a tale of post-interview feedback success

A reader writes:

I just wanted to write in and thank you for the way that your blog has helped me in my (ongoing) job search.  I have been looking for work after a summer spent travelling, and I had an application in that I was really excited about. The employer I'd be working for has a great reputation, I have lots of experience, etc. A week after I applied they emailed me and asked whether I was still interested, and what my desired salary would be. I wrote back and didn't hear from them for about a week and a half.

Yesterday I received an email letting me know the position had just been filled.

A bit disappointing! But thanks to you I knew that it's okay to ask for feedback as long as you're not a jerk about it, so I wrote back:

Thank you for letting me know; I appreciate it. I hope that things will work out well for Mr. X and his new staffer. 

I know that I am not in a position to ask for favours, but if you have a moment to spare I would love some feedback. Is there anything in the way I present myself in my resume or cover letter whereby I shoot myself in the foot? Was my expected salary in a reasonable range, or should I adjust it? 

Please do not feel obliged to answer these questions -- but if there is something you noticed, it will help me in my continuing job search and I would be most grateful.

 You can well imagine my delight when she replied with this:

You made it down to our top six out of more than 40 applicants. It was very impressive and you were about to be called for an interview. Within a day, however, three different contacts called us to endorse one particular applicant who had volunteered extensively for each of them. All three stated they would hire her themselves if a position had been available. Based on their assertions, and the fact that the applicant was only an hour away and was able to come to the office for an interview, Mr. X decided to move forward with her on a probationary term.

Again, your application was great, and you certainly did not shoot yourself in the foot. The circumstances just aligned themselves perfectly for another applicant.

I do wish you every success, and will absolutely be in touch with you should any other opportunities come up with our team.

Hands down, that is the most encouraging rejection I've ever had -- and I'm glad to know that I didn't get passed over because I stink, but because someone else was perfect!

Thank you for giving me the savvy to write an excellent resume and cover letter, and the courage to ask for more information. It's definitely paid off, and I'll be jumping back into my job search with renewed vigor.

Hooray! This is great to see.

This is a good reminder about asking for feedback after a job rejection. Four things to remember when you do:

1. Not every employer will give you feedback (some of the reasons for that are here), but you should not be discouraged by that or let it prevent you from trying in the future.

2. When you ask, it's crucial that you not sound even slightly defensive or argumentative, or there's zero chance you'll get a candid answer. Note that in the letter above, it's very clear that the writer isn't objecting to the decision or feeling irked; she's asking for advice and assistance, and doing it in a way that's so engaging that any normal person would want to help her.

3. Related to that, I've received requests for feedback that sound like a form letter, or like the person is only asking because they've been told they should ask. The request above doesn't sound that way. It sounds genuine, shows personality, and underscores that there's a real person behind it. That helps.

4. Say thank you if you get a response. Giving feedback is not obligatory. If someone takes the time to help you, that person is doing you a favor. They'll notice if you don't thank them.

does "we'll keep your resume on file" really mean anything?

A reader writes:

In most of the jobs where I've been interviewed and rejected the rejection letter says something like "We will hold on to your resume and contact you if we ever have any jobs that meets your needs" or something like this. Is this just being polite or is it possible that some time down the road they will actually contact me with an offer?

Well, it's highly unlikely they'll contact you out of the blue with an offer. But they might contact you with an invitation to apply for another position.

That said, this statement has become part of the standard pablum that a lot of companies include in their rejection letters and, more often than not, has little meaning. On the other hand, some companies do mean it and do search previously submitted resumes looking for well-matched candidates when they have new openings.

So the answer is unsatisfying: Sometimes they mean it and sometimes they don't.

(For what it's worth, I think the phrase has become so meaningless that I've started saying this in the rejection letter I send to candidates who I think would be promising for the future, since I want them to know I really mean it: "We are keeping your materials on file and will notify you about future openings that seem like they might be a good fit. We only keep on file the materials of strong candidates, so please take this as an indicator of our interest in talking further with you in the future.")

But either way, I would put them out of your mind and move on. If they do contact you in the future, let it be a pleasant surprise, rather than something you wait for (as it may never happen, no matter what their intentions).

rejected for a job because I used the color green in my design exam

A reader writes:

I recently applied for a graphic designer job and the company rejected me for the sole reason that "my logo was green."

