Reply from an employer to a job vacancy

mattcanary

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Buyers market very much so currently...so not an issue

It isn;t always. Depends what the job is.

mattcanary

Beartricks wrote: »

To play devil's advocate, I once submitted a CV in word format and got a similar response. After some back and forth, it turned out that the version of word I was using was a more recent one, whereas they were using an old version of word that was incapable of opening my file format. After we'd figured that out, the damage was done and I think they just saw me as an annoyance.

At an old job, the HR department were using a software that was automatically sifting applications using keywords. PDFs were a format that the system should have been able to handle, but for some reason there was an error that meant the software wasn't scanning the PDFs correctly and it was just showing 'successful' applications as blank, or full of gibberish. HR were just ignoring the errors and only taking applications in other formats in to account. They had no idea that there were potentially suitable applications coming through because they had nothing to do with installing the software, they didn't know it was an error, and they didn't know anything about maintaining it.

That said, the responses on both sides were unnecessary. It doesn't seem like much effort went in to opening the file, but the response by the OP was a bit childish.

Ah, the wise actions of relying on technology!

Huskydays

What you read as patronising ridicule, I read as someone going out of their way to tell you why they wouldn't accept your CV and offering you a chance to fix it. The joy of the written word!

TBagpuss

mattcanary wrote: »

Why is this the case? First impressions count - on both sides.

Well, two reasons. Firstly, the application is first impressions for the company, but for the applicant, first impressions are surely based on the advert and the initial research you do about the company before deciding to respond to it.

Secondly, because in most cases, the applicant wants the job more than the company needs that specific individual applicant.

Of course it goes both ways (which I said in the original post) but realistically, unless you are being actively head-hunted, which doesn't seem to be the case here, the reality is that it is not an equal relationship.

Beartricks

It should be a two way street, but the employment market is currently at the point where the power is disproportionately on the side of the employer.

I've had terrible experiences with job applications, from interviewers who treated me like crap to feedback that was clearly meant for another applicant. I'd love to write employers off based on the impression that they gave me, but the fact is that they have their pick of the applicants and they don't stand to lose by upsetting someone or coming across as unprofessional.

I have written at least one employer off, but the flip side of that is that they probably hired a suitable candidate anyway and they'll never know that their behavior was unacceptable. People need work badly enough these days that they're happy to take a job with an employer who, in a better economy, would have candidates turning them away. Perhaps people should be more discerning about which jobs they take, and raise issues like this wherever appropriate but I think that most are too scared to jeopardize a potential chance and burn any bridges.

lush_walrus

mattcanary wrote: »

It's about how you choose to live your life- with self-respect.
Whether that is at work or at home.

Are you employed, if so you must hide your views well. If not well there is the answer to how your choice of behaviour is receiced in the workplace.

getmore4less

Beartricks wrote: »

It should be a two way street, but the employment market is currently at the point where the power is disproportionately on the side of the employer.

That really depends on the sector and job to an extent.

Typicality in the positions that require talented people there has always been a shortage of good capable people, those at the top of their game get to choose who they work for.

Having done a lot of recruitment of people I would be working with into junior(first/second job) technical positions with opportunities quality candidates were thin on the ground even though the pool of people to choose from was quite big.

often in a given sector the known good employers have creamed off the best early and people have migrated to them through networking.

ThemeOne

There is no way a company using any version of Word should be unable to open a .doc file. This is the old Word format but all more recent versions of Word (which default to the .docx format) have backwards compatibility with .doc built in.

I can only assume the file somehow arrived at the other end without an extension at all, or had been corrupted in transit.

The subsequent email exchange is a matter of opinion, but had you simply resubmitted your CV in response, my guess is you might be now preparing for an interview.

In my view the tone and content of their reply does indicate a lack of professionalism on their part which would not make me that enthusiastic about working for them.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

mattcanary wrote: »

It's absolutely not missing the point.

You shouldn;t just behave well when there is something in it for you!

If someone says "Oi, you, lend me five pounds." you are likely to say no. If somebody says "Oi, you, you dropped five pounds, here it is." you are not likely to say no. Because in the one case they are asking for a favour and in the other they are doing you one.

FBaby

This is classic!
HR assistant, overworked, coming to the office on this day with the prospect of going through a large number of applications. Starts day grumpy.

Assistant opens application one: no CV attached, binned. Opens application 2: CV is two lines, with no relevant experience. Binned. Application 3: CV is full of spelling mistakes. Assistant getting more flustered, the delete button hit a bit hard...

and it goes on, until application 58 OP: By this stage, assistant is fed up, only got 2 applications she can shortlist. It's lunchtime, she's hungry but told she needs to get through it before she can take her break. She is rushing through it, clicks to open OP's CV, but it doesn't open. At this point, she shouts 'FGS, why can't people pay attention and ensure we can at least read their CV. Total waste of my time, I'm fed up. I'll get back at this one' and does so rushing as still wants to get out for lunch.

Response comes, and she is jubilant as was able to make her point, and OP fell right into it!

OP, to be fair, she's done you a favour as she does have a point!