Employer - Work experience request - was I too rude

j.e.j.

actually, having re-read the original post, it was the OP who possibly provoked the situation by writing a snotty remark: "A business and administration student should find that straight-forward"

The would-be applicant then responded negatively and it spiralled from there.

As I say, faults on both sides.

Sambucus_Nigra

tonyh66 wrote: »

you don't have to print the form, just fill it in and email it back.....

If she doesn't have it - how would she know that?

tonyh66

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

If she doesn't have it - how would she know that?

she doesn't have it because she did not want to download it, there are 100s of other students jumping through hoops to get work experience, if she can't be ars ed to follow simple instructions, she won't even suceed in MacD's

Sambucus_Nigra

tonyh66 wrote: »

she doesn't have it because she did not want to download it, there are 100s of other students jumping through hoops to get work experience, if she can't be ars ed to follow simple instructions, she won't even suceed in MacD's

I disagree. We don't know why she couldn't or wouldn't follow the link - the OP responded quite rudely when they know it doesn't always work but didn't actually ask whether the person had indeed tried that route first.

6am

Instead of downloading the form herself she tried to delegate the task. Maybe OP should consider her for the managerial position.

JimmyTheWig

gibson123 wrote: »

The impression you have given me so far is that you are lazy and petulant

This bit is slightly harsh, but she needed to be told that she was in the wrong and I suspect that she got that impression from what you wrote. May well be the first time anyone's been so honest with her, so you've probably helped her greatly.

jamiecg wrote: »

by contacting the college could in theory be classed as data protection and lack of confidentiality as the girl may not have advised anybody she was applying for the position, just a thought

The OP could always blank out the name of the student when forwarding to the college. I think it's more for the college to know that their students do this than one particular student has done it. So that the college can (a) think about how they tell students to apply in the future and (b) tell the current cohort that some of them may have approached it badly.

miduck

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

I disagree. We don't know why she couldn't or wouldn't follow the link - the OP responded quite rudely when they know it doesn't always work but didn't actually ask whether the person had indeed tried that route first.

It is not for the OP to mollycoddle the student - if they had a problem accessing the form they should have firstly tried to work out why - I'm sure there was someone they could have asked at college, and if there was still a problem, they could have then politely told the OP they were unable to access it.

The student needs to realise that there is a high demand for work experience now, and they need to present themselves in an attractive way to potential placements, and to help themselves. They deserve no better than they got from the OP.

Sambucus_Nigra

miduck wrote: »

It is not for the OP to mollycoddle the student - if they had a problem accessing the form they should have firstly tried to work out why - I'm sure there was someone they could have asked at college, and if there was still a problem, they could have then politely told the OP they were unable to access it.

How do we know they didn't? They did politely ask for a copy to be sent [they said please - which if I remember correctly is a polite way of asking for something]. They could have spent an hour trying to download it or fill it in and were so exasperated that they gave up. The OP didn't ever ask whether they had tried or not.

Ivrytwr3

I found your reply straightforward and to the point - i think the little madam has learned a valuable life lesson there! Also there is no point over thinking your last email as it's done now.

As for contacting the college, i certainly would, but maybe not as direct as to the madam herself

I would copy them the email chain and point out that whilst you are always willing to assist work experience and the college, you do not appreciate bad manners or rudeness from potential work experince candidates.

miduck

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

How do we know they didn't? They did politely ask for a copy to be sent [they said please - which if I remember correctly is a polite way of asking for something]. They could have spent an hour trying to download it or fill it in and were so exasperated that they gave up. The OP didn't ever ask whether they had tried or not.

It is not for the OP to ask these questions - the student needs to be proactive, show initiative. They were given the opportunity to say if they could not access the form, rather than saying if there was a problem they started whining like a spoilt child. They need to learn that they will not be pandered to in the employment market.