A few months ago I was checking online into English teaching jobs in Phuket. I would be interested in this position if something came along that seemed like the right fit. I had to sift through several listings which had either too high of requirements or, most commonly, were not in Phuket. Eventually I found a listing for English instructor with Marriot, which is not even too far from here. Of course I had to go through the required online skills assessment in order to be considered for the position.
The first part seemed to be checking my English comprehension skills. It involved a maddening series of questions regarding sorting according to regulatory forms. So part time contractors need supervisory approval and form 675B to enter the restricted area, while full time employees need supervisory approval and form 675C and supervisors themselves need form 675A. If Joe is a part time contractor and he has supervisory approval, which form does he need?
I’m sure this was timed but English is, after all, my first language. That part took me about 20 minutes. They claim that the entire HR evaluation online will take 20 minutes, but they always lie about that. Hours can be spent in these online skills tests which are just added to the unpaid labor of navigating our current digital dystopia. All these digital fences have been put up before you can even talk to a live human being, if you are able to at all.
I must have passed the first part because now the test for the position of English instructor wanted to evaluate aspects of my personality. Questions were now asked forcing me to degrade myself in one direction or another. So in which way am I a worse asshole? Am I more likely to be disorganized or to disagree with coworkers? Am I more likely to give up when a project seems too challenging or to push through over the objection of a supervisor?
I must not have passed the worst asshole test because the HR module would not let me go forward after that assessment. What qualities can I presume that Marriot is looking for in an English instructor? Clearly they need a robotic drone who is smart enough to know that you need form 645A to go into the restricted area. They probably also want an order follower who is just stupid and compassionless enough to not let you in even if the other area is on fire.
I can presume from the test that becoming an Englis instructor at Marriot is not a good fit for me. I felt cheaper just going through the HR assessment. I’m going to stick with my substack. This is the only truly transformative thing that I have done in the last four years and I am forever in gratitude to all of my readers.
The feedback and the conversation has allowed the entire space of writers to evolve on here. They have been carefully constructing and steering the digital space in directions that do not threaten their interests. The Covid catastrophe pushed it a step too far. I’ve recently been loving the rabbit hole research by Unbekoming, Agent131711, and Ray Horvath, though I could call out dozens of substacks. It’s good stuff not easily found anywhere else on the Internet.
But America is so free, they say. Approximately one in three adults in the USA has a criminal record. They’ve been policing from every angle.
Christmas is coming. It doesn’t sound like Mom even put up a tree yet. So that about summarizes the energy I am going to be able to muster for it.
I’m trying to piece together my Coral Reef part 2 which is turning into the deep dive I knew it would. Maybe I should include a swimsuit shot in each part for my paid subscribers.
I am thinking about Christmas gifts for all of my readers. Waking up happens in your mind…
Deep thinking memes tonight. I especially like the one with the cars on the freeway. I think it’s a great one to share. Sometimes we need a dose of humanity.
I’m searching for a job too. It sucks. When you don’t do it very much you just aren’t very good at it lol.
Great memes!!
For more than a decade Hollywood has pushed the ludicrous idea that AI and robots would eventually become sentient and have "feelings", in other words that they would become more "human". The truth is that human beings will be required to become more like machines, like robots, and be forced to disconnect from their feelings and humanity...a very dark future indeed, and that's not even taking transhumanism and posthumanism into consideration.
And yet humanity is sleepwalking into this nightmare, because criticizing technology and "progress" is taboo, it is the equivalent of questioning religion in the Middle Ages, technology is the new religion and AI is the new god.