Do I apply for this job again?

schmucker

Couple of years ago I made a complete fool of myself. I saw a job advertised, qualifications were minimum, I applied got to the interview where I discovered the job centre had left half the qualifications out, I looked like a complete knob.

I see a similar job advertised in the same company.

"Web Sales & IT Support Person"
Qualifications / Experience:
Sales experience. GCSE Maths or equivalent.

I am completely self taught in IT but have also been an IT technician in the past, but as I say no qualifications as such, should I apply? Last time they were expecting a grad.

VfM4meplse

I'm glad you haven't been completely discouraged by your experience. In your position I would call the HR manager, explain your reluctance to apply based on your last experience, and ask if they could mail you a full job description and person spec to see if you meet the basic criteria. If the job centre gave you poor advice, then the company must have been flooded with similarly unqualified applicants and are unlikely to have kept your application on fiile.

Good luck!

InsideInsurance

I personally wouldn't bring up your last experience... why point out you made a fool of yourself (if thats really what you did) when they may not be organised enough to know it themselves? Your job is to make yourself look as good as possible not point out your weaknesses or mistakes.

Apply for it and have answers prepared in case they do remember.

schmucker

Right well I applied, here's hoping I have more joy this time around.

Naf

No harm in contacting them, not mentioning the previous experience; perhaps as you didn't get the job they no longer have anything on file, and asking for the full job description. Then you can make a better decision.
I'd assume they won't remember you or know you from the last time (I also suspect they don't see you as making as big a fool as you feel you did), but be prepared with an answer just in case they ask about it.

smileylondongal

I wouldn't mention the previous experience either, but I would call HR and ask if they need all of the qualifications listed. That way, you'll know where you stand and won't be disappointed if there were a rejection.

Emmzi

HR won't know if they need someone with all the qualifications until they see if they have any candidates with all the qualifications.

If I am missing any I tend to put in the covering letter (or somewhere) a list of essential/ desiarble, where I have a qual. I add it, where i don't I state my relevant experience, where I don't have it I say what i would need supported with to get it.

HTH in the future.

t0rt0ise

As I understood the first post, last time the JC failed to list the qualifications needed for the job so the OP went for a job they weren't qualified for.

Anyway the company won't have kept information from two years ago. They are supposed to destroy data about people that they don't need to keep and they won't remember you either.

smileylondongal

Emmzi wrote: »

HR won't know if they need someone with all the qualifications until they see if they have any candidates with all the qualifications.
QUOTE]
Eh? Usually, well if HR are recruiting for the post, they need to know all of the requirements before posting it so naturally HR would know what skills and experience the incumbent would need.

InsideInsurance

Its not HR that are recruiting for the post it is the hiring manager that is recruiting, HR oversee the process and sometimes provide hands on assistance too.

If you go to a HR person in a bank they arent going to know what skills, experience or qualifications that every single one of the 500+ roles requires especially as what you want in one Business Analyst may be very different to the next. When I've written a job spec and sent it to HR they have simply checked it looked ok and sent it out. Now if there's nothing in a section they've sometimes called to make sure I dont want any particular skill or qualification etc but other than that its gone as written.

smileylondongal

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Its not HR that are recruiting for the post it is the hiring manager that is recruiting, HR oversee the process and sometimes provide hands on assistance too.

If you go to a HR person in a bank they arent going to know what skills, experience or qualifications that every single one of the 500+ roles requires especially as what you want in one Business Analyst may be very different to the next. When I've written a job spec and sent it to HR they have simply checked it looked ok and sent it out. Now if there's nothing in a section they've sometimes called to make sure I dont want any particular skill or qualification etc but other than that its gone as written.

That's what I'm trying to say - if you've written the job spec you've told HR what they need to be able to carry out the process, including the skills and experience you need your candidate to have. Should have been clearer, I guess.