life scenarios from which these two veterans of the
workforce have learned lessons – some of which they recognized
immediately and others that they figured out after the
fact.
Whatever mistakes they’ve made,
K.P. and Stan are sharing their hard-earned experience so that you
can avoid some common pitfalls and know when to speak up. They
offer practical tips and scenarios for which any job candidate
should be prepared. There can be ethical dilemmas,
mis-representations, even exploitation. This podcast is all about
giving listeners the tools to ensure a fair deal and healthy
workplace situation. The pair are touching on areas that require
some defensive strategy and wariness, but getting hired of course
mostly has many upsides and positives, which they plan to highlight
in a future episode. So stay tuned and, in the meanwhile, work on
being at the top of your game in the current employee-friendly
economy!
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of
The K.P. Wee Podcast.
If you’re a fan of this
podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter
@chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (1:00) Stan introduces himself and the
episode’s special focus: How to Get Hired!
- (2:00) K.P. joins in to kick off the
conversation by sharing an instructional anecdote from an interview
he went through a few years back.
- (3:25) Tip #1: Try always to show up a little
early for interviews.
- (5:48) Tip #2: If you’re being mistreated in an
interview, don’t be afraid to speak up on your own
behalf.
- (9:39) K.P. reflects on the discriminatory
nature of his interaction with an interviewer who was in fact
herself Asian (as is K.P.). Needless to say, it was unprofessional
and distasteful.
- (11:09) Stan weighs in with thoughts about the
fact that bad interview experiences can go both ways, leaving
either side of the desk stuck navigating as best as
possible.
- (12:18) Stan shares two pieces of basic advice
for interviewers:
-
- Never slam the competition.
- Never be late for an
interview.
- (17:40) Tip #3: Don’t badmouth your employer or
any other organization.
- (18:09) About K.P.’s growing involvement with
the local sports community, including his contributions writing
weekly recaps for a team in the BC Major Midget League. In a total
breach of journalism ethics, K.P. had to call out a local reporter
who plagiarized his work. The response was
unsatisfactory.
- (26:50) Tip #4: Be impeccable with your
etiquette around communications and follow-up.
- (30:52) K.P. shares a story from a
research job some years back that demonstrates the potential for
lack of transparency and manipulation around compensation. Be
alert!
- (34:14) When an interviewer asks about the
salary your current or former employee has paid, do you lie to
inflate it? This is a tactic common in an employer’s market. Not
great, but a reality not worthy of compromising your
integrity.
- (37:09) If demand for employees is high, you’re
far less likely to be asked about your current salary because the
market for talented hires is tight and competitive.
- (37:48) Training new hires, K.P. found himself
in a quandary after he discovered a delta between what an employee
thought he should be paid and what in fact he would be paid. Should
K.P. reveal the truth? Is it his role or
responsibility?
- (41:47) Stan takes a look at the apparent
bait-and-switch on salary requirements that K.P. witnessed from the
employer perspective. What was this employee’s true
value?
- (46:54) Requiring full transparency from
employers about compensation and related issues is your right, as
Stan points out based on a personal experience.
- (48:11) What do you do when you show up for a
job, as Stan did once in a short-term opportunity, and the terms
have suddenly been changed to broaden the scope of work required?
It’s not okay to alter a job description after the salary or
contract has been negotiated.
- (50:30) Tip #5: Beware mission creep. Employers
should not be allowed to exploit you by demanding additional work
without additional compensation.
- (51:11) Tip #6: Beware toxic environments. When
a boss started bad-mouthing the friend who had helped K.P. get a
job, he was done. He wanted no part of it.
KEY QUOTES:
- (9:11)
“When you walk into an interview, if you feel that you are being
mistreated or insulted you should stand up for yourself.”
(K.P.)
- (13:00) “If an interviewer is late for an
interview, that’s generally a signal that the person has already
lined up a candidate and what’s happening is just going through the
motions.” (Stan)
- (29:40) “Getting hired does mean in many cases
that there will be a reality that involves issues of ethics and
ethical considerations.” (Stan)
- (36:42) “People in charge may want to take
advantage of you if you have certain skills. That’s how the game
works (sometimes).” (K.P.)
- (47:44) “My position (if compensation is
unclear) would be, ‘Until you can tell me, I won’t be doing
anything.’ ” (Stan)
- (52:45) “In life it’s never one way. It’s never
all great. It’s never all bad. And you’ve got to be aware of both
sides.” (Stan)
About Guest Host Stan Markotich:
Born and raised in Vancouver,
Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in
1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the
University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University,
earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr.
Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an
appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and
remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author
of White Paper of
the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in
Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a
memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in
Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures
for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through
SFU Continuing Education.
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of
multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs
and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also
enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of
romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and
instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver
Canadians baseball club’s media relations
department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee
here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of The K.P.
Wee Podcast are available here.