So Much For Nepotism

My sister-in-law is nineteen and looking for her first job. She knows that a company I used to work for is hiring an administrative assistant, which was my job, so she stops by with her mother.

Sister: “What do you have to do?”

Me: “Payroll, timesheets, communicate with vendors, and order supplies. Sometimes you have to play mediator for issues.”

Mother: “That’s easy.”

Me: “The work itself isn’t hard, but it can be a lot. How are your computer skills?”

Sister: “Like Facebook?”

Me: “No, [Company] definitely does not want you on Facebook while you’re at work. How about typing, email communication, and notations for meetings?”

Sister: “Can someone else do that?”

Me: “No… that’s part of the job.”

Mother: “I’m sure someone else can take care of that. Just talk to [Manager] and tell him that [Sister] is good at it, and we’ll figure it out.”

Me: “Um… no? I’m not going to lie. That won’t look good for either of us.”

Mother: *Heavy sigh* “Look. She needs a job.”

Me: “Pretty much every fast food restaurant is hiring. It’s not a bad place to start.”

Mother: “Absolutely not.”

Sister: “I’m not doing food service. I can do your job; you just have to get me in.”

Me: “I can give you a reference, but I’m not going to say you’re more qualified than I know you are.”

Mother: “[My Name] you are impossible!”

Me: *Shrug* “Don’t list me if you don’t want me to be honest.”

[Sister] applied and listed me as a reference. I was honest about her skill level but added that I believed she could learn if someone took the time to work with her.

She was not hired, which was clearly my fault.