Huckleberries Online

Digger: Resumes Ain’t Rocket Science

Posted by DFO

Feb. 5, 2009 8:47 a.m. • 21 comments

Just this week I’ve received more than a dozen application packets, most of which aren’t even properly addressed to my store, let alone to me personally. You’d think that if you receive a business card with the manager’s name you’d at least take the time to transcribe it accurately on your cover letter when you return. I guess my definition of “simple” escapes some of the folks who want to be gainfully employed. I can be a little bit forgiving when applicants don’t take the time to print their applications on decent quality paper. It is the content, after all, that is important. But I’m not so forgiving when spelling and grammar errors stand out like a turgid zit. Case in point - an objective listed on a résumé I received stated “I seek to gain a position to gain a position within the company.” I guess I could creatively interpret that to mean I’d be hiring a go-getter who wants to advance quickly but considering the cover letter was addressed to “Dear To Whom It May Concern” I’m not holding out hope/Henry Johnstone, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.

Question: Have you had a similar experience with job applicants?

21 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

jazzyvandal on February 05 at 10:16 a.m.
I’m not an employer, but I feel Digger’s pain. Currently, I’m on the job hunt and I can’t believe all the phony job ads out there. There’s a lot of poorly worded ads on Craigslist and other places. If I see something too good to be true or if they can’t spell, I won’t even bother applying for the job.

The personal finance class is a great idea. Schools need to have classes that help you prepare for life in the real world. Sure, it would be great to learn this at home. Some parents don’t have a clue or are too busy to sit down with their kids.
Lynne on February 05 at 10:49 a.m.
Most creative application I’ve received in a while was from a young man applying as a position for a legal assistant. He typed his resume out in the form of a court pleading. Very clever.
JeanieSpokane on February 05 at 11:12 a.m.
Never, ever, EVER look for a job on Craigslist. Ever.

Ever.
Digger on February 05 at 11:24 a.m.
We use CraigsList to try to find applicants. We’re mainly looking for a college age crowd and they tend to surf the net to find jobs. I don’t however, keep it a “blind ad” - I put my business name and contact information out there so folks know its a legit ad.

If you’re at all tech savvy you can figure out pretty quickly when an ad is a fake or if its something real to the local community.
Digger on February 05 at 11:25 a.m.
And Jeanie, FYI, I’m in my present position because I responded to an ad on Craigslist.
idawa on February 05 at 11:28 a.m.
Lynne, it may have been a clever way to apply but did you wind up hiring him?
nic on February 05 at 11:29 a.m.
My favorite is an aplicant who listed “speel check” as a skill.
Cabbage Boy on February 05 at 11:31 a.m.
“And Jeanie, FYI, I’m in my present position because I responded to an ad on Craigslist.”

TMI Digger.
Digger on February 05 at 11:33 a.m.
Not THAT type of ad, CB. ;-)
Lynne on February 05 at 11:49 a.m.
We don’t have a position open, but he would have been at the top of my interview list if we were.
Charlie on February 05 at 4:55 p.m.
In years past when I was a service manager, I got to go thru job applications and it was just as bad 25 years ago as it is today. Everything changes but nothing changes.

« Back to Huckleberries Online

You must be logged in to post comments.
Please create a profile or log in here.

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.