Job Application Feedback

1940sGal

A few of you might remember a post I made a couple of weeks ago about getting some BS feedback regarding an application I made, the BS being that my form contained some spelling mistakes (it didn't).

Anyway, I thought I'd post about an email I received yesterday regarding the same application, only this time it went in to far more detail. It goes as follows:

Further to your last email I requested further feedback from the short listing panel. I have pasted this below. I hope this is more helpful.

‘Firstly thanks for taking the time to apply for the position and whilst I'm sorry you were not successful in getting an interview you should not stop trying.

I'm not sure about other organisations but we mark the applications in a specific way, 2 marks are awarded if applicant fully meets the criteria, 1 partially meets and 0 doesn't meet. The highest scoring applicants are then invited to interview. The pre-requisite is that we do not go past the essential criteria unless the candidate has fully met all essential points. On this occasion no-one actually met all the essential criteria but it is important to realise that I can only mark on what I see in front of me and on this occasion this is where your application fell down.

Although you said you could do what was required (and I don't doubt you can) you didn't demonstrate that with anything to prove that you could, so I was only able to mark 1's instead of the 2's I was looking for. So for instance you wrote "I became proficient at using different equipment including Nikon Coolscan 9000, Hasselblad Flextight X5……. " etc. but you do not tell me when you used them and for what.

So if you had put something like ..At Uni I used a Nikon Coolscan 9000 for a project scanning Second World War negatives and a H'blad FlextightX5 for my 5x4 colour transparencies and I never sharpen my scans a that stage……. you are demonstrating that use.
Again "I am also perfectly comfortable using OSX and Photoshop, both of which I use at home on a regular basis" tells me nothing. You need to stand out from the rest so you needed to tell me that you had used OSX from 2000 when it was whatever version and tell me how you use Photoshop (layers, curves, setting B&W points etc), do you retouch and if so what tools you use.

I don't believe you grasped what we were asking in colour management which was to do with calibrating scanners, monitors and output devices and whilst it is important to have an interest in the subject it is not specifically mentioned on the criteria for this position, so one or two lines would have been more than sufficient.

Lastly, if you had achieved the fully met criteria I would have been looking for examples of how you met the key competencies. (Team working, working to tight deadlines etc.)

I do hope that this feedback is not deemed harsh it isn't meant to be, we had 31 applicants for this position and 70 for a similar one last October so to get an interview your application has to at least catch the eye.’

Good luck and please do not be put off from applying should another position come up for a Digital Operator.

I emailed back expressing my gratitude for a far better response than the standard BS I got before. I told her that in all honesty the thought of giving examples never entered my mind but that since it was the first 'major' application since graduating, I could now learn from my mistakes and bear them in mind for next time.

It may interest some, it may not, but I think it's worth mentioning. It might pay off in the long run, too, when the post comes up again (it's a 6 month contract) and it may help others who have failed on similar issues, just a 'heads up' sort of thing. But I like that someone took the time to give a proper reply, I don't suppose they had to and it's refreshing when so many don't :T

denla

1940sGal wrote: »

A few of you might remember a post I made a couple of weeks ago about getting some BS feedback regarding an application I made, the BS being that my form contained some spelling mistakes (it didn't).

Anyway, I thought I'd post about an email I received yesterday regarding the same application, only this time it went in to far more detail. It goes as follows:



I emailed back expressing my gratitude for a far better response than the standard BS I got before. I told her that in all honesty the thought of giving examples never entered my mind but that since it was the first 'major' application since graduating, I could now learn from my mistakes and bear them in mind for next time.

It may interest some, it may not, but I think it's worth mentioning. It might pay off in the long run, too, when the post comes up again (it's a 6 month contract) and it may help others who have failed on similar issues, just a 'heads up' sort of thing. But I like that someone took the time to give a proper reply, I don't suppose they had to and it's refreshing when so many don't :T

And you'll never know if what they say is the real reason you've been rejected, or just something they picked up after you kept asking for feedback, to shut you up.

westv

Most interesting but shouldn't some of the more detailed information form part of an interview rather than the application? Still good to know though.

1940sGal

denla wrote: »

And you'll never know if what they say is the real reason you've been rejected, or just something they picked up after you kept asking for feedback, to shut you up.

Possible I suppose but it is quite detailed. Plus they didn't really need to 'shut me up' as I only asked once. They could have just pressed delete and ignored me as that would have been the easier option.

1940sGal

westv wrote: »

Most interesting but shouldn't some of the more detailed information form part of an interview rather than the application? Still good to know though.

That was my thinking. I thought that if i listed the stuff i could do and the equipment I'd used (which is quite advanced tbh) then that would get me at least the interview which is where I would explain things further as is usual practice. Goes to show you can't really take anything for granted. Live and learn

Treehugged

westv wrote: »

Most interesting but shouldn't some of the more detailed information form part of an interview rather than the application?

This. But it's a lesson that I myself learned a few months ago when I enquired why I hadn't been shortlisted even though I met the criteria. I was told I'd failed to give specific examples on some of the person specifications.

TBH years ago employers would have asked you to elaborate further during the interview. It just goes to show how competitive the job market has become so we'll just have to raise our game. :cool:

Enjoy your weekend :beer:

duchy

What a nice response-Honest, useful and helpful and as you say most companies don't even bother. Well done them !

westv

I'd say that if anybody attempted to transfer this to a CV (rather than an app form) they'd then be told they were giving too much information!

1940sGal

westv wrote: »

I'd say that if anybody attempted to transfer this to a CV (rather than an app form) they'd then be told they were giving too much information!

Good point!

gibson123

1940 gal this feedback is worth it's weight in good.

The comments about it being BS are IMHO out of order, some-one took a good deal of time out of their day to give specific feedback on an application, BS would be " overqualified" or "too many good candidates".

The writer describes a very systematic and fair way of marking applications, a method I use myself. and YES you need to evidence your statements as part of your applications.

I am almost certain that this person did not give detailed feedback to all the applicants (that would take days), therefore OP I think she probably saw something on your application form that interested her.

The most frustrating thing for recruiters is when they receive applications from applicants who they suspect may have talent but cannot tick any of their Essential or Desirable Criteria,

1940sGal

gibson123 wrote: »

1940 gal this feedback is worth it's weight in good.

The comments about it being BS are IMHO out of order, some-one took a good deal of time out of their day to give specific feedback on an application, BS would be " overqualified" or "too many good candidates".

Don't get me wrong, it is not this piece of feedback I thought BS. I initially contacted the recruitment department a few days after the day they were interviewing for the role (this they posted with the advert for the job).

That is when I got a short email stating 'high quality of applicants and spelling mistakes on my form' (a bit longer obv but those were the excuses). I replied to this thanking them for their reply and saying that 'while I accept there would be a high level of applicants, after reviewing my form however, I cannot accept that there were any spelling mistakes present. However they obviously felt differently etc and thank you for taking the time to reply.'

That was at least a week ago, if not more, so i thought that was the end of it until I got the above email yesterday. And i think this email proves that the first one was indeed BS because i don't think the original took much time at all to reply she just wrote a standard excuse email. Besides which the original stated that there was 'a high level of applicants' despite this one saying that none of the applicants met the criteria exactly.

Anyway, like you said, it's certainly worth noting.

p.s. I have just re-read what i put and it does sound like i told her i thought the previous answer was BS :eek: I didn't! haha i just told her how very grateful I was