Husband sent cringy email to recruiter. If you’re a recruiter would this put you off?

[Winterleaves1]

My husband is a qualified doctor but not eligible to work in the U.K. at the moment as he has exams to complete specific to the U.K.
While he’s studying for his exams I work in clinical trials and found a job that would be perfect for him. He’s Indian and has good English but doesn’t know how to word job applications so I helped him with the application. It took two hours as it was really long and I wanted to make sure it was spot on. I submitted the application for him. I have no connection with the employer at all. I just work in a similar field.
He came back to me and said the job application has an email for an informal chat or to ask any questions. He said he would email to introduce himself and let the manager know he is interested in the position.
Now I know in some countries this may be seen as proactive and increase your chances but I know from my managers opinion it’s been seen as annoying and socially awkward. It has definitely put them off and generally made them think the applicant didn’t understand British culture and wouldn’t fit in well within the team. Bit harsh but I’m just going by what their reaction has been when someone has done this.
They’ve also said the email should only be used for questions as the managers are busy and may have many applications where they are the manager and need their inbox clear. It’s also just not a ‘done thing’ here. I explained all this to him and told him it could negatively affect his chances of getting the job.
Well today I’m reading emails on our joint email account and he’s sent this email
‘Dear miss xxxxx,
i am writing to let you know I am very interested in your position and have completed the application. I think my skills and experience matches job well. Please consider my application’.
I know that this manager is married but no title was given so ‘miss’ was inappropriate. Also his grammar and English wasn’t the best in the email.

I’m really annoyed because the application was really strong and while he may not have got an interview I’d have at least felt that we’d given it our best shot. I feel this cringy email has really ruined his chance at an interview and will be viewed negatively.
If it was just this one application I could forget about it but it seems that he refuses to take my advice and I am sure he will continue sending an email to managers for all jobs he applies for moving forwards.
I know I sound really mean. I promise I’m not, just trying to help him as o know he wants to be in work.
So AIBU to think this email has affected his chances? If you are responsible for recruiting would this put you off? I’m hoping I’m overthinking.

Putting aside the issue of whether or not he should have sent the email, for everyone frothing at the use of 'Miss' what title do you think he should have used?

I've always sent a covering letter expressing interest like this, it used to be the polite thing to do (presumably is in India, they are a generally very polite people), it's never done me any harm and has been used by interviewers to ask more interesting / pertinent questions.

I'm thinking your manager might be the odd one out!

Good grief! 🤣🤣 His grammar is slightly poor, not illegible.

You're missing the point. He said nothing wrong.

Quite, I much prefer Miss (which I believe in India is seen as a formal/polite greeting) than assuming Ms or Mrs.

DH is Indian. I showed this to him and he started laughing. Apparently over there being a doctor is considered the pinnacle of life and creates a sort of arrogance so he probably isn’t listening to you because he thinks he’s more intelligent than you (even if he never says it). Best thing you can do is just leave him to it - he’ll soon realise this isn’t India and seek your input.

Miss used to be the polite greeting / salutation here for any woman that you did not know the marital status of, in India it is still the polite greeting - If anyone was grievously wounded by it in an initial contact I'd siggest you wouldn't want to work for them!!

Sorry but the fact you think it's okay and work in the NHS is meaningless. I have worked all my life in a professional career and seen many applications with this line in them.

If you think it's acceptable that someone can't even follow basic instructions on an application advert, that's pretty shocking. The bar must be very low if things like this go unnoticed.

It's not about what I 'think' it says.

It's perfectly clear what it says! Are you seriously saying that you don't understand it and mine is some kind of 'personal interpretation'?

The OP clearly does think it was a BIG deal so address your comments to her!

Okay, then the fact you don't work in this industry and therefore know nothing of its recruitment norms or how we treat non native English applicants renders your opinion irrelevant.

I don't work for the NHS but have experience hiring, albeit in education.

