6 People Hired, 3 Rejected and I'm 1 of the 3

OneOfTheUnemployed

Hi,

Yesterday was the first interview of my life for a job and I got rejected. Now I don't know what to do. I have applied for many jobs but with this job I really thought that I could get it.

This was their response.

The most important section of the test for the recruiting managers is the Email covering letter, as this is a chance to see candidates grammar and spelling (as we are client-facing and rely on email correspondence). Unfortunately your submission contained a number of spelling errors and a lack of attention to detail as the submission sheet was not placed on top as requested. In addition to this, you were rated on your group presentation exercise in which the managers did not feel that you were listening to the other members of the group.

I understand the situation as that I was technically capable of the job but slipped up on the grammar, spelling and presentation.

These day I am just too used to a computer and it auto corrects my spelling and for the presentation I don't know why but the audience always feels that I am quite arrogant when talking. I don't know why but I tend to talk down to people when presenting. I think the presenting could be because I used to be an actor about 5 years ago.

All advice is appreciated, I need it.

tuggy12

Are you Gordon Brown thinking ahead?

jobbingmusician

Any company which tests 'candidates grammar and spelling' is not worth working for. Take them a box of apostrophes, and ask them to insert one at the end of the first word.....

Proc

Does it really need to be told that you must always get the basics such as spelling correct when applying to a job?

If you were to walk into a car showroom, you would expect the motors to be immaculate. Imagine if you took a car for a test drive; it's covered in mud and horse crap, has tissues and empty coke cans rolling around inside the car, and has dust everywhere. All easily fixable problems, that don't really effect the car that much. However, it would speak volumes about the dealer. Do they care about their products? Are they professional? Is image not important to them? Do they take their customers seriously?

I wouldn't buy a car in this state.

Yet this is exactly what you've done. Your email is the unwashed car. It speaks volumes about you as a person, and they're probably asking what kind of person you are if you can't even bother to get these simple things perfect.

First impressions count for a lot more than what you'd expect.

lulu650

But you can learn from this and move on to the next interview.
Interesting that you perceive the remark "managers did not feel that you were listening to the other members of the group" as "talking down to people" and "quite arrogant". That's not what they are saying at all and, I suppose, proves their point.

The good thing is that you got an interview. Son has lots of rejection letters but no interviews.

Hermia

OneOfTheUnemployed wrote: »

These day I am just too used to a computer and it auto corrects my spelling and for the presentation I don't know why but the audience always feels that I am quite arrogant when talking. I don't know why but I tend to talk down to people when presenting. I think the presenting could be because I used to be an actor about 5 years ago.

All advice is appreciated, I need it.

Is there anywhere near you that runs interview courses? I did one a few years back where they videotaped you (eek!). It was run by a local college and wasn't expensive at all. We had to do a number of mock interviews and then the rest of the group gave feedback. I hadn't realised I was doing so many off-putting things! There was one very confident woman in the group who, like you, had a tendency to talk down to people in the group. When she watched the video of herself she was really shocked when she saw herself do it.

I think presentations can be hard as you have to pretend those people don't know what you are talking about (even if they do) whilst also not treating them like idiots. I think you need to remind yourself that you are sharing information not delivering a lecture.

diable

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Any company which tests 'candidates grammar and spelling' is not worth working for. Take them a box of apostrophes, and ask them to insert one at the end of the first word.....

In this day and age and not having a job I don't think you can be too fussy about who you work for and as a company they have a lot of candidates applying for jobs and they can specify any realistic and non realistic terms as they please.

HO87

Hi OOTU

Sorry to hear your news - a rejection is always tough. Just look on the bright side at least you've had some early experience of it and the feedback is actually very useful.

I wouldn't subscribe to the view that the company concerned were not worth working for because they picked you up on your spelling, grammar and your comprehension. On the contrary, they have clearly spent some time and effort defining their person specification and have set standards they want to see in their ideal candidate. That, coupled with the provision of what is probably the best feedback I've seen for some years, suggests to me that this is a company that cares about itself and almost certainly cares about its staff too.

What to do? As someone who recruits I know that first impressions count. Grubby, ill-prepared letters of application and CV's that are little more than a vaguely and imprecisely completed templates inevitably end up in the bin. Those I look to employ must portray the right image in both their appearance, their attitude and use of language and - most importantly - on paper.

The best cv's and letters of application I have seen clearly demonstrate that the applicant has taken some time to put the document together and researched both the company and the role. My particular bugbear are those letters/cv's that have been spell-checked - but spell-checked with the default English (U.S.) dictionary to produce "recognize" rather than recognise, or "totaling" rather than totalling. I think we sometimes forget that we actually speak English not Yanklish. The watch-word is "care". Always make sure that someone else - who you know will be critical - has read through you application before you send it off.

As for the presentation problem. Without having very much detail I'm having to guess. I think the problem could lie in one of two areas and conceivably a bit of both. The problem probably boils down to a single issue - unfamiliarity - with the audience or with the subject matter or perhaps a bit of both.

As an actor you would have been looking to project your assumed persona whereas a business presentation is about projecting the material not yourself - especially difficult when you actually trying to sell yourself. It may seem like a subtle difference but I'd suggest that it may be fundamental to your position. There are plenty of useful guides available online and pulling out one that will work for you is almost impossible.

If there were two things I would suggest as making a presentation go with a zing is ensuring that you start with a real "wow" whether that be a stunning joke (difficult to judge unless you know your audience) or with a controversial statement you know will provoke comment and therefore engagement. Secondly, know your subject backwards - even if its for a 5-minuter and even if you're having to rely on your secretary's research. By knowing it you can believe in it.

IMO so-called interview courses are rarely really useful because they simply do not (and cannot) work on the right psychological level. A presentation course may be a better investment.

[EDIT: Sorry, missed the fact that the course involved videotaping - that would be useful]

redpete

HO87 wrote: »

... My particular bugbear are those letters/cv's that have been spell-checked - but spell-checked with the default English (U.S.) dictionary to produce "recognize" rather than recognise, ...

ize is often incorrectly thought to be an American spelling; it is based on the Greek root rather than Latin/French and is preferred by several British authorities (e.g. Oxford English Dictionary) although ise is preferred by others.

ninky_2

i agree with the previous poster. excellent feedback and reason for rejecting you. most of the time employers don't bother to give such constructive criticism. you can use this to work on your weaker points and also consider the types of job you apply for in the future. although, tbh, the ability to spell etc and listen to others are useful in most jobs.

smartpicture

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Any company which tests 'candidates grammar and spelling' is not worth working for. Take them a box of apostrophes, and ask them to insert one at the end of the first word.....

As an employer, I use bad grammar and spelling on the application as the first cut-off point to throw them in the bin. The fact is, an employer has so many applicants for a job that they are looking for reasons to exclude people to get down to a manageable short-list. Why give them an easy way to eliminate your application? And frankly, why shouldn't an employer be able to expect that applicants have basic good English skills if that is going to be part of their role?

You may not agree that grammar and spelling are important, but the point is, you're not the one offering job opportunities, are you? Applicants need to meet the needs of the people who are actually offering the possibility of a job.

For the OP, your local college will run courses on English skills that may help. I would also ask a few people to review future applications before you send them off - even if your grammar and spelling is good, it's easy to miss something yourself that someone else may pick up. You can also practice presentations and interviews with friends and family, as well as paid-for courses. Try and record them so you can play them back and see for yourself how you come across.

And finally - congratulations for wanting to improve yourself and take on board the criticism you've been given.