Originally when I applied, HR contacted me and said they were impressed with my CV and scheduled me for an interview with the company heads. However, this did not push through and I was given an exam instead.  My exam was to create a study for a logo. For my first two tries, they said my designs lacked impact but encouraged me to submit one more. For my third try, they flat out rejected me, saying, "Sorry, you did not pass. We find the color green too dull."

It was the most lame, arrogant, tactless and unprofessional reason I have ever encountered in my entire life! I mean, it would have been better if they had sent me a generic job rejection letter grabbed off the Internet. The way I was told was just something I could not accept.

Also, exams are supposed to just determine if a person has skills and potential. It was not to be used as a final material as stuff like this requires a detailed client brief and meetings to ensure that targeted design options are produced on the outset. For this exam, there were no clear instructions and I was given full creative freedom. And so what if I used green? It's only a color and for sure it's not something that cannot be corrected! And the strange thing was, the second study was actually green too, so if they hated the color green in the first place, they would have told me prior to letting me create a third one.

Not to brag but I have a very solid work experience and impressive portfolio, but apparently, these were all outweighed by the color green.

Anyway, my point is, I want to tell that lady from HR that the way she informed me was really unprofessional. Her job is simple and she can't even do it graciously. She was rude and even had the nerve to add smileys on her message. You don't send out rejection letters with smileys! I hope you can help me and give me advice on what to do. I really want to write her that letter but I'm not sure how to get started.

Don't write the letter. Put it behind you and move on.

One of the following things is going on here:

1. You were rejected because your designs didn't fit what they were looking for, not solely because you used the color green. But the HR rep heard some mention of the color and just passed that part on to you, rather than the larger explanation. This indicates lack of common sense on her part, but might make what she said more understandable.

2. Your designs didn't fit what they were looking for, but they're not designers themselves and lack the vocabulary to explain what wasn't working for them, so you ended up with this comment about green, which was only part of the story.

3. They really have a problem with the color green, and they meant exactly what they said. In this case, take a sigh of relief, because you just dodged a bullet. This is not a job you want. (It's legitimate to have color preferences for particular projects, of course, but this was an application exercise without back-and-forth to draw out the look and feel they're going for.)

So in sum, either they made a reasonable decision to reject you but it got communicated badly, or they're crazy people you don't want to work for anyway. Neither of these calls for an angry letter, and sending one wouldn't be in your interests -- you could run into someone from this company at some point in the future (someone who didn't play a role in this process but heard about it), and then you'd be the crazy guy who they remembered ranting about his rejection. That's not helpful to you.

So chalk it up as an amusing story to tell in the future, and move on.

should I call out an HR person for lying to me?

A reader writes:

I recently applied for a city government communications position for which I was perfectly qualified. They asked me last minute to fly out for a four-person panel interview and even went as far as rearranging the panel date so that I could make it, even after I suggested an initial Skype interview at their original time to ensure neither of us wasted time if I was not a proper fit. All in all, I spent hundreds of dollars out of pocket to fly there last minute, rearranged my professional schedule, took a vacation day and completed an at-home lengthy written exam, in addition to a 45-minute writing sample on-site before the grueling interview process (in which one of the consultant from another city who was helping guide them on hiring this new position kept yawning, looking away and even left the room in the middle of the interview for several minutes).

When all was said and done, I had to follow up multiple times over the span of weeks (they kept saying the decision was being delayed) before finally being told "we decided to go with someone who is already in a similar city government position." That is fine and I gracefully understood that... at least until I found out who they hired. They hired someone who I use to work with at a previous company and even helped train for the position they currently hold. Since I previously worked in that role, I know for a fact it is not a city government role and that I definitely have more qualified experience, having currently worked with over 30 different city government communities simultaneously. So not only did the company I interview with lie to me as to why I was rejected, they hired someone who in my opinion (from personally knowing the person they hired) is not qualified for the position at all.

Should I say something to the HR person who lied to me? I want to maintain a professional attitude and take rejection with poise but really feel unethical about not calling them out on a lie.

What do you get out of saying something? It might make you feel better to say something, but it definitely won't help you maintain relationships with anyone there. 

Moreover, and maybe more importantly, you don't actually know that the HR person lied. For all we know, they planned to hire a different candidate, one who did already work in a similar position, but that person fell through for one reason or another, and then they ended up going with the person you know. Or the HR person just had her information wrong, but it wasn't an intentional lie. 

Or maybe you're right and she did lie to you, presumably because she thought it would make the rejection go down more easily. That's misguided, for sure, and kind of lame, but there's nothing unethical about just shaking your head and moving on.

