“I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment”

A stenography pun is:
 
“I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment.”
 
The “short-handed” joke has been cited in print since at least 2005.
 
 
Wikipedia: Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos (narrow) and graphein (to write). It has also been called brachygraphy, from Greek brachys (short) and tachygraphy, from Greek tachys (swift, speedy), depending on whether compression or speed of writing is the goal.
 
SillyPuns.com (November 4, 2005)
I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment.
     
Booksie
Tonnes of Punny Puns
Book by: PISSEDOFFPOET
Submitted: April 30, 2008
(...) 
I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment.
 
Twitter
Mike Ungerman
‏@mike2977
I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment.
8:01 PM - 31 Aug 2009
 
Twitter
Doby Upton
‏@DobyUpton
I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment. http://b1of.us/?13cy8n
9:43 PM - 23 Nov 2009
   
The Tech Game
Some puns you can tell your friends!
Zek
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:37 pm
(...)
I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment.
 
Google Books
A Freudian Slip Is When You Say One Thing but Mean Your Mother:
879 Funny, Funky, Hip, and Hilarious Puns
By Gary Blake
New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing
2012
Pg. ?:
I wanted to be a stenographer, but the HR manager said that the company is not short-handed at the moment.
 
Twitter
PUNS
‏@omgthatspunny
I wanted to be a stenographer, but they told me they are not short-handed at the moment. #punny
2:54 PM - 7 Jul 2012