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 been through the jobhunting process and worse than not hearing whether or not your application was successful is not hearing how your interview or even second interview went.
This is when you have spent time on a phone or skype interview, a test usually online, and several hours at a second interview, not to mention the travel there and back.
Some, even if you pester them, will not give feedback.

Recruitment agencies are good at this. They are often recent graduates in their first job and don't know that if you are a Job Title with expertise in Subject that you will know about Subset of subject, but they will say Correct/Perfect/Actual/Literally/Like a Lot.

Not signed on for years as I found it so demoralising the last time I did that I feared for my MH, but they would insist that you applied for a number of jobs a day. Basically you needed to be spending a working day on your applications, 5 days a week.

I suspect that if you have O-levels you will be considered past it (50+)
If you have an HND in a specialised subject very relevant to the role, you will be weeded out by HR/recruiters for not having a degree.
If you have a degree you will be weeded out for it not being a 2i, and if you are over a certain age you probably won't.

A lot of people use very old fashioned formatting for their CV too. Font in Times New Roman, including details such as marital status and date of birth, first details listed are their A Level results from 20 years ago. There are lots of CV templates online that will show you how to create a more modern looking CV.

I've noticed photos are becoming more of a thing too with younger British people, although I know it's always been standard in some European countries. If you're going to do this don't make your photo a sultry selfie or make it any bigger than a passport snap.

This thread is fascinating to me, as when I left school in the early 90s, we were specifically taught to keep cover letters short and to the point, ie I wish to apply for xxx as advertised in xxx, please see attached CV for your attention. I wasn’t aware you were expected to tailor your CV specifically either, nor would it occur to me to google this before reading these comments, as I wasn’t aware this is no longer acceptable! I can’t be the only one who was taught to apply for jobs in this way without realising things had changed along the way. It’s something I clearly need to address.

All the photo offenders are British.

Whatsyournameagain

I don't want an insanely long cover letter, by all means be circumspect. But I do expect people to explain how their skills and experience match the JD. A CV doesn't tell me that.

I'm with you OP. I recruit for the odd position at my company. Usually junior roles. I stipulate they must have relevant administration experience (amongst other things)

I think I must have to bin 9 out of 10 CV's for the lack of 'relevant experience' part alone

Font in Times New Roman? What's wrong with that? What should they use, Comic Sans?

Surely the format of the CV should be completely irrelevant and the content is the point, as long as it is succinct, legible and someone has cared to check the spelling and grammar.

So what if someone has education first? Frankly I wouldn't want to work for someone who was incapable of turning over to page two or who valued formatting and font over content.

A good cover letter is so important. It gives you a feel for the applicant's personality and gives them an opportunity to sell themselves to you. They might not meet the spec but if they can persuasively say why they they think they're suitable for the job they might just get their foot in the interview door. Overly long cover letters, I received a 5 pager recently, are ridiculous though. Keep it to one page!

Like, I opened one this morning where the cover letter just said "please find my cv attached". Opened the CV and she has experience only in marketing comms. She might have great admin experience for all I know but if she hasn't included a cover letter she just looks totally unsuited to the role.

I have been job hunting for a while (nearly a year). I am flexible on a role (F/T, P/T) will travel up to an hour away, I spend 3-4 hours on each application and write a cover letter for each one, cross-referenced with the job spec.
I have applied for dozens of positions over the last year, had two interviews and still nothing.

It is soul destroying.

Can I ask the HR people on this thread, if they request refs, the refs respond and then don't ask you to interview, is that definitely an issue with my refs or could it be something else? If I have to start using different refs, I'm going to struggle.

A CV doesn't tell me that

My CV would, as well as the covering letter.

BookWitch, they usually only ask for references after you are offered the job. The offer is made subject to references. Also have you spoken to your referees before giving their details? You have to be sure that they are happy to give a reference, even if they will just give the standard HR one.

@floribunda18, good for you. Do whatever makes you happy! I'm just saying that times have moved on and that people might want to look at changing their CV style that was last updated in 1998. It can be a competitive business so why wouldn't people want to give themselves every advantage when applying for a job.

I hate Times New Roman too. Arial all the way!

I think photos can be a good thing, there has been a spate of professional interviewers in the NHS in recent years - people pay someone to go to the interview for them in the hope that it’s a big enough Trust/org that it won’t be noticed when they start and it’s a different person! I think people have got away with this sometimes due to senior managers and HR interviewing who don’t actually work in the department

Can I ask the HR people on this thread, if they request refs, the refs respond and then don't ask you to interview

You wouldn't usually check references prior to interview, that's not usual practice at all.

On the photos issue, I get applicants from all over the world so some very different approaches to photographs. Most British applicants don't add photos.

I don't really have a position on CV photos in and of themselves.

My issue is where people have included photos but those photos are wholly inappropriate. If you're going to include a photo it should be a professional head-and-shoulders shot like you'd find on a company website.

I'm not fussed on font. Times New roman, Arial or Calibri are all fine.

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?
CSI maybe they would have gone over it in Social Skills? Maybe she skived more than those (it’s very unusual for someone to skive for just an hour in the day) and missed some careers work then? I’ve been teaching 30 years and have never worked in a school which didn’t give careers and CV/application/interview guidance.

Got an email from an applicant for a teacher role come through after I'd read this thread.

Here is a quote, directly copied from the email:

Hi XXX [he used a shortening of my name, which was also spelt incorrectly]
How r u ?
XXXX this side .
Good to connect with u .
As u know m working with XXXX .
I am teaching XXXX school instead of XXX.

Before XXXX I was IN XXX school .
Saw ur website they hv only elementary vacancies .so pls see my CV & then make ur decision.

I get messages like this several times a day.

I'm not fussed on font.

DH is the executor of his granny's estate and the solicitor sends all formal letters typed in Comic Sans. It makes my teeth itch!

Comic sans and daft fonts aside obviously!

The clear mark of a psychopath, @amusedbush.

I very rarely get offered interviews based on my applications, and I'm not sure why.

I apply for jobs for which I am qualified.
I have an informative yet succinct CV. I tailor my CV and covering letter to the organisation and job spec.

There are no spelling/grammatical errors. I typically spend 5-10 hours on each application. I don't do any of the spectacularly inappropriate things mentioned above.

I also shortlist and interview for new starters at my company, and I see terrible applications every day...none of them are anywhere near as well-crafted as mine.
Yet here I am...I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

*@myteenytinyteapot

Glad to hear it!

@CalamBalam

Blame the likes of the DWP

They insist you apply for anything and everything or they sanction you .