No Smoking! No Vaping!
Are you prepared for your next interview?
Interview protocols and expectations change dramatically over time. How you behave matters and taking advice is always a good thing. Or is it?!
I stumbled across a book recently that was written to help people get a better job. The Do’s and Don’ts of this book are quite frightening in today’s climate.
There is one tip that is highly relevant but had me smiling because no one would actually do this in an interview now: smoke!
C.P. Stephenson suggests
6. Don’t smoke at interviews. Above all, you should never under any circumstances whatever, take out a packet of cigarettes and offer one to the interviewer. We have experienced thsi hundreds of times when interviewing and the effect from the applicant’s point of view is disastrous. We have also seen applicants enter the room with a lighted cigarette and some even light one up during the interview without offering one to the interviewer! For the more senior appointments, interviews can go on for one, two, or even more hours, and in these cases, it is reasonable to smoke the odd cigarette when invited to do so, but even in this situation, keep it to the absolute minimum. Pipes and cigars (we have seen them!) are strictly taboo.
We can laugh and be outraged but there was a time when smoking in school was not uncommon. A smoke free school is now the norm as the Health Act 2006 requires all indoor workplaces to be smoke free and for smoke free signage to be placed at all entrances.
Of course unions will oppose smoking policies which state that the employer will not employ smokers but all schools have a major role to play in health education and prevention.
Every pupil needs to receive consistent messages and require non-smoking role models within the school. Do we need to extend this to non-vaping role models too?
Children hate being taught by a teacher with ‘fag breath’ and whose clothes stink of smoke.
Thankfully schools have really strict policies in place now where smoking is not permitted in any part of the school premises, within the entrance area to the school or on land adjacent to the school building (car parks, garden areas, walkway, etc). That’s clearly a good thing but some staff come to school smelling of smoke. Should we tell them to turn back and freshen up?
Smoke-free environment policies have widely been updated to include vaping too.
Do teachers smoke in schools? Yes they do in films and in real-life:
Of course, it isn’t just teachers we need to worry about.
It’s always been a bit of a joke about smoking behind the bike sheds but kids have moved on from that and engage in juuling instead – please, they might just give their teachers ideas!
Links
Students Who See Teachers Smoke Cigarettes Are More Likely to Smoke