AIBU to think that if you are applying for a job you should fill in the application form yourself?

[namechanged2013]

Have namechanged for obvious reasons.

I am applying for a higher position in work. One of my colleagues is also applying for the same job. My colleague let slip today that her sister and her friend wrote the application for her! When I asked why she said it was because she wasn't very good at stuff like that and she didn't think she'd have got the job if she'd written it herself.

AIBU to think that you should write your own application? Surely a lot of the decision will be based on how well the application is written, and if you haven't written it yourself it is rather deceitful?

I used to agree with you. Having spent the last few months job hunting I now disagree

So much is about how well you present yourself on paper and how you sell yourself . Some people myself included aren't very good at selling themselves. Others are amazing at it. Unless it's a sales job i don't think the ability to brag is relevant to how good you'd be at the job.

I know a complete knob who is awful to work with but he interviews really well and sells himself brilliantly. Whereas someone with more modesty might be far better at doing the job but not take their full share of credit for a team effort for example.

Is it any different than using a specialist to polish up a cv. As long as what is written is truthful then to me its fine some people are just better at phrasing things than others.

Writing? As in handwriting?? Or on a computer?

I have written all my husband's job applications for years and have reviewed them for other people. Sometimes people don't understand how they will come across to others (e.g. 5 page CV won't get read, irrelevant stuff) and I am great at applications, so I help them out. I only see it as securing an interview though, then they have to do all the hard work. Plus they are all in fields where everyone has a high standard of literacy, so it's about selling themselves rather than basic grammar.

Hmmm, if she is in no way involved in the process than yeah that's not on! But I always write applications for my dp (with his input) because he really isn't good at that sort of thing, he's a chef and so it shouldn't reflect on his skills but unfortunately its a very competitive industry and if he was to write his application alone than he probably wouldn't get a look in, whereas I'm much more skilled and experienced at that sort of thing.