to think that people have no idea how to apply for jobs?!

[myteenytinyteapot]

Just that really. Hiring for a senior admin person at the moment and have had hundreds of applications but honestly only about four shortlistable ones. I have had:

• CVs which include full-length glamour model style photographs of applicants
• CVs without cover letters when the advert clearly asks for a cover letter
• CVs and cover letters riddled with spelling and grammatical errors
• CVs which are 20 pages long and go into loads of detail about the hobbies and interests of the applicant. Also hardly anyone uses page numbers!
• Cover letters which are obviously just generic copied and pasted mass send out jobs - "I am writing to apply for the position advertised". Couldn't even be arsed to put in the job title!
• People applying who don't have any of the essential requirements listed

AIBU that I'm not surprised people can't get jobs if this is the general standard considered acceptable?!

I have sat through interviews before too where people would answer ‘why did you apply for this role/what could you bring to this role’ by telling me that their parenting experience has given them a really in-depth insight into the NHS as their child has been in hospital/goes to X service a lot. NO NO NO

myteenytinyteapot in some countries a photo is included as standard with a CV.

PookieDo

I don't necessarily agree with you on that; like in a previous role at a SEN charity we were recruiting for a project person - the woman we hired did bring up her own experience of her SEN child during the interview. That was fine, and she was brilliant at the role too.

The person I hired I made a massive mistake with. I emailed her for an interview saying I could do any day that week apart from Wednesday. She emailed back with suitable times on Wednesday.

Incredible how many people do things like that. It's an easy mistake to make but you'd think when it's to do with a job you want you'd triple check the details before sending.

Within the last 5 years I have worked for an organisation offering welfare benefits advice and in this capacity, heard directly from clients about being told by JC staff to apply for roles they weren't at all suitable for. I'm not saying this was official JC policy rather than some coaches going off on a frolic of their own, but I was told about it enough times not to believe it's a myth.

Exactly. It should have been a massive red flag for me but it was my first time hiring anyone, or managing anyone for that matter.

@myteenytinyteapot it can work in the right way - a true in-depth knowledge of a system and how you can improve it is the way to go.

Not just respond ‘well I like the NHS it’s always been great when I used it and I know some things about medical terms and have spent some time around doctors and nurses I think it’s interesting and my brief knowledge of X service gives me an edge’ it doesn’t really work

Yogagirl123

My DS1 is looking for employment as the moment, he knows nothing about getting a job, I really think schools / college fail youngsters with these important life skills. He knows about Macbeth though 😂 how useful will that be!

You’re teaching him this yourself though, right? I think it’s fair enough to expect schools to teach spelling, grammar and writing style but surely life skills are still the preserve of the parent? The problem comes I guess when the parents themselves are clueless about how to apply for jobs and the cycle perpetuates itself.

The one I have in mind was a woman whose daughter had a medical condition, she brought this up as she had no other NHS experience and I think she thought this would help her. Although she had a lot of other admin experience, which was relevant to the role and transferable she was more focused on that she was a user of the NHS.

I have had someone who was employed and part of their interview they said they had in-depth knowledge due to personal experience caring for someone, and it was a care role they had applied for. They lasted 2 months as they had an idealised picture of what the job was like, not the reality. It is very different caring for your one relative VS caring for 20 people you don’t really know a day, way less personal and much more administrative and pressured in a different way. I think anyone hoping they will ‘be able to make a change’ has to go about this in a realistic and strategic way

The picture in CV is a bit if a hot topic. There is a bit if a mixture of advice online. In mainland Europe it is expected in some countries. Where I'm from its not expected, but not a crime wither. Then in some places it's a no way. Googling CV picture UK there is mixture of responses.

I once saw a listing that requested a photo. It was for picking berries. The requirements was that you are 16-22 yo female and you need to attach a photo.

My boyfriend was on JSA for a while a few years ago, they absolutely made him spend 35 hours a week applying for jobs, firing off applications whether it was suitable or not. It's not a myth from my experience.

We recently advertised an apprenticeship role with the opportunity to work towards a foundation degree in healthcare (mental health), most of the applicants had masters degrees already!

