Turned down from a job for reasons I can't quite understand
I recently applied for a job as a journalist. Linked In told me I was in the top 10% of the amount of applicants who applied by linked in. I thought I'd had a chance. I hadn't. I got advice from someone from the company they said "they were looking for something more specific with more experience" why does that sound odd to me. I get the experience bit, but the more specific bit I don't understand. Is it me or does it sound like they were looking for characteristics rather an actual achievements. Obviously no one wants a working class person with unemployed parents.
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Original post by beckyj1997
I recently applied for a job as a journalist. Linked In told me I was in the top 10% of the amount of applicants who applied by linked in. I thought I'd had a chance. I hadn't. I got advice from someone from the company they said "they were looking for something more specific with more experience" why does that sound odd to me. I get the experience bit, but the more specific bit I don't understand. Is it me or does it sound like they were looking for characteristics rather an actual achievements. Obviously no one wants a working class person with unemployed parents.
I'm afraid you have a very unrealistic expectation of how recruitment works.
First of all, LinkedIn just works on an algorithm that checks words. All you have to do is have a high match in your profile, to the words the employer puts in, and you'll get a high match. The % is utterly meaningless in terms of how an application might go, it's a tool for LinkedIn to increase its appeal as a recruiting service and then get people to pay for its services.
'I thought I had a chance' does not anywhere near equal 'I will get the job' or even 'I will get to interview'. You have a chance if your CV is read carefully. You have a chance if your CV is read carefully and put on a long-list of potential interview applicants, but neither of these will you know about - but you still had a chance.
"looking for something more specific with more experience" is very clear, so long as you have read and understood the job advert properly. Employers don't say - we've got a space for a person, not sure what we want them to be able to do, but we'll pick someone at random from the applicants and just hope they can do what we want when we've decided what that is. They were advertising for a specific role - that's how jobs work. They would have described a specific skill set - that's also how jobs work. Go back and look at what they said they wanted and what you offered. There will be a gap between the two - that's the specific thing you lacked, and they seem to have had other candidates that had more experience than you. More experience simply means more chance the applicant will have met a wider range of situations and will have a wider range of solutions/skills to offer.
Read the job advert again, it might be that 'fit' which includes non-protected characteristics was more important than you appreciated. Perhaps they were prepared to balance fit and skills more evenly.
Whereabouts on your applications are you mentioning that you are working class and that your parents are unemployed? You really ought to stop doing that. Never tell employers anything that they aren't entitled to take into consideration in your application - they they won't be able to take it into consideration.
It's never helpful or productive to get chippy/salty about job rejections. They happen too often for anyone's well-being. Take the feedback and try to analyse why, and then move on having learned what you can from the experience. Patterns will emerge.
Original post by threeportdrift
I'm afraid you have a very unrealistic expectation of how recruitment works.
First of all, LinkedIn just works on an algorithm that checks words. All you have to do is have a high match in your profile, to the words the employer puts in, and you'll get a high match. The % is utterly meaningless in terms of how an application might go, it's a tool for LinkedIn to increase its appeal as a recruiting service and then get people to pay for its services.
'I thought I had a chance' does not anywhere near equal 'I will get the job' or even 'I will get to interview'. You have a chance if your CV is read carefully. You have a chance if your CV is read carefully and put on a long-list of potential interview applicants, but neither of these will you know about - but you still had a chance.
"looking for something more specific with more experience" is very clear, so long as you have read and understood the job advert properly. Employers don't say - we've got a space for a person, not sure what we want them to be able to do, but we'll pick someone at random from the applicants and just hope they can do what we want when we've decided what that is. They were advertising for a specific role - that's how jobs work. They would have described a specific skill set - that's also how jobs work. Go back and look at what they said they wanted and what you offered. There will be a gap between the two - that's the specific thing you lacked, and they seem to have had other candidates that had more experience than you. More experience simply means more chance the applicant will have met a wider range of situations and will have a wider range of solutions/skills to offer.
Read the job advert again, it might be that 'fit' which includes non-protected characteristics was more important than you appreciated. Perhaps they were prepared to balance fit and skills more evenly.
Whereabouts on your applications are you mentioning that you are working class and that your parents are unemployed? You really ought to stop doing that. Never tell employers anything that they aren't entitled to take into consideration in your application - they they won't be able to take it into consideration.
It's never helpful or productive to get chippy/salty about job rejections. They happen too often for anyone's well-being. Take the feedback and try to analyse why, and then move on having learned what you can from the experience. Patterns will emerge.
First of all, LinkedIn just works on an algorithm that checks words. All you have to do is have a high match in your profile, to the words the employer puts in, and you'll get a high match. The % is utterly meaningless in terms of how an application might go, it's a tool for LinkedIn to increase its appeal as a recruiting service and then get people to pay for its services.
'I thought I had a chance' does not anywhere near equal 'I will get the job' or even 'I will get to interview'. You have a chance if your CV is read carefully. You have a chance if your CV is read carefully and put on a long-list of potential interview applicants, but neither of these will you know about - but you still had a chance.