I get the sense that what you're actually frustrated about is that you put all that time and even money into going through their hiring process, and they rejected you in favor of someone who you think is far less qualified than you. And maybe she is. And yes, that's frustrating. But you have to remember that they hired her over you for a reason. And sure, maybe that reason is something shady (like she's friends with someone involved in the decision, or whatever), but it's also likely that the reason is legitimate -- that you had a different idea of what they wanted for the role than they had, or she has strengths you don't know about or aren't acknowledging, or that you're overlooking a significant weakness of your own for the role, or that you were a bad cultural fit and she was a great one. Who knows? This is why guessing games about why you didn't get a job and someone else did are fruitless: Because you're always left with the fact that, no matter how much you disagree, the employer, who generally knows the needs of the job better than you do, made the decision that they felt was in their best interests.

My advice is to move on -- and remember, the job you really want is the one that's excited to get you.

job rejections should come via email, not via a phone call

A reader writes:

Please pass this information on to the interviewers and managers. I prefer NOT to receive a "thanks, but no thanks" telephone call/message when I didn't get a job. I truly appreciate the relay of information; however, only via email or snail mail. When the phone rings, or I listen to a vague message for me to return a call, my hopes are lifted.

I vote "NO" for a phone call. Please, ONLY call if you will hire me, or inform me about a second (or third, etc.) interview.

I agree that email is better than a phone call for job rejections.

For the candidate, a call puts them on the spot: They have to react to the rejection while they're still in the immediate moment of disappointment. It's awkward. And like this reader pointed out, before it's clear what the call is for, it creates a moment of false hope, and then demands that the candidate pull it together to be gracious about disappointment a second later.

And email is better on the employer's side too, since some candidates will try to argue the decision when it's not up for debate. Or occasionally you get a bunch of anger and vitriol thrown at you.

Of course, this assumes that an employer even bothers to issue rejections at all, when we all know that plenty don't. But those employers are inconsiderate jerks.

Anyone out there actually prefer a phone call to tell you that you didn't get the job?

angry that I didn't get the job; can I protest this?

A reader writes:

Following an advertisement on the website, I applied for a job ( through an agent). I have been subjected to a telephone interview, face to face interview with the person supposedly to be reporting to. Later they sent forms for my criminal record checks, reference checks and completion of employee profile form, which I did. All this gave me an impression that everything was well. I was asked to set aside time to meet the senior in the unit. I asked for the agenda, at which I was told it's an informal meeting as she just wanted to meet with me nothing to serious and nothing do with the interview process. My hopes and expectations went high again. Our meeting was another interview, very similar to the one I had before. I came out convinced that I got the position. She even shared with me that it takes time for their HR to complete the process, so therefore I must be patient. No problem.

Today, I got a message that I didn't get the job. Is this a fair process? Why was I subjected to all the interviews, meetings and completing the forms? For that matter, I happen to know that there was no other candidates. Can I challenge the process? I feel they lied to me and subjected me to interviews or I didn't meet the requirements according to her (the senior), as all the changes came after the meeting. As much as I might not be the ideal candidate, I feel so unfairly treated and I have asked for a formal meeting for feedback. Is this appropriate or I am just overreacting? Can I challenge the process? And since the position is still open, can I send my cv again or how best can I do it?

I'm sorry you didn't the job. It can be really disappointing to put in all that time and energy and feel that things are going well, only to then find out that you didn't get it.

But ... this is the nature of job searching. You get interviewed, fill out forms, and so forth -- and there's no guarantee that it will end in a job offer. None at all. In fact, the majority of candidates who go through that process for each job don't end up with a job offer.

Sometimes it's because someone else was a better fit. In a case like this, if you're right that you were the only candidate being interviewed, the reason is that you weren't the right fit.

It's easy to secondguess that and think that they're wrong -- and maybe they are. But more likely, you really aren't the right fit for the role they're trying to fill. There are all kinds of reasons this could be the case. Candidates tend to think, "They didn't think I was good enough." But many, many times it's something else, not your skill set -- for instance, that you wouldn't mesh well with this particular manager or this particular team or this particular office culture. These things matter, and it's very hard for a candidate to judge this factors from the outside the way an interviewer can judge them from the inside. The best thing you can do is accept this and move on.

I wouldn't ask for a meeting for feedback -- that's asking a lot of them. But it's fine to ask for feedback via email or phone. However, you minimize your chances of getting honest feedback if you appear to be challenging their decision. (Here are some tips on asking for feedback after a job rejection.) Good luck!

saying thank-you after getting job rejection feedback

If you ask someone who rejected you for a job for feedback about how you could do better next time and that person takes the time to respond, you really, really should follow up with at least a "thank you."

