Employer - Work experience request - was I too rude

MrsStresshead_2

KiKi wrote: »

I think she was very rude indeed. However, I would never have responded with that last email, in the interests of the reputation of the organisation you work for. She's a petulant and very immature student; you're a professional in a senior role!

KiKi

I agree with this

Sambucus_Nigra

miduck wrote: »

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.

The OP asked a question and I am responding.

You have responded with your opinions, and I have responded with mine.

I think the petulance was shown mainly in the OP's final retort - personally. But that's just me, I'd never have responded like that to a very simple request.

j.e.j.

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

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.

Ah. The flaw in this little plan is that the college will then see that BOTH of them were sending rude emails.

If the 'little madam' was after work experience, chances are she's still a youngster. She's just a kid. OP, presumably, is not and with hindsight should have remained professional and polite, imo

miduck

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

The OP asked a question and I am responding.

You have responded with your opinions, and I have responded with mine.

I think the petulance was shown mainly in the OP's final retort - personally. But that's just me, I'd never have responded like that to a very simple request.

So you don't think that students looking for work experience should be professional, proactive etc?

Sambucus_Nigra

miduck wrote: »

So you don't think that students looking for work experience should be professional, proactive etc?

They were being professional and proactive. They asked politely for a copy of the application form.

The OP was snarky with them from the get go.

The answer could easily have been 'Here is the link but if you would prefer a hard copy, send an SAE to my address below and we will pop one straight back to you'.

Seriously simples.

1940sGal

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

They were being professional and proactive. They asked politely for a copy of the application form.

The OP was snarky with them from the get go.

The answer could easily have been 'Here is the link but if you would prefer a hard copy, send an SAE to my address below and we will pop one straight back to you'.

Seriously simples.

In the first instance they were being proactive. From then on in she showed little more than sheer laziness. Or, at best, lack of common sense.

If she had a problem with downloading the file, why didn't she say so? How simple would it have been to say 'I'm sorry, I'm having problems downloading the form, could you send me out a paper copy instead, please?'. Simple. The fact that she didn't gave the OP the impression that she just plain wouldn't.

She never once gave a good enough reason why she couldn't do what all other applicants are asked to do. If she thought the form was only for paid applicants, and not work experience, she could have enquired about this instead of "That's out of order! Why don't you just do your job? I am only applying for work experience not a job. THANKS!! HAVE A NICE DAY"

She was rude, lazy and sarcastic. After that, there isn't a hope in hells chance that she'd get a job with me.

If the girl had done things properly, and behaved in a mature way, things never would have escalated the way they did.

Ivrytwr3

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

They were being professional and proactive. They asked politely for a copy of the application form.

The OP was snarky with them from the get go.

The answer could easily have been 'Here is the link but if you would prefer a hard copy, send an SAE to my address below and we will pop one straight back to you'.

Seriously simples.

The guy emailed them the link! A lot of others would tell them to check the website and nothing more.

If the madam had emailed back saying there was a problem and they couldn't access the link, then i would have done all i could to help them ie emailing them the form then informinig IT there is a problem with the site.

However, looking at the email exchange it certainly doesn't read like that!

heretolearn_2

FE colleges are sixth form colleges, most students are going to be 16-18 years old. 16-18 year old vary a lot in their maturity and understanding of the world of work.

This one doesn't yet get it.

I think that she behaved badly, but I wouldn't go running off to the college about it. She'll learn in time, and it's not my job to teach her.

I wouldn't have wasted any more time on her after the 'THANKS!! HAVE A NICE DAY' and just left it at that. On the other hand, OP, you shouldn't really have got annoyed back, it wasn't professional.

Ivrytwr3

the OP works for a company and in a company time is money. The company has kindly agreed to have work experience, so i don't think it is unreasonable for the college to set out guidelines on expected behaviour. After all, it would be very easy for the company to refuse work experience if it starts to impact them.

Also, in my day the college/school arranged placements not the pupils/students.

denla

OP does carry a false sense of superiority to be honest. So he's the senior professional and she's the immature student, and he's going to contact her college so perhaps her tutors can reprimand her like a child? No it doesn't work like that. She applied independently, not as some representative of her college so by contacting her college you're showing how unprofessional you are.

The college won't do anything anyway because even if she was more... inappropriate, that's her choice outside of college. Long as it's not within college they don't have a say on how she chooses to act as a person.