"looking for something more specific with more experience" is very clear, so long as you have read and understood the job advert properly. Employers don't say - we've got a space for a person, not sure what we want them to be able to do, but we'll pick someone at random from the applicants and just hope they can do what we want when we've decided what that is. They were advertising for a specific role - that's how jobs work. They would have described a specific skill set - that's also how jobs work. Go back and look at what they said they wanted and what you offered. There will be a gap between the two - that's the specific thing you lacked, and they seem to have had other candidates that had more experience than you. More experience simply means more chance the applicant will have met a wider range of situations and will have a wider range of solutions/skills to offer.
Read the job advert again, it might be that 'fit' which includes non-protected characteristics was more important than you appreciated. Perhaps they were prepared to balance fit and skills more evenly.
Whereabouts on your applications are you mentioning that you are working class and that your parents are unemployed? You really ought to stop doing that. Never tell employers anything that they aren't entitled to take into consideration in your application - they they won't be able to take it into consideration.
It's never helpful or productive to get chippy/salty about job rejections. They happen too often for anyone's well-being. Take the feedback and try to analyse why, and then move on having learned what you can from the experience. Patterns will emerge.
Actually, the job application asked me what my parents did for a living when I was 14 years old, and what type of school I went to. I got asked about my sexuality and everything. So I am afraid you are wrong there.
I don't believe you have tried to get a job as a journalist have you. I understand, linked in works on algorithms. Is that not called tailoring a job application to a job, the job required me to know how to use certain programs and have specific skills. If I put them skills in the application does that not mean I have the specific requirements in the first place. They can't guess, can they?
I get the more experience thing, fair enough. I am still only a 2nd-year student. If that is the reason I didn't get the job then fine. But I'm definitely not a student who sits and waits for uni to give me jobs. I have had 10 placements in the past year, all matching the job requirements.
I'm not trying to be salty actually, I have had enough too of being asked questions about my parent's career. I merely said it the idea of looking for something more specific sounded odd to me. Given the fact, I had to state my background.
Original post by beckyj1997
Actually, the job application asked me what my parents did for a living when I was 14 years old, and what type of school I went to. I got asked about my sexuality and everything. So I am afraid you are wrong there.
These questions are pretty standard for most job applications, I'm not quite sure why are getting so offended by them. It's a way for employers to show that they are not discriminating when choosing employees rather than the opposite.
I think you don't appreciate just how hard it is to get a job. Graduates will often send out hundreds of applications just to get an interview, let alone a job offer. This includes people with first class degrees. It sounds to me like you have slightly unrealistic expectations about how the job market works.
Original post by beckyj1997
I recently applied for a job as a journalist. Linked In told me I was in the top 10% of the amount of applicants who applied by linked in. Means nothing other than LinkedIn thinks about 9% of candidates through them are a better fit and that candidates from other sources may be even better. The rankings are not used by sensible employers anyway. I thought I'd had a chance. I hadn't. I got advice from someone from the company they said "they were looking for something more specific with more experience" why does that sound odd to me. It isn't odd at all. It sounds to be quite normal. More experience is always better and specific experience of particular aspects of the job are very often key. I get the experience bit, but the more specific bit I don't understand. Is it me or does it sound like they were looking for characteristics rather an actual achievements. It is you. If they were looking for a women's affairs writer, for instance, and you had no such experience it is a no-brainer. The same applies for other specific stuff like local, industry or technical knowledge. Obviously no one wants a working class person with unemployed parents. Nobody wants a troublemaker with a chip on their shoulder either and you come across as such in this thread.
My comments are in bold within the quote.
It's very hard to get a job, especially a decent one. Many times you will feel ideally suited and therefore very rejected when it doesn't come off. Don't let the *******s screw you down. Keep at it. Keep positive.
Original post by black tea
These questions are pretty standard for most job applications, I'm not quite sure why are getting so offended by them. It's a way for employers to show that they are not discriminating when choosing employees rather than the opposite.
I think you don't appreciate just how hard it is to get a job. Graduates will often send out hundreds of applications just to get an interview, let alone a job offer. This includes people with first class degrees. It sounds to me like you have slightly unrealistic expectations about how the job market works.
I think you don't appreciate just how hard it is to get a job. Graduates will often send out hundreds of applications just to get an interview, let alone a job offer. This includes people with first class degrees. It sounds to me like you have slightly unrealistic expectations about how the job market works.
I don't think they are really. Some yeah but not all, Sexuality and ethnicicity yeah. Never my parents status. Thats only ever been a student finance thing.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by beckyj1997
I don't think they are really. Some yeah but not all, Sexuality and ethnicicity yeah. Never my parents status. Thats only ever been a student finance thing.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
Fair or not, that is how things work.
The fact that you have been turned down for this particular job does not mean you are not employable.
Original post by black tea
Fair or not, that is how things work.
The fact that you have been turned down for this particular job does not mean you are not employable.
The fact that you have been turned down for this particular job does not mean you are not employable.
I've tried so hard for many jobs. I don't know what people want anymore. If I don't do something I am under-experienced. If I do I'm a lair, I can't win.
