To say that when applying for jobs some people should just make more effort?

[cocktailclub]

I hear all the time that people have applied for 'hundreds' of jobs and not even had an interview. I hear this from graduates as well as more mature candidates.
I've been recruiting to my team over the last year and advertised about 7 or 8 roles. They BFF e been fairly popular and I have sifted around 120 cvs per role in the first two weeks.
My point is that only about 10% of applicants ensure their cv is tailored to the role.
I spend about 3 minutes looking at each applicant so need to be impressed quickly.
Most CVs start with a statement looking for a career in science' when the role is complaints manager for example.
By making a few changes to a CV so it highlights the skills for the role you want would be easy to do but very few even try.
So I'm not surprised people have no luck in their job search when they can't be bothered with the application.
AIBU to think this is the reason they are rejected?

[Hearthnhome]

@PianoHouseBanger

Another thing I find frustrating, and I've had this occur recently, is when the job has the recruiting managers email on it and says to email with any questions.

I'm over qualified for this role, but thought I'd email and ask a few things before I spend hours doing the application (NHS). Not a peep back from my email, and it's not the first time.

I once saw a Job advertised that I really wanted to do, but it usually requires a degree but no degree was in the requirments. So I tried to get in touch with the Contact to confirm if you did need a degree or not.



No response so I took a punt and applied, got a call to arrange an interview and asked then, the person was really put out I didn't have the degree. Even though the degree clearly wasn't on my CV or the long application. So they hadn't read that. They were really rude, until I pointed out that if they are going to have a list of requirements on an advert a required degree should be in there, the contact should respond to people and they should bother reading the CV and/or application. Tbf, she did apologise for my wasted time in the end.

[HRTQueen]

We have had so many no shows not even a call to the agency and those that do turn up for interviews it’s obvious they are not interested and it’s a tick box for the job centre

One turned up the other day with half her McDonald’s lunch. A few their phones have gone off during the interview and since when has wearing jeans been considered appropriate for an interview

[WhatNoRaisins]

I think the whole jobseekers process needs a massive overhaul. It just seems like putting up hoops for benefits claimants to jump through in order to please Daily Mail readers rather than trying to do anything to help people or even be cost effective with taxpayers money.

[Hearthnhome]

@HRTQueen

We have had so many no shows not even a call to the agency and those that do turn up for interviews it’s obvious they are not interested and it’s a tick box for the job centre

One turned up the other day with half her McDonald’s lunch. A few their phones have gone off during the interview and since when has wearing jeans been considered appropriate for an interview

Why aren't jeans appropriate? What job is it?

This is half the problem. What difference to someone's ability and experience, do jeans make? How does suit trousers or skirts improve someone's ability to do a job?

So much of the requirement process is antiquated. People judging things that just don't matter.

Someone's phone going off isn't a big deal. People forget to turn phones off at work all the time. People are nervous, they forget things.

As someone who does recruit for our company, I am glad they aren't so old fashion.

[HRTQueen]

It was a sectorial role in a specialised
mh unit

why would anyone think jeans are suitable for an interview unless on a site wear jeans are worn as work wear

it’s not antiquated to think people should make an effort to look smart and appear interested in wanting to give a good impression at an interview

[Defaultsettings]

Some people might only own jeans. Especially if they have been unemployed for a while and not needed smart clothes. If I only have a limited budget for clothes then I will buy something durable like denim.

Are they clean and presentable? Then that’s good enough. They can buy work appropriate clothes when they are earning.

[HRTQueen]

*secretarial role

[Thepeopleversuswork]

If someone has been job hunting for a while I can imagine they're totally run down by the application process. They may also have the job centre on their back demanding a certain number of applications per week regardless of suitability.

This is spot on. If you're applying for something you are very qualified for or have worked in a similar role, its a good job with good prospects and competitive, its absolutely reasonable to expect applicants to give their all to it.

If you're applying for a range of jobs out of necessity or, for example, because you were made redundant or have had a long career break its much much harder to tailor the CV in the way you suggest.

You may be applying for something outside your comfort zone which you may or may not be qualified for. You might be applying for something way below your paygrade but you need the money. Or you may have to apply because the job centre has made your benefits contingent on it. If I were applying for a £20k job in a supermarket after a 25 year City career I might not naturally know what people are looking for.

