Shortest Time in a Job 3AW 693AM Radio Melbourne with Tony Moclair

By Sue Ellson

Topic: Shortest Time in a Job

Date: 12 February 2025

Media Outlet: 3AW 693AM Melbourne https://www.3aw.com.au

Broadcaster / Interviewer: Tony Moclair

Producer: Bianca Johnston

Duration: 00:06:20

Time of show: 13:38pm

Audio Recording:

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu_YdAL1lWE

Shortest Time in a Job on 3AW 693 AM Radio Melbourne with Tony Moclair and Sue Ellson

Transcript

22 minutes to Two This is a pretty remarkable story I was reading uh about a a young woman although 32 all right uh the woman was undertaking a job trial at a child care centre when she walked out. She was 10 minutes or not even 10 minutes into it. She left her lunch in the microwave. uh So that’s got us thinking, “What is the shortest amount of time you spent in a job?’ 133 693

Sue Ellson is a Career Expert she joins me now. Good afternoon Sue.

Hi Tony.

Sue, um the whole job trial can be a little problematic at the best of times

Mmm

What was her obligation?

Wow that’s a tough question. Legally, if it’s just a trial I would have thought there’s no requirement unless they’re being paid and there was an expectation of that.

Yep.

But yeah it it’s a tricky one. I find it fascinating that she was having her lunch 10 minutes into the shift.

[Laugh] That’s a good point, that’s a very good point. [Laugh] Um so well then uh 10 minutes she was it was at a Child Care Centre, I think she said well kids aren’t for me.

Mmm.

Basically and she walked out essentially leaving them one person short.

Mmm.

So um if you are asked to do a trial like that what needs to be sorted out first?

Well I would suggest that a trial is really to make sure it’s a fit for you and the employer and you wouldn’t assume that they were going to be on the tools on the day.

Yep.

You would expect that it would be more of like a training session.

Yeah.

So for instance, an interview is really a conversation, whereas a trial you actually get to see the person in the flesh and if they turn up, because a lot of people don’t even show up for interviews or they don’t even show up for the first day of work now. So uh, making sure that they do turn up, they turn up on time, they’re appropriately attired, you know all the sorts of things and if uh it involves you actually being on the tools, then there’s normally some sort of payment arrangement.

Mmm.

Or you know, agreement to that and another alternative is even if you’re not sort of in the workplace they might give you an assignment and they might say we’d like you to prepare a report on this, that or the other and then go from there and some people get a bit miffed if they’re required to do that as part of the interview process but they’re not paid for it so yeah I definitely recommend that if you are being required to do some actual work, there’d be some sort of discussion around payment, but it’s a good way to make sure that it suits both people.

Okay, so payment is the the obligation that exists on the shoulders of the person employing you.

Mmm.

If you get to that point where you go this job is horrible it’s not what I think I don’t want to be doing it.

Mmm

And you want to leave.

Mmm.

It’s very important how you leave isn’t it?

Well I think it’s respectful if you actually explain why and you know, have that discussion with them. I think the issue also in this case is the child care industry is desperate for workers as well so they’re really needing it and Sophie herself has come from the UK, she’s traveling around Australia she has got to the point where she’s desperate for any job so she’s just gone in there thinking, “Look, I’ll just give this a try.”

Yep.

As well so and that’s not a good strategy for looking for work and particularly if you’ve come from another country a lot of Australians expect you to have Australian experience so again having that trial would say, “Alight, will this person fit in the environment?” Now she did have a lot of customer service skills.

Yeah.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be able to cope in a child care environment and my daughter did work experience at a child care centre and she did stay for the full week because that was a requirement of it, but the first day she came home, she said she absolutely couldn’t do it.

Mmm.

So it it is for a certain type of person so I think yeah there’s a few extenuating circumstances in this particular case.

Yeah not everybody’s cut out for that because it’s hard.

Mmm.

It is it’s a really difficult job.

It can be.

So I’m what I’m struggling too to understand, retail is well retail is a very hard place to to find work uh at the moment.

Mmm.

What is your experience of job hunting? I’ve got a an 18-year-old at home.

Mmm.

Who is telling me it’s very difficult to land something he’s got experience at McDonald’s that’s pretty much it.

Mmm.

But I thought at that age you just waltzed into a job just by applying enough it’s it’s a lot tougher than we may appreciate.

Mmm.

Is that correct in your experience Sue?

Oh yes, yeah absolutely, because there’s a lot of businesses that simply can’t afford to hire someone and I know a person who set up a coffee shop recently and the wages because you’ve got to pay the minimum wage and so on and so forth it just became completely unviable and coffee shops themselves are going out.

Yeah.

You go along any strip centre, you’ll see a lot of vacant shops so the actual number of businesses are not there. Then if you think about retail being customer service, how many people just get things delivered to their door now?

Yeah.

They don’t actually go to the shop. So the whole industry is changing. A lot of things are automated, systemized and so on. So I wrote a book back in 2019 before COVID saying the future of work is not jobs it’s actually work and you’re going to have to use technology to attract those aligned gigs. Now if you don’t use technology to get the gigs you’re going to have to rely on relationships, so in your son’s case I would be suggesting let all your friends and family know that your son is looking for work in these sorts of areas and get the word out that way because up to 95% of jobs are never advertised because of course employers don’t want to go through the hassle of sorting through 300 applicants.

Yep.

And then having to find someone they’ll just kind of make do with whatever comes along and back in my early days of recruiting um in a bank, we just had enough applicants that we never had to advertise so if you’ve already gone out there and done those sorts of things you’ve got a much better chance of um you know getting in the door than if you just wait around for a job that’s advertised or you rely on something else.

Okay that’s good, so I won’t have to wear a sandwich board uh ringing a bell [laughter] in the main drag saying ‘Give my lad a job.’

No.

Sue Ellson Career Expert, thank you. I appreciate your time.

You’re welcome. Thanks Tony.

133 693

Social Share

10 MINUTE CAREER // What is the shortest time you have spent in a job? Well, a 32 year old person travelling around Australia from the United Kingdom attended a job trial at a childcare centre and left after 10 minutes according to a story by Mary Madigan at News.com.au. I discussed this topic with Tony Moclair on 3AW 693 AM Radio Melbourne and we explored:

✅ obligations during a trial
✅ receiving payment for a trial
✅ discussing your departure
✅ challenges of finding casual work
✅ changing nature of retail work
✅ small business recruitment
✅ job search in a tough market

Enjoy the show online at https://sueellson.com/blog/shortest-time-in-a-job-3aw-693am-radio-melbourne-with-tony-moclair

This link also includes further information you may find helpful.

Please note that the information shared is not legal advice for your personal circumstances.

Thanks to Producer Bianca Johnston for reaching out!

➡️ What was your shortest career?

➡️ Do you believe it is difficult for young people to secure work nowadays?

I would love to continue this discussion and hear your perspectives.

#3awmelbourne #newjob #careers #sueellson #tonymoclair