Original post by beckyj1997
I don't think they are really. Some yeah but not all, Sexuality and ethnicicity yeah. Never my parents status. Thats only ever been a student finance thing.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
If you seek employment as a journalist you I would advise you to work on your spelling and punctuation, and the presentation of your writing. You should aim to make everything you write as accurate and as near to an acceptable standard every time in order to ingrain it in yourself. Yes, even here on TSR. It all helps.
Original post by Good bloke
If you seek employment as a journalist you I would advise you to work on your spelling and punctuation, and the presentation of your writing. You should aim to make everything you write as accurate and as near to an acceptable standard every time in order to ingrain it in yourself. Yes, even here on TSR. It all helps.
My writing is fine. Some of my laptop keys are sticky or broken. I have to wait until September to get a new laptop.
Original post by beckyj1997
I recently applied for a job as a journalist. Linked In told me I was in the top 10% of the amount of applicants who applied by linked in. I thought I'd had a chance. I hadn't. I got advice from someone from the company they said "they were looking for something more specific with more experience" why does that sound odd to me. I get the experience bit, but the more specific bit I don't understand. Is it me or does it sound like they were looking for characteristics rather an actual achievements. Obviously no one wants a working class person with unemployed parents.
What was the job for? I’m sorry but this is unlikely to be a discrimination case, just sounds like they wanted someone with a specific skill or a specific degree. Even if u were in the top 10% maybe they received a 100 applications and only wanted to interview the top 5. Blaming this on ur parents unemployment is silly and they never heard your accent or saw you in person, so how would they know ur class?
Original post by beckyj1997
I don't think they are really. Some yeah but not all, Sexuality and ethnicicity yeah. Never my parents status. Thats only ever been a student finance thing.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
Actually I was speaking to someone only the other day about this, someone with a job in inclusivity and diversity It kind of is unfair and un diverse. Why should someone have a be a certain way before they get a job. It is very unethical. There was actually a news story where a white straight guy was turned down despite aceing a test for a certain company, he got turned down because of who he was. Not his achievements. Tell me that is fair.
I do appricate how hard it is to get a job, right now my mental health is proving that. Some graduates don't have experience. I've been called a liar in the past for experiences, i have had. My uni's carrers team told me I should be employable afrer a recent work placement I recieved. A very unique one in fact.
How many companies have u applied to for a job?
Journalism is notoriously competitive.
The people who break into it often rock up with a good degree, a relevant internship and a portfolio of published articles.
The people who break into it often rock up with a good degree, a relevant internship and a portfolio of published articles.
Original post by Trotsky's Iceaxe
Journalism is notoriously competitive.
The people who break into it often rock up with a good degree, a relevant internship and a portfolio of published articles.
The people who break into it often rock up with a good degree, a relevant internship and a portfolio of published articles.
100% correct. Ur lucky if u can get an interview for an internship. Yes maybe the OP was qualified, but so is every other candidate. You’ve got to be exceptional to succeed and it’s ok to start out at a smaller maybe local newspaper until you have more experience and a bigger portfolio. What was the paper u applied to?
C
Couldn't say exactly. I'm only a second year so I've tried to get a student job. My town isn't a student-friendly place. Loads basically.
Original post by Justanotheranon6
How many companies have u applied to for a job?
Couldn't say exactly. I'm only a second year so I've tried to get a student job. My town isn't a student-friendly place. Loads basically.
Just keep going, keep trying. I’m also a writer, and u need a very thick skin to succeed. Ur not going to get every job, ur not going to get published every time, but that doesn’t mean you have no talent. I’m sure you’re very talented and eventually you’ll get the position u deserve.
Original post by Trotsky's Iceaxe
Journalism is notoriously competitive.
The people who break into it often rock up with a good degree, a relevant internship and a portfolio of published articles.
The people who break into it often rock up with a good degree, a relevant internship and a portfolio of published articles.
Well, I want to be a broadcast journalist. A slightly different role. Everything is more production based.
7
I think the comment from the company that they made was alluding to lack of relevant experience, not background. If you are looking to get into journalism, it is recommended you get as much experience as possible. Have you done this? If not, look into this to help with future applications.
Original post by beckyj1997
I recently applied for a job as a journalist. Linked In told me I was in the top 10% of the amount of applicants who applied by linked in. I thought I'd had a chance. I hadn't. I got advice from someone from the company they said "they were looking for something more specific with more experience" why does that sound odd to me. I get the experience bit, but the more specific bit I don't understand. Is it me or does it sound like they were looking for characteristics rather an actual achievements. Obviously no one wants a working class person with unemployed parents.
I think the comment from the company that they made was alluding to lack of relevant experience, not background. If you are looking to get into journalism, it is recommended you get as much experience as possible. Have you done this? If not, look into this to help with future applications.
Original post by beckyj1997
Well, I want to be a broadcast journalist. A slightly different role. Everything is more production based.
Most broadcast journalists start off in written journalism. Is there not a small local newspaper u can work at just for a year before you take on the big ones?
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