I am on a local page which has lots of jobs on it. The amount of people, who on their first contact with the local employer, think adding kisses to their (often one word) comment is appropriate!

Or this where the ad says "email for information" and the person says "pm me hun" as if the employer should be grateful the person designed to offer the option to contact them!

*He emailed back saying I only found it inappropriate because it turned me on and would I like to go for a drink sometime.

shock

^
What the what the actual fuck?*

Me too. Sounds like a sneering put down because he took a chance on the recruiter being attracted to him. If employed, sounds like he would have taken it as the green light to be a sex pest to the other staff.

@managedmis Well, quite. I did a bit of digging around on him (I work in academia, it's a very small world) and found out he's completely deluded and insane.

I've added my tuppence worth to the scare stories about him (of which there are plenty). He's basically made himself unemployable with his ridiculous behaviour on top of applying for jobs he's not qualified for with a bad application.

@MissDew Sorry, cross posted. I know he's currently doing some casual work where the boss keeps him on a very tight leash. I've seen him at a few work events, most definitely thinks every woman within 15 miles has the hots for him.

I feel sorry for the people who spend up to 20 hours finely tuning CVs, aligning skills exactly with job descriptions, filling in competence statements and crafting cover letters only to hear nothing back. Nothing at all. Zip.
This is completely soul destroying. After a few of these, it's no surprise that they craft a generic CV and go for quantity over quality.

Most applications disappear into a black hole and it is the employers and recruiters who are often lacking. If people take the trouble to apply, employers should at least take the trouble to write back but 99% don't even do that.

Use an agent if you are recruiting. Their ridiculous fees are usually recouped by not making wrong hires and saving time.

My boss is C-level company director. We were recently let down by a contractor at the last minute, but he offered a friend who he said could stand in instead.

Stand in clearly thought the interview was a formality as her questions for my boss (who is based in a different country entirely) were:

1. Who will I go to lunch with?
2. Where will my desk be?

Needless to say, she was not hired.,,

You're not wrong. My neighbours 16year old was clueless when applying for shop & vet assistant jobs, had never had any school help on applying for jobs etc (but did have twice weekly 'social skills' lessons, which she skived off). I did her CV in the end & had to coach her intensively on interviews too. Why aren't schools addressing this by age 16?

I’ve applied for quite a number of things but what frustrates me is when you have a very long application form which requires a decent and thoughtful personal statement and you never hear back. Not even to be rejected.

I suspect my chances of getting a job are limited. Out of work for ten years due to having two children with Sen.

In a past job, recruited for call centre staff. Inbound, answering questions about payments and accounts from businesses rather than the general public. No specific experience or education requirements, we just needed people who were friendly, enthusiastic, willing to get stuck in and ready to learn. We thought that going to an agency would get us better applicants.

How wrong we were. Agency said they'd pre-screen candidates. We spent a good two hours with the agency explaining the role and meeting the team.

First set of candidates:

• one didn't speak English beyond "hello, yes, thank you".
• one said he'd been sacked from his previous job fro thumping the boss
• one said she was too nervous to speak to people she didn't know on the phone
• one turned up in ripped jeans and a singlet vest, with the words "the bird on reception said you were ready for me, yeah?"

I used to think the scene in Trainspotting where Spud takes speed and goes to an interview was exaggerated. It's not.

@Alwaysgrey I empathise. I remember how disheartening it was as a graduate spending hours on applications not getting a response, I was alway told "it's not feasible, too many" etc, but even as a recruiter now I still think it's only polite to send an email to say you've been unsuccessful, even if it has to be a generic one due to volume. Radio silence is just rude.

From an application I once received:

Your last job: I worked for my husband's engineering firm, as his p.a.
Your favourite part of this job: Sleeping with my boss.

(she got the job, and was great)

@DirtyDennis Did you meet him for a drink?

Your last job: I worked for my husband's engineering firm, as his p.a.
Your favourite part of this job: Sleeping with my boss.

Well it worked for her in your case but I would not advise anyone to take that tack on an application. Cringe-tastic!