To apply or not to apply.

May 27, 2009 2:35 PM

Should I bother applying to this employment agency?

I'm good at working independently and can type 70wpm, and have started looking into transcription work. Someone recently tipped me off to a transcription agency not far from me. As I was looking into their company, I learned that the president of the company also owns a temp agency with whom I worked in 2003. They placed me in some questionable jobs, and after I got fired from one of them (for inappropriate conduct on behalf of the company, which I didn't feel comfortable telling my recruiter) they never asked me back. This is a small, independently-owned temp agency in Massachusetts that hired quite a few temps when I was there. Should I bother clearing the air to my potential supervisor about my previous time there? (FWIW, I never met the president of the company.) Would they remember me? Should I not even bother applying?

posted by anonymous to work & money (3 comments total)

worst that can happen is you get a no. I say apply, and be ready to be forthcoming and honest if this issue comes up in an interview. With the way the job market is now, its to your benefit to take every chance you can get and try to turn it into something positive.
posted by cubby at 2:49 PM on May 27

Yup. No harm in applying. If it comes up in the interview, or if they place you in more questionable positions you can always be honest about it, as cubby says, or just leave.

Perhaps things have changed in the six years since you last worked there. You're at an advantage as you know what to expect from the company, and you might even score some points for suggesting ways they could find positions that are a better fit for you.
posted by kjars at 2:55 PM on May 27

You need work, right? It'll take at most an hour of your time to reapply? What have you got to lose?

See if they still have your old file. If not (it's very possible they don't) then just start from scratch. If so, then just fill in details with the updated information. From your description you didn't do anything wrong, so I wouldn't worry. If it comes up, explain the situation honestly and clearly. (More honestly an clearly that you did here!) And succinctly.
posted by Ookseer at 7:58 PM on May 27