Woud you reject a job application due to incorrect line spacing in a couple of typos?

[tigermoth]

I am just curious to know as this has just happened to me.

I applied for a post with a public sector organisation in Exeter. The post was in the marketing and communications field. I know my background fitted the requirements of the post very well.

The person spec was a long one so my answer ran into four or five pages. I checked my text thoroughly (a lot more thoroughly than I check my posts on mumsnet!) and of cause I did a spell check. It took me over a day to write the supporting statement and I know it read well.

I was not shortlisted for interview, and when I emailed to ask for feedback I was told that my application was rejected at the very first hurdle because I had 'a missing paragraph space' between two paragraphs and on page one I had mis-spelled Exeter as Exert.

The email goes on to say 'Had
the application been accurate you would have been a strong candidate. I cannot say you would definately have been shortlisted as we did have a very strong field and it would have been a panel decision. However I
can say that I think your application responded well to the criteria we
set'

Oh well, you live and learn I guess. Next time I will have to be more careful when I run a computer spell check and ensure place name words like 'Exeter' do not get bastardised, not even the once.

I have just checked the form on screen and can see no evidence of lack of spacing between two paragraphs. I can only assume this happened when it was printed out.

It was not the be all and end all of jobs and I won't dwell on what might have been.
But still, I am pretty amazed at this feedback. I understand that in communications posts, excellent written skills are a must, but honestly, these were typos!

Also, there was nothing in the application pack to suggest that shortlisting would be dependent on 100% perfect presentation.

I am interested to know if the above is a common reason for rejection - any comments please!

bigmouth - I have absolutely nothing against the public sector per se. I just wanted to point out that we can't have a public sector unless we have a private sector, and in that sense the private sector is more valuable than the public sector...

Nothing to stop you setting up such a business though is there. The John Lewis chain still operates on that basis.

Didn't say there was anything to stop such enterprise - just I don't think very many people setting up (particularly)small business are aware of coop's being an option - or even that they can be very successful - like John Lewis et al. however this is a million miles away from the op so maybe a nw thread is warranted - but I am going for a bath

Thanks, bigmouthstrikes, I have definitely learned something from this thread.

The irony is that I routinely check my writing for publication nearly every working day at the moment. I am currently responsible for a big publicity campaign so I am writing text for press ads, leaflets, posters, bus sides, event programmes, the web, press releases etc. Much of the publicity has to be updated and reprinted for local audiences every few weeks, so lots of ongoing checking and amending is required.

I am fine with with all this on the whole, though I do know the value of a fresh pair of eyes looking at my text. I often get another communications person to do a final proof read.

When making job applications I simply have not seen my text in the same way. I honestly thought a few typos would not go against me. I obviously need to view job application text in the same way as I view text for print.

I have to say that until I switched to the public sector, I never ever needed to fill in a long job application form to get a job. Certainly never a person spec. To find work in advertising agencies, I had to show a portfolio of my stuff, hand in the briefest of CVs and have an informal interview/chat.

I have so far filled in about a dozen public sector job applications (and had some interviews and job offers along the way). Feedback has been a lifeline to me as its the main way I can learn what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong.

I think there is a big difference in approach to public sector communications work as opposed to private sector 'creative' work, and this definitely comes out in the job application process.