In a situation like this people who already have busy and demanding lives may feel absolutely ground down by the awfulness of the process and I can well understand why they might not make the 15th application that week sing in the way the recruiter might hope for.

[HRTQueen]

And some people don’t care and are lazy

they come along to interviews to keep the job centre support worker happy

there is no excuse for being slovenly which I have seen far too often. I interviewed a lovely women yesterday but she just wasn’t suitable, I felt very sorry for her as she was making an effort, had the skills but was unfortunately just not right

[Snoozer11]

@HRTQueen

It was a sectorial role in a specialised
mh unit

why would anyone think jeans are suitable for an interview unless on a site wear jeans are worn as work wear

it’s not antiquated to think people should make an effort to look smart and appear interested in wanting to give a good impression at an interview

You can look smart and jeans, and give a good impression no matter what you wear.

I don't suddenly lose years of experience and my degree isn't nullified as soon as I get changed.

I can understand complaining about turning up in an unwashed tracksuit or a dirty hoody. But a combination of jeans, shoes, a shirt, blouse , jumper, jacket etc can be an affordable smart look.

If they were able to get to the interview stage, they clearly had something going for them. Yet you've dismissed them because you don't like what they're wearing.

Smart clothes can be expensive and many people don't have much money at the moment. If you're recruiting for a 50k+ job then fair enough, but if pure offering 20k then you need to realise your approval is not worth someone skipping meals over.

Don't expect professionalism if you're paying people pittance.

[HRTQueen]

they didn’t look smart those who turned up in jeans and they didn’t make an effort the only effort they made was to turn up at the interview

I have been the person who is absolutely broke, who has sent their cc to many suitable roles who feels worn down but if I wanted the job I made an effort to look smart to appear interested to give a good impression

Some people don’t care why is that hard to accept they might give the agency or the job centre a much better impression of looking as through they are interested

no the wage isn’t great but it’s not too bad

[Snoozer11]

@HRTQueen

they didn’t look smart those who turned up in jeans and they didn’t make an effort the only effort they made was to turn up at the interview

I have been the person who is absolutely broke, who has sent their cc to many suitable roles who feels worn down but if I wanted the job I made an effort to look smart to appear interested to give a good impression

Some people don’t care why is that hard to accept they might give the agency or the job centre a much better impression of looking as through they are interested

no the wage isn’t great but it’s not too bad

How are so many getting to the interview stage if they're so terrible?

Presumably there are stages they have to go through before being offered an interview? They've applied for the job, handed over a CV and cover letter?

They've obviously made some effort.

I can understand having one or two people turning up to interview and showing themselves up. But if so many are doing so, you have a real problem with your process.

[HRTQueen]

the process is out of my hands and yes we have complained it’s a waste of our time when we are so busy

that some know who to make an impression with and it’s not those that will make the final decision

[NeverDropYourMooncup]

@HRTQueen

It was a sectorial role in a specialised
mh unit

why would anyone think jeans are suitable for an interview unless on a site wear jeans are worn as work wear

it’s not antiquated to think people should make an effort to look smart and appear interested in wanting to give a good impression at an interview

I've done exactly that role. Are you telling us that the expectation at yours is still skirt suit and blouse/dress at the knee and blazer, tights and heeled shoes, rather than comfortable trousers, no boobs out, have a cardigan or jumper for aircon/winter trips across site and supportive footwear? That had stopped being a thing at every unit I worked at by sometime around 2006.



When DP had a short notice interview in a workplace environment he'd never been in before, I was fortunate that I had access to an overdraft and could kit him out with a cheap suit, short, tie and shoes - he's not needed to wear a suit since interview. Not everybody has a partner with access to more money/credit to do that.

I'm fortunate in that I've had the money in the past to stash away clothes in various sizes and levels of formality, but I've lost a lot of weight and now need to start buying new just as I've taken on a new role - my employer does expect a level of formality, but they took the attitude that I could already pull something together for the most formal events and I hadn't earned enough in the previous role to be able to buy a full wardrobe in advance.