The email would not put me off. The bad grammar? I would pick up on it and if it was a teaching role, for example, I'd perhaps be concerned. Non-teaching, if his application was strong and he was qualified, I'd invite him for interview and see how he came across in person.
To be honest, I would value someone who has experience of living and working elsewhere, as well as another language - that would tell me a lot about him (positive). So many people in the UK only speak English, it's maybe a personal preference, but I love to see multiple languages and someone experienced in working in different countries and cultures - that would gain points with me!

As a hiring manager, I’d be unimpressed by such a generic email that I’d expect was sent to every position he applied to (not to mention the bad grammar and rude use of “Miss” to someone obviously in a position of responsibility and thus over the age of 18!).

As a wife, I’d be extremely irritated at his arrogance that he knows better than you about the customs around applying for jobs in the UK, when all signs point to it being the opposite. What else does he disregard your experience and expertise on because it’s not how it was done in India? Driving laws? Dress codes? Etiquette around punctuality?

Ermm.. He's Indian. You don't understand that there are different rules of etiquette in different countries? I work in a university and most of the Indian students address me as "Miss". It's seen as good manners.

Agree. OliveOilly sounds xenophobic as hell.

Fingers crossed for him OP! 🤞

I'm sure it'll be fine

Not everyone minds or finds it rude, though. All of my (English) students call me "Miss" (I, and 99% of colleagues prefer to be addressed by our first names). I wasn't educated in England, but DP doesn't find it unusual. I'm not married, but would have absolutely no issue with being called "Miss" instead of "Mrs".
It doesn't matter if I'm married or not to whoever is addressing me, an outdated prefix wouldn't concern me - my male colleagues are "Mr" regardless, why should I have to be called something different to signify my marital status? My partner didn't help me climb the career ladder or complete my qualifications for me, and being married wouldn't make me any better at my job. 🤷‍♀️

Female Consultants are generally titled Miss.

I don't think anyone will worry too much.

Definitely this.

I spent about 3/4 months travelling around India and was called 'miss' everywhere! It's a nice thing for sure.

Think you’re over reacting… I expect you really want this for him but to be honest you’re micromanaging every element. His English doesn’t sound native no but also doesn’t sound bad enough for me to write him off. If I was the manager I’d think ‘for gods sake but he’s keen’ and forget about it and carry on with the process. I doubt it will really fuck his chances. At interview he could say apologies for sending the email, I only saw the note not to subsequently and I appreciate it might be very forward for the UK culture but I am really keen on this particular post’ with a smile. I think you’re painting him in an unnecessarily negative light tbh x

So, it wouldn't bother me, but I suspect, if his grammar I'd out and his application grammar is spot on there will be a discrepancy of sorts.

You won't know until he hears back, so jumping to conclusions is unhelpful.

I would just reiterate that it's best not to respond to the hiring manager, culturally if nothing else and let him decide if he is going to comply with the 'when in a Rome...' adage.

It wouldn't put me off him as a candidate, but I would think is was unneeded and the use of 'miss' would irk me a bit however I do understand that Indian candidates do this often so would just chalk it up to a cultural differences and look at the application objectively- I might not even join the dots that the person who emailed me was a candidate when looking at cv's

(Internal TA manager as an FYI, so no commission to be earned 🤣)

All the best op with the application

This is true. He’s extremely co didn’t of his abilities 😅

English is my second language- please tell me how such an email should be worded. It sounded good to me but I am missing some nuances clearly.

What would you write that is more grammatically correct?

*confident

I am for real!!! why does it sum up whats wrong with the NHS - the fact that sometimes people do things differently or god forbid someone want to communicate as part of an application process. As a recruiter you either ignore the email ir you don’t!!

I much prefer Miss (which I believe in India is seen as a formal/polite greeting) than assuming Ms or Mrs..

True. I know. Have travelled in India. And I do like the politeness.

Thing is, he's not applying for a job in India is he?