How to fail that job application or interview in the first minute    071

And your son or daughter will be the first to complain of unfairness, especially when it keeps happening. Now as you might imagine there is a myriad of articles, books and video clips on this subject. Today I want to focus on one key reason for failure—a reason that goes to the root of the matter—what I call the stupid self-importance syndrome.

Ironically this sad condition often affects academically capable students who believe that their intelligence and performance entitles them to respect and acceptance. However all students are subject to this syndrome whereby they consider applications and interviews completely from their own perspective, imagining that the employers exist for their benefit alone. They believe if they present what they consider are the important successes in their record then they will obtain the position more or less automatically.

The self-importance syndrome is observable for example in the ‘objectives’ which job applicants often place at the top of their resumes. They might write for example that they desire an accounting job, or that they want to increase their working experience and enlarge their view, or to attain the position applied for so that they may further their knowledge and skills. Now all this may well happen in time but employers are universally and immediately interested in how an applicant can add value to the business. The applicant, if employed, must be able to bring in more revenue than he or she costs—and this is why the position is available. It’s more about the employer and the business, and not so much about the applicant’s wishes. Surprise.

I do remember one particular resume where the applicant was completing an honours law degree, someone clearly with advanced skills with the potential to be quite useful. However I wrote back to this applicant and explained why I could not employ her. First, her record of employment indicated that she typically only lasted six months in any position, and second, her periods of unemployment exactly coincided with end-of-year university holidays. University exams would be another barrier to regular employment. She had the courtesy to thank me for this feedback but perhaps I did another employer a disservice.

Indeed so many applicants for jobs, training programs and scholarships do not present themselves from the employer’s perspective. McDonald’s for example is not very interested in your child’s marks in history. No, the first three criteria are whether your child can legally work, his or her age, and work time availability. After that there is previous experience and potential for training, and so on. For most teenage jobs previous experience, availability and character are what counts—things which your child may not have given much thought to.

Consider an application for an engineering scholarship at university. Clearly capacity and aptitude will be relevant but interest and commitment are just as important. The last thing the university wants is for a successful applicant to suddenly quit the course within the first six weeks. Imagine how much paperwork that would involve for everyone. So demonstrated commitment is an essential part of any application.

And what about a job at Priceline pharmacy or Officeworks? Again the usual criteria for selection are relevant. However so many students make the mistake of thinking that their application should contain the fine details of their academic record. Well being a school prefect is far more important, and one reason for this is that children who are prefects are less likely to steal the products. Another of course would be initiative.

So before your child makes a job or scholarship application there needs to be far more research so that the requirements for the position are truly understood. This means seeing things from the employer’s perspective, not the student centred world of school. School is a place where teachers are supportive and rarely say no. In the real world employers and providers of scholarships etc. rarely say yes. Help your child make that transition or you will be picking up the pieces, over and over again.

All content copyright—Mark Thackray—Australian Educational Services