Giving that feedback is not obligatory, and many employers ignore those requests. If someone takes the time to help you, that person is doing you a favor. You should thank them.

When I take the time to help someone with feedback and get silence in return, I remember it.

how to stay on an employer's radar after a job rejection

A reader writes:

I had a great interview with a company, but unfortunately did not get the job because they wanted someone with more experience. The HR manager said to check in with her from time to time. What is the best way to do this without seeming pushy? What is the best thing to say? My interview was at the end of June and I don't want her to forget about me!

Read my answer to this question over at U.S. News & World Report today.

how to deal with job rejection

If you're a job seeker in this economy, in addition to knowing how to write a good cover letter, talk winningly about your accomplishments, and follow up without being too stalkerish, you'll probably need another skill too: dealing with rejection after applying for a job, maybe even one you really wanted and thought you were perfect for.

Over at U.S. News & World Report today, I give five pieces of advice for dealing with job rejection. Please check it out.

EmailYourInteriewer success story

An update on EmailYourInteriewer.com, which lets job-seekers send an anonymous, polite letter to employers who interviewed them and then never bothered to get back to them: It's now generated 95 letters to employers.

A couple of employers have written back to apologize. Here's one of those replies:

Please let your candidate know that I apologize if this occurred. I conduct second or third interviews around the country and make it the responsibility of the hiring manager to follow up w/ all candidates. I will follow up w/ the managers who currently have opening to ensure they are communicating w/ all applicants.

Hurrah!

If you've been frustrated yourself by not hearing back from companies after interviewing, why not politely let them know. Go here, and the work will be done for you. (Just make sure to follow the rules.)

You suck, interviewer!

I'm on a bit of a rampage about interviewers who don't bother to send candidates notices of rejection after a candidate has taken the time to interview with them.

You put hours into preparing for the interview. Maybe you buy a new suit. Maybe you drive several hours to get there, spending gas money you don't really have or taking a vacation day to do it. Then you sweat it out through the interview itself. They tell you that they'll notify you of their decision in a week. And then ... nothing. It's like you don't exist to them.

This behavior is inexcusable -- it's callous and dismissive and lacks any appreciation for the fact that the candidate is anxiously waiting to hear an answer -- any answer -- and keeps waiting and waiting, long after a decision has been made. It's just not that hard to send a quick email, even a form letter, letting the candidate know she's no longer under consideration.

Employers owe interviewees a response, period.

This particularly pisses me off because sane job seekers aren't going to call employers like this on their rude behavior, lest they burn their bridges with the organization. So employers get to act like this with impunity, and the rare person who does complain about it is generally dismissed as naive or crazy, simply because no one else does it.

I'm seriously thinking of offering a service on this site that job seekers could use to generate an anonymous letter to the employer, telling them how rude they are. It would be a public service: the Ask a Manager You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator ® .

Can I reapply after being rejected?

A reader writes:

I don't know if this is a scenario that happens very often, but I had what I believed to be a successful initial phone interview with a company in a similar field. The HR manager I interviewed with had been very enthusiastic about continuing the interview process. I felt confident that I had all the qualifications and skills needed for the job, and was waiting for news on an interview with the hiring manager, but two weeks later, I received a fairly formulaic "thanks, but no thanks" email.

I assumed they had found someone else for the position, but to my surprise a month later, the same job has been re-posted. Should I contact the HR manager again, and what should I say? I don't want to be a pest but I don't want to give up on this opportunity either. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

I think you should give it a shot. There's no harm in contacting them and saying that you noticed the job has been reposted and that you'd like to reiterate your interest in it.

They may have reposted it because their chosen candidate didn't work out for some reason, or because they ended up dissatisfied with all of their finalists. Of course, it's also possible that they rejected you earlier for reasons that still stand -- that the match isn't right in some way. But you won't know unless you try, and in some situations they may be glad for the opportunity to consider you again (for instance, if they've reconfigured their ideas about what they're looking for, or if you were earlier a runner-up to someone else who ultimately didn't work out).

I wrote a few weeks ago about the usual futility of appealing a job rejection, but this is a bit different. You're not writing back right after your rejection and asking them to reconsider; you're saying you noticed that the job has reappeared and are wondering if circumstances might have changed.

Good luck!

can you appeal a job rejection?

