job applications

[starplee]

My department has advertised for 100 new officers for a new section. They have received close to 3000 entries. Due to the enormous amount of entries, and one week in which to assess and rank them all, I've been conscripted into helping the ranking process. Here's what I've learned

Comments

[capnoblivious]

I just wish that I'd done this exercise years ago, I might have written better job applications myself.

That's the thing, isn't it? :)

Your department has an ... interesting framework for job applications, and it's pretty opaque to an outsider.

I'd suggest telling your HR bods this stuff - they'll need to refine the application info to make it easier to apply.

[starplee]

Aren't you in my department?
The thing is the first two should be fairly obvious you'd hope. Write to the selection criteria and make sure that you actually address the criteria.
The other stuff requires some thinking, and it would be better if people were aware that we aren't really measuring their experience, but rather their proven capacity to take on the requirements of the new job. Many skills are transferable. Unfortunately we can't tell people to "mention others" when discussing team work, as they should know it anyway, and if they don't they probably don't know anything about team work - which answers the question.

[capnoblivious]

Aren't you in my department?

Not yet. :)

The first two are plain common sense. The second two do require thinking, