Future Pet Shop

Chapter 200: Why Are All the Applicants Girls?

Chapter 200: How Come All the Applicants Are Girls?

"Hello, excuse me, are you Mr. Shen?" a young woman of about twenty-one or twenty-two, dressed in a neat and simple outfit, asked as she stood at the store’s entrance looking at Shen Yibin.

"Yes, I am. And you are?" ’Huh, is that a resume in her hand?’ Shen Yibin understood now. "Oh, you’re here for the job interview, right? Come on in. Please, have a seat on the sofa. I’ll go get you a cup of tea."

It seemed that using a recruitment website really made a difference. This young woman made a much better first impression on Shen Yibin than the previous applicants who had just seen the sign in the window. The young woman seemed a bit reserved, sitting stiffly on the sofa. She appeared to think it was improper for Shen Yibin to be pouring her tea, but she didn’t dare refuse.

"Where did you come from?" Handing her the tea, Shen Yibin didn’t jump straight into the interview. Instead, he started with some small talk. He could see the young woman was a bit nervous and wanted to help her relax.

"Thank you. I came from Yunzhong University. I just graduated this year. I saw the job posting online and submitted my resume, and yesterday afternoon I got a call asking me to come in for an interview today." The young woman gave a slight bow of thanks before answering.

"Thanks for coming all this way. Have some tea and catch your breath. May I see your resume?" Shen Yibin said with a smile. "So, that makes us fellow alumni! I graduated from Yunzhong University too, a couple of years before you."

"Oh! Hello, senior." The young woman quickly handed her resume to Shen Yibin with both hands. ’The resume is beautifully put together; she clearly put a lot of effort into it,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’But the job market this year is much tougher than when I graduated. She’s probably faced her share of rejections, otherwise she wouldn’t still be looking for a job so late in the season.’

"Okay, no need to be nervous," Shen Yibin said, quickly flipping through her resume. "This isn’t some big corporation, so you don’t have to be so formal. Just think of it as a chat with your senior." He saw that in addition to her basic information, the resume included a cover letter written specifically for this position, which detailed her experiences raising pets. This improved his impression of her even more.

"Li Shiqing, is it?" Shen Yibin said, looking at the name on the cover of the resume. "Why don’t you start with a self-introduction? Tell me a bit about yourself, and why you decided to apply here."

"Hello, my name is Li Shiqing. I’m twenty-one years old and a graduate of Yunzhong University with a degree in Business Administration. I have certifications for advanced English and computer skills, and I’m proficient with..." At the prompt, Li Shiqing sat up straight and launched into a practiced self-introduction. It was clear she had recited these lines many times before.

Shen Yibin nodded slightly as he listened, offering encouragement. ’In reality, though,’ he thought, ’these are just the basic skills every college graduate is expected to have. She lacks a core competency, which makes her not very competitive in the job market. It’s no wonder she hasn’t found a job yet.’

"’As for why I submitted my resume here...’ Li Shiqing hesitated. The truth was, if most of her previous applications hadn’t vanished without a trace, and if she weren’t still unemployed, she probably never would have applied to a small pet store like this. It was a far cry from her dream of a white-collar office career. But after so many interviews, Li Shiqing knew better than to be completely honest. ’...it’s because I’ve loved pets since I was a kid. I had a domestic cat back home in middle school, and in college, I often fed and cared for the stray cats on campus. So, when I saw you were hiring, I immediately submitted my application. I’m grateful for this opportunity to interview, and if you hire me, I swear I’ll do my very best.’"

Shen Yibin could tell her answer wasn’t entirely from the heart, but that didn’t matter. ’Wasn’t I the same way when I was job hunting?’ he thought. He went on to ask her a few questions about pet care. This time, Li Shiqing’s answers were perfectly fluent. It was clear she genuinely liked pets and had some experience with them, which was enough for Shen Yibin.

Next, he had Sakai give her a tour of the small shop. From her reaction during the tour, it was clear the young woman hadn’t been lying—she truly loved animals.

’Hmm, I think she’s the one,’ Shen Yibin thought. He called her over. "I don’t have any more questions on my end. If you’re interested, you can start tomorrow. As for the terms: there’s a one-month probationary period with a base salary of two thousand yuan. It’s a five-day work week, and the shop provides meals. After the probation, the base salary increases to twenty-five hundred, we’ll cover your social insurance and housing fund, and you’ll get a three-percent sales commission. The shop also provides a dorm. Are these terms acceptable to you?" ’By the time her probation is over, Sakai and the others will probably be gone, right?’ he mused.

"I accept!" Li Shiqing said, her voice filled with excitement. She hadn’t expected the interview to go so smoothly. ’A base salary of twenty-five hundred is a little low,’ she thought, ’but from what I just saw, this shop does great business. If I work hard, getting a high commission shouldn’t be a problem. As for housing, I can still live in the Yunzhong University dorm for a while, so I won’t have to worry about renting an apartment yet.’

"Alright, that concludes the interview for today," Shen Yibin said. "You can head home now, or you’re welcome to stay and start getting familiar with the place."

Li Shiqing chose to stay. While she couldn’t help with much yet, she could handle simple tasks like serving tea to customers. As she did, she carefully observed Sakai at work. Whenever a customer left, she would ask questions and listen attentively to Sakai’s explanations. It was clear she was already in learning mode.

’Any boss would love an employee like this,’ Shen Yibin thought, secretly pleased. ’She must have just had a run of bad luck before. Looks like I’ve really lucked out and found a gem.’

When the second applicant arrived, Li Shiqing proactively poured tea for both her and Shen Yibin without being asked. This applicant was also an attractive young woman, but unfortunately for her, the interview didn’t go well. In the end, Shen Yibin had to send her on her way.

’This applicant seems a bit flighty,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’She probably can’t handle hard work. Even if I hired her, she’d likely quit before long, wasting my time and energy. I definitely can’t hire someone like her.’

"Boss, another applicant is here." Shen Yibin had just gotten back from buying groceries with Hah’Er when Li Shiqing took the bags from him and pointed to the sofa. Seated there was yet another sweet-faced, adorable young woman.

’How come all the applicants today are girls?’ Shen Yibin wondered. ’Not a single guy?’