to think this is the stupidest reason to turn down someone for a job

[TribbleWithoutACause]

My DH applied for a job, one of the reasons they turned him down was the fact that he addressed the covering letter as;

To Whom it May concern,

I'm not being unreasonable to think this is a bit beyond a joke, I mean seriously!!!!

I've a good mind to write them a letter back telling them they're being silly.

Did he not have a name to address it to?

Did it include the random capitalisation? Was it a job that requires excellent language skills?

How do you know? Refusal letters Sontag usually give a reason IME

Sontag? Where did that come from?? DON't

YANBU, though I think "Dear Sir/Madam" would have been better, possibly.

It shows that he can't be bothered to do his research and find out who he needs to write to. With so much competition for jobs that there's no room for complacency. He will know better next time, and should be grateful for such specific feedback.

YABU

With so many applicants for every position, putting anyone who cannot write a business letter straight into the "no" pile is as good a way as any to shortlist.

He should have rung the company, found out the name (and title) of the person who is receiving applications, and addressed it Dear Ms Bloggs (or whatever).

Good luck for his job search.

I agree with Maresy and others. If you are applying for a job, you should address it to the correct person.

It depends what the job is, doesn't it? But yes, he should have known the name and the job title of the person he was writing to. To whom it may concern is something you might write on a general reference, not on a letter to a specific person.

Sorry he didn't get the job, though - it must be very frustrating.

He should have found out who to address it to.

Whilst I take your point on board about how it comes across.

It still stung though and makes you feel very small when thats one of the reasons why someone won't give you a job.

Well there's no need to feel small....just put it down to a lesson learned. Therefore your DH is now armed for the future...due to this mistake and due to the potential employer letting him know.

It's one of those "rules" which you're MEANT to know...but which not everyone does.

It's not so much that they won't give you the job because of this - more that the other applicant showed something that he didn't.

I hope he gets one soon - horrible time.

No, I have been the recipient of an even more pathetic reason to not be given a job. Several years ago I was on the initial month's trial period for a job and at the end of the job they told me they'd have to let me go. I asked why and was told:
"You might make some mistakes."
"I might make some mistakes?"
"Yes."
"Have I made any mistakes during this past month?"
"No. But X was checking through your work."
"But did I make any mistakes that X had to sort out?"
"No. But you might make them. And X can't check your work now."

I had to stop the conversation before it got into the realms of:
"please let me stay in a working environment where you either clearly have no confidence in me, or you actually can't stand me and daren't admit it".

What kind of job was it?
The problem is that when you are trying to shortlist for interview these days, there are so many good applicants for each job that you are almost looking for reasons NOT to shortlist. So addressing a letter like that (apart from the capitalisation problem, which might be an issue if the post involved formal correspondance of any kind) means that the applicant hasn't bothered to do their homework and find out to whom the letter should be addressed. If you can't find out, Dear Sir or Madam would probably be better than TWIMC.

First impressions.

When you are competing for a job, you have to be the best. And that starts from the letter.

They gave honest feedback. Instead of feeling hard done by, use it as a lesson. Don't 'TWIMC' again.

Sounds like you were better off out of there.

Wow Bullet thats terrible.

You're right, lesson learned.

Job hunting is blinking soul destroying,

The capitalisation was me btw, not DH.

I was once turned down for a job because although I was the 'most experienced applicant', the interviewer 'felt very sorry for' another candidate. I hope the other candidate never learned that he/she was accepted out of pity rather than on his/her actual merits.

I was turned down because, and they said I was the candidate who scored the highest, they had a positive discrimination statement in their recruitment policy.