Every few weeks or so, I'm contacted by a job candidate who asks me to reconsider our rejection of his or her application. This almost never works -- actually, I want to say "never" but there's one very, very limited case in which it might be okay to do.

Over at U.S. News & World Report today, I write about why you generally can't appeal a job rejection, and the one time where you can. Please check it out here and leave your own thoughts in the comments over there.

invited to apply and then rejected

A reader writes:

I volunteer for a company and they asked me to apply for a post which I would not have applied for in the first place. I applied and they gave it to someone else. Why set me up for such a fall?

I can see how it would feel like that, but they weren't trying to set you up. Being invited to apply for a position is exactly what it sounds like -- being invited to apply, not being anointed. Otherwise, they'd just offer you the job.

Companies do this when they think you might be a strong candidate, so if nothing else you should at least feel flattered that they thought highly enough of you to reach out. But the process that follows -- interviews, etc. -- is there so that they can dig more deeply and see if indeed the match would be the right one. During that process, they may find out that the match isn't as strong as they had hoped, or an even stronger candidate might emerge. That's just the nature of it, and you shouldn't take it personally or feel that they slighted you.

That said, this is why when companies invite someone to apply for a job, especially a volunteer or current employee, they need to be careful to make sure that the person clearly understands the situation and knows that they'll be considering other applicants as well.

the sound of silence: companies that don't send rejections

One of the biggest complaints I hear from job seekers who write to me is about companies that don't respond to job applicants: no rejection, nothing.

There's a real divide on the issue. Job seekers think it's incredibly rude, while many companies feel perfectly justified in not putting resources into dealing with candidates they're no longer interested in hiring.

Over at U.S. News & World Report today, I give my own take on this issue. Please head over there to read it and leave your own thoughts.

not helping yourself

Seriously, it is just not a good idea to respond to a letter of rejection with comments like this:

"I cannot imagine what would have caused you not to interview me. Did you even bother to speak with my past employers about my qualifications? I find it hard to accept that you have no place for a person with my abilities and skills."

Huh. In an entire world filled with smart, well-qualified people, you can't fathom that some of them might have been a stronger match than you?

asking for feedback after you're rejected for a job

So you thought the position was a perfect fit and your interview seemed to go well, but in the end, you didn't get the job. You could speculate about why you weren't hired, but if you're really curious, why not try to actually find out by asking for some feedback from the hiring manager? Over at U.S. News & World Report today, I talk about how to do it. Check it out here.

coded HR language?

A reader writes:

I have been in the search for a job for the past 9 months. I have had interviews and I have successfully been able to get my resume in front of hiring managers. As with any job search I have also received my share of rejections. I have noticed in a number of the rejections a phrase "while your qualifications are impressive." I am wondering is this some subtle HR phrase with a message? Is it because they do the math and realize I am a mature candidate, or do they think with my background experience they cannot afford me, or am I reading too much into this?

You are reading too much into it. I say that phrase to everyone we reject, even if they're straight out of high school and have no qualifications whatsoever. It's just standard boilerplate for trying to soften the blow of a rejection.

belligerent rejected candidates, part 3

Here's a conversation I had with a rejected job applicant today. He left me a voicemail inquiring about the status of his application, and I checked and saw that we had sent him an email two weeks ago to let him know that we would not be able to consider him for a position. Feeling bad for the guy, I broke my own "no rejections by phone" rule and called him back to tell him. Here's what happened:

Me: We sent you an email on July 22 to let you know that we wouldn't be able to further consider you. I'm sorry you didn't get it! Sometimes emails inadvertently end up in a spam folder, so you might check there.

Candidate: I don't have a spam folder.

Me: Well, I'm very sorry you didn't receive it. In any case, we'd certainly welcome an application from you in the future if we have other openings you're interested in.

Candidate: But I don't have a spam folder. So where is the email?

Me: I'm not sure. I'm looking at a copy of the email right now, and it went to (redacted) email address.

Candidate: That's my email address, but I don't have it.

Me: I'm not sure what happened. I have a copy of the email here, so I know it was sent on our side. In any case, I'm sorry we weren't able to move you to an interview.

Candidate: So you're not considering me for any positions?

Me: No, I'm sorry, we're not.

Candidate: Whatever. (Hangs up.)

Lovely. So I'm thinking, well, at least our screening process works and we rejected this guy right off the bat.

Two minutes later, my phone rings again. It's him.

Me: Hello?

Candidate: Is this because I listed (name redacted) as a reference?

Me: I'm not sure what you mean.

