AIBU to fuckin hate job application forms and hate the Job Centre's ideas of what's reasonable?

[fuckingpissedofftoday]

When I was signing on last year, the adviser said I should be applying for about 30 or 40 jobs a week. Not in that same position now but still fresh in my mind.

Found a job today with a closing date at 5pm. Downloaded the application form and it's the biggest fucking pile of bollocks! Loads of questions and two that to me seem very similar, one is why would you be good at this job and then directly after is write a supporting statement of why you should get this job. They want the personal statement to be 1,000 words. A THOUSAND WORDS. This is in addition to all their other questions. This is for a part time job that pays just over £10 per hour for 2 days a week. So less than £150 a week.

It's fucking bullshit and how on earth would you be able to apply for even 20 of those a week if you were signing on? Surely all you can do to meet those targets would be chuck in generic CVs to agencies and the like - you wouldn't have time to do properly tailored applications for each. That said, I think examples like the particular job I have discussed are taking the piss with their form.

I won't make the closing date now and in a foul temper. No way can I fill it all in properly in an hour. Trying to see it as having dodged a bullet in that I'd hate to work in a place that makes up such meaningless shite to be filled in for no good reason.

Most of jobs have similar questions they ask you. Go through a couple of applications and copy and paste your well written answers into a word document. So you can reuse them when similar questions pop up in other applications. Saves so much time!

I don't think even most professional jobs require 1000 word essays. That's not how to motivate and encourage people.

You would be surprised. The average application process for a junior assistant at one of my employers is a six-page competencies-based application form, a personal statement of 500 words, and a covering letter. If you get called to interview, you have an hour and a half long interview, plus a skills test that takes about 45 minutes. You also have to supply all your qualification transcripts and three references.

This is for a job with a starting salary of about £18K a year.

A close family member recently went for a promotion in the civil service to a job with a starting salary of £30K. The application form was competency-based, plus a personal statement and covering letter. The interview process was an entire assessment day that involved four major segments one of which was a role play with an actor and a some sort of psychological test.

This sort of thing is pretty much the norm now, unless you are headhunted or have a lot of recognised and publicised experience.

Ive never had a job app that's less than 2000 words.

It's mostly competancy based so a full cv with every date to the day accounted for with explanations for gaps, up to 8 500 word competancies then a general 'why employ me' bit 1000 words!

If I got one a week done I was doing well!

What people do is send CVs for totally inappropriate jobs to meet their job centre targets. I have received unemployed skilled scientists CVs for very part time minimum wage jobs. Ridiculous.

Judging by some of the cv's we got when I was at my last job, people literally do scattergun o meet the targets as we had many who would in no way match the skills necessary. Waste of time on all parts. I've even had people trying to ask me if I want an apprentice these days. I'm a sole trader, so I guess you need to do anything just to meet the grade!

I saw a job recently for a local costume jewellery store. You had to submit a three minute video before you would be sent an application form. I'm sure that has nothing to do with all there workers being skinny blonde females.