Why are employers still making decisions less on the ability to do the job well but on how much the candidate is already formed in their own image? All it does is perpetuate inequality and barriers to those who don't share your own socioeconomic and often ethnic background.

[Hearthnhome]

@HRTQueen

It was a sectorial role in a specialised
mh unit

why would anyone think jeans are suitable for an interview unless on a site wear jeans are worn as work wear

it’s not antiquated to think people should make an effort to look smart and appear interested in wanting to give a good impression at an interview

Jeans doesn’t mean they haven’t made an effort.

again, how does that impact the ability to do the role?

[Hearthnhome]

@HRTQueen

And some people don’t care and are lazy

they come along to interviews to keep the job centre support worker happy

there is no excuse for being slovenly which I have seen far too often. I interviewed a lovely women yesterday but she just wasn’t suitable, I felt very sorry for her as she was making an effort, had the skills but was unfortunately just not right

The woman had the skills, made an effort and was lovely….. but still not right. Can you quantify ‘not right’

[PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior]

@HRTQueen

they didn’t look smart those who turned up in jeans and they didn’t make an effort the only effort they made was to turn up at the interview

I have been the person who is absolutely broke, who has sent their cc to many suitable roles who feels worn down but if I wanted the job I made an effort to look smart to appear interested to give a good impression

Some people don’t care why is that hard to accept they might give the agency or the job centre a much better impression of looking as through they are interested

no the wage isn’t great but it’s not too bad

You sound like you expect a lot for an evidently mediocre wage.

[HRTQueen]

For candidates to appear to have made an effort and show some interest in the role

yes that’s really high expectations

[NeverDropYourMooncup]

@HRTQueen

For candidates to appear to have made an effort and show some interest in the role

yes that’s really high expectations

So you did discount her for her appearance/not being wealthy enough to buy new clothes in advance of having a job, rather than her ability to do the job.

That's nice of you. Did you tell her that all she needed to do was look more decorative and you'd have hired her instantly?

[HRTQueen]

@Hearthnhome

The woman had the skills, made an effort and was lovely….. but still not right. Can you quantify ‘not right’

Both myself and my colleague felt that she had a vulnerability about her. It was just something with both picked up on.

the role is in a forensic mh unit they would be coming into contact daily with ex offenders with mh diagnosis. This is something some would pick up on. I’m very protective towards staff. We have to be wary some people are just not suitable to work in this area (I certainly wouldn’t have been when I was younger)

[MrsSkylerWhite]

tuttifruit · 22/09/2022 06:08
Might be hard for you but it's even harder for job applicants who are expected to fill out multiple forms and individual cover letters and CVs for each job application - which often turn out to be an inactive/internal post that they have no chance at anyway. Use a recruitment agency if you cba to sift through bad ones.”

this. Hope you respond to every applicant, successful or otherwise?

[HRTQueen]

@NeverDropYourMooncup

So you did discount her for her appearance/not being wealthy enough to buy new clothes in advance of having a job, rather than her ability to do the job.

That's nice of you. Did you tell her that all she needed to do was look more decorative and you'd have hired her instantly?

What are you going on about 🙄

read my post again

[PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior]

@HRTQueen

Both myself and my colleague felt that she had a vulnerability about her. It was just something with both picked up on.

the role is in a forensic mh unit they would be coming into contact daily with ex offenders with mh diagnosis. This is something some would pick up on. I’m very protective towards staff. We have to be wary some people are just not suitable to work in this area (I certainly wouldn’t have been when I was younger)

Yet you thought the jeans were the thing to mention?

[Hearthnhome]

@HRTQueen

Both myself and my colleague felt that she had a vulnerability about her. It was just something with both picked up on.

the role is in a forensic mh unit they would be coming into contact daily with ex offenders with mh diagnosis. This is something some would pick up on. I’m very protective towards staff. We have to be wary some people are just not suitable to work in this area (I certainly wouldn’t have been when I was younger)

What’s that got to do with a slovenly appearance or what she wore?

[HRTQueen]

I wasn’t talking about this particular candidate. As mentioned before I said she had made an effort

I was talking about others who had not made an effort

i regularly interview candidates for different roles