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Original poster

Ridiculous job application instructions

36 replies

tornout · 01/10/2025 20:24

Applying for a role at a well known organisation. There are 48 (!!!) competency criteria listed in the person specification, most of which are "essential", the others "desirable". The instructions say I should provide a very specific example for each one, using the "STAR" technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result). No specified word limit but I should be concise.

I meet all the criteria, but only have until midnight to write it all down. Wish me luck!

OP posts:
Original poster
tornout · 02/10/2025 00:15

MyPinkTraybake · 01/10/2025 22:13

I genuinely don't think I could do that in 4 hours! I'd probably write something in language for a 12 year old and then put it through chat GPT.

I started with chatGPT. I gave it my cv, a summary of all my past projects, the JD and person description, but it didn't do a great job - looks like it reached the limit of the free plan then fudged the rest. It gave me a starting draft though.

All submitted now. On time, but not to the quality I would have liked.

OP posts:
Original poster
tornout · 02/10/2025 00:17

k1233 · 01/10/2025 22:47

Have you read the requirements fully? Our job descriptions list a lot of essential skills but you have to demonstrate the key competencies of the role, which are a different, much shorter list.

Yup. And re-read.

OP posts:
TyroleanKnockabout · 02/10/2025 00:32

Ewwww, that’s horrendous.
Good luck OP! If you get the job, I hope they are not as knobbish as the application process suggests Grin

Original poster
tornout · 04/10/2025 08:45

Well after all that effort, and submitting the application at 11.55pm, I had a rejection email in my inbox before 10am the next morning.

Possibly they already had a candidate lined up by then, and/or interviews arranged, and they just hadn't taken the advert down.

There should be regulations for recruiters to prevent time-wasting.

Their loss.

OP posts:
Enterthewolves · 04/10/2025 09:52

That’s shit - but you dodged a bullet - they sound AWFUL

Screamingabdabz · 04/10/2025 09:55

There should be laws against wasting people’s time like this. Fuckers.

DoubledTrouble · 04/10/2025 10:01

Sorry didn't read your update OP. They are just asking for this stuff to be AI generated. And really that is what AI isactually good at. Producing plausible sounding bullshit.

clipboardz · 04/10/2025 10:04

That's because they are deliberately trying to get people who are from less middle class/privileged backgrounds to work for the CS.

The threshold for FSMs is so low though, you can easily be struggling and not qualify.

RubieChewsDay · 04/10/2025 11:37

That sucks @tornout it probably wasn’t even read by a person. Onward and upward, good luck with the rest of your search.

ThatCyanCat · 04/10/2025 11:43

TwistedWonder · 01/10/2025 21:18

I had a civil service interview a couple of years ago and the interviewer was an AI character. I was given 90 seconds to answer each question with a timer on the screen - it was hideous

I'd rather sign on. I'd rather do sex work, at least it would give me human interaction. I'd rather be Donald Trump's footstool.

Sparklesandspandexgallore · 04/10/2025 11:49

That is dreadful. So soul destroying.

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