I rarely advertise for candidates; past experience has taught me that I can get swamped with the wrong candidates, but I've got a couple of jobs I'm working on that I thought I might try some job boards - you never know, I might get lucky....
These jobs were posted a week ago. They're both good sales jobs with good companies. The pay's pretty decent and both come with a company car. They're both in busy areas where the skills and experience required are likely to be in abundance. I've used all the main Job Boards with a very through description of what's required...
After a week I have plenty of applications, but NOT ONE reaches the criteria for skills, experience or geography. NOT ONE! I now have a collection of CV's in front of me - and there's a distict whiff of desperation slowly drifting my way...
These job seekers are clearly applying more in desperation than in the realistic chance they might get an interview. Most have a covering letter that is obviously cut and paste in the hope it looks personal, but they're couched in terms that are so generic that it can't be the case. It doesn't help that these covering letters are written to "Dear Sir" or "Hello". My name appears in the ad quite prominently - the least they could do would insert it so it at least appears personal.
IT CAN BE SAD....
Reading some applications is quite sad. There are clearly some bright people who have been ground down. Their spirit's shot, and they're just going through the motions. You get the sense they've been at this for months, and rather than try something new, they're recycling old ideas in the vain hope that if you throw enough 'stuff' at the wall, eventually something will stick...
I know people will be finding it difficult to get a new job, and I don't wish to just give them a hard time, but they're not making themselves look attractive in the job market. I can imagine things at home might not be easy, so reporting "Been busy today dear. I've applied for 21 jobs" might give them a sense of purpose, and perhaps even relief that their partner will see them in a positive light, but I get the clear sense of people stuck on a treadmill and no way of knowing how to get off.
HOW TO AVOID DESPERATION:
Some of the applicants have some great skills and experience, but for all sorts of reasons they are also desperate and it's showing. It's doing nobody any favours, most of all the job hunters.
In the meantime, I need to remember that advertising roles isn't always a good use of my time. Back to the phones, talking to people and shaking my network.
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