Trying not to be a twat and failing

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m in a bit of a quandary. I’m recruiting for a maternity cover role in my department. I used to be a bit of a twit about grammar and spelling in CVS and application forms but I’m trying to be less arseholeish about it - I think it’s divisive and ignores how language devils over time etc.

But Christ - the stuff I’m getting is killing me. Is not really grammar or spelling per se, more… turn of phrase?

I’ve had people ‘passionate about numeracy and management accounts’, wanting to ‘further assist [my] establishment’ and ‘convey all my abilities in the different facets of your organisation’.

All this weird language - why? Who is advising people so poorly?

My old-fashioned CV still does the job - I just what to know: what do you want to do and what can you do?

The poor grammar and spelling combined with the strange language is making it nearly impossible to hire anyone.

Am I unlucky? Or is this it? These candidates span 20s to 40s so it’s not generational.

I’m finding that as soon as I start reading a cover letter that hasn’t told me exactly why they’re applying for the job and why they are a good candidate in a paragraph I want to sling it in the bin but I feel like a twat.

What do I do? Just interview regardless? Or try again?

[quote Merryoldgoat]@BeBloodyBold

Thank you - sound advice.

Can I ask, do you find that there are a significant number of qualified accountants and technicians who are unable to do their double entry?

It sort of blows my mind and I’m starting to wonder the value of some quals…

I know that accounting packages do a lot of the grunt work and maybe that’s why there are gaps?[/quote]
@Merryoldgoat

I blame T accounts! Lots of people don't seem to be able to do double entry without drawing T accounts as that's how they were taught. So if they just write a journal, without doing the T accounts, they'll do stupid things like do it all the wrong way round.

To be fair, I don't really work in this type of finance anymore (so very rarely think about journals), but I started in audit for one of the big four. It was mind-numbingly dull, but did give me a solid grounding in debits and credits!

I can't stand how people are passionate about everything so would throw those in the bin but OP glad you introduced us to a new concept of language devils in your first post.

Make sure the job advert isn't written in business-ese. So many job adverts are written in incomprehensible jargon and buzz words, it isn't surprising they attract CVs in the same style.

Could you state that you want to receive a technical, skills based cv?

@Pollypudding

You could flip this round and look at it from the applicant’s side. How clear is your advert? Are you asking the right questions on your application form? Do you state what information you need in the cover letter? I work for a large organisation who has a separate recruitment department and sometimes they don’t send out the right advert so we get strange applicants! Of course sometimes people have just not read the advert correctly.

I was thinking this.

Forget CVs and covering letters and perhaps instead have an application form with standardised questions. That way the applicants know the questions and you will get the answers you want.

@rose69 🤣🤣

@Arbadacarba

It definitely isn’t. It’s a standard assistant accountant role - no need for nonsense descriptions.

@jay55

That’s a good idea! Thank you.

@Ihavethesamedress

I will think about this. The ad is spectacularly clear though.

Where are all these people getting their CV advice from?
A quick google show lots of sample CV’s, none of them with flowery language.
The advise is to be clear, concise and highlight your achievements with measurements.
There’s honestly no excuse - class disability or otherwise if people don’t google something this basic. It’s common sense.

*shows

@frigglerock

One of my pet hates is when someone tries so hard to sound intelligent that they obfuscate their meaning. Just come out with it in simple, clear, easy to understand language!

Fortunately (because who would want to deal with this confusing diction in daily life?!), few actually speak that way. They're just under the misapprehension that it makes them sound more educated and fluent than they really are.

This made me laugh! 'obfuscate' Were you trying to be ironic?