Candidate: I listed (name redacted) as a reference and then he told me that there's bad blood between him and your organization.

Me: No, it's nothing like that. We have a very competitive hiring process and generally have many well-qualified candidates to choose from. We only interview the top few who are the best matched with the position.

Candidate: So you're really not going to interview me?

Me: No, I'm sorry.

Candidate: (Hangs up on me again.)


Seriously, what is wrong with people?

See also: Job rejections and vitriol and Job rejections and vitriol, part 2

job rejections and vitriol, part 2

About a year ago, I wrote a post about how a small fraction of job applicants respond to rejection notices with outrage, rudeness, or general vitriol, and gave a few real-life samples.

Some background: My organization emails rejection notes to all applicants we don't offer a job to. It's a friendly and polite letter, and we send it within a few days of knowing that we're not moving the applicant forward in the hiring process. Sometimes we hear back from people thanking us for the notification (which I recommend -- reflects well on them), but every once in a while a candidate sends a nasty email back, outraged that they've been rejected.

I can't figure out why job applicants are willing to burn their bridges in this way, especially since there otherwise may have been other opportunities for them with us in the future. But in any case, here are a few more real-life emails I've received in response to rejection notices.

1. I've reviewed this email. It's pretty clearly a form letter. I can appreciate that you've got a lot of applicants, and need to skim the fat, so to speak, but I require honest communication from a potential employer, not form letters.

Yeah, it is a form letter -- a friendly and polite form letter, but a form letter. When you need to communicate the same information to hundreds of people, a form letter is the most efficient way to do it. I'm not sure why that makes it less "honest."

2. I find it incredibly difficult to believe that my qualifications are lower than that of other applicants. There is an astute air of refusal that I find quite distasteful. You were probably raised on the East coast, West coast, or Midwest given your style and grammar. I am not going to blame the customs and lifestyle of the geographical region you hail from in regards to the frigid nature of your professional demeanor. But I am upset to find that I can't get a formal interview because other candidates have better qualifications than me.

Only southerners know how to deliver a rejection notice correctly. The rest of us are frigid. (Plus, my rejection letter is pretty nice, so southern rejection must include light petting or something.)

3. I beg to differ with you. You are turning down by far the most qualified person you had applying.

This is actually the most common theme when candidates react poorly to rejection -- being 100% convinced that no one is a better candidate than they are. I understand how frustrating it is to be turned down for a job you wanted, but it always baffles me that someone wouldn't take into consideration that they have limited information about the job -- and the rest of the candidate pool -- and we know it quite intimately.

4. Thank you for your rapid response to my last email. In it you state via what appears to be a form letter that you "identified other applicants whose qualifications better fit our needs." Unfortunately I don't believe this to be true. A lot of organizations would like to have someone with my considerable set of experiences and leadership and I'm secure enough in them that I won't rehash those here. I would urge you in future to be more honest with your applicants about why you would prefer not hiring them.

This is similar to #3, but with a paranoid twist: Since it can't possibly be true that other people are a better fit for the job, we must be hiding our real reason for not wanting to hire him. In fact, I'm generally happy to give feedback if an applicant requests it, but I'm not going to make it a routine part of our rejection notice -- both because of lack of time and staff to do so, and also because taking the time to give feedback frequently leads to something like this next one:

5. (received after a rejected applicant asked for feedback and I told him the position required stronger writing and, upon his request, pointed out that his application materials had contained numerous grammatical and spelling errors)

I make no claims of being the best writer in the world, but I would think it is a skill that can be taught and developed. Traits that cannot be taught are character, passion, honesty, hard work, and integrity. I thought that my original cover letter was a pretty clear indicator that I am a well- spoken, educated, and hard working young man. I thought that at the very least my experiences would have made you say "this is someone I need to speak to in person". But in this world I suppose a persons whole life, intelligence, and excitement will always be less important than "typos". I guess I should have skipped University and attended typing classes.

This one actually made me feel bad for the guy. I do like character and enthusiasm, but it's naive to think they trump attention to detail or a basic fit with the qualifications for the job. And since most employers have many well-qualified applicants who don't submit error-filled work, those things are going to move you to the bottom of the pile. Still, naive as he is, I kind of wanted to give him a cup of cocoa and help him rewrite his resume.

-------

Now that I think about it, this whole thing is yet another way in which the hiring process is like dating. Most people handle rejection well, but every now and then, you get someone who responds like an ass -- which always serves to confirm that your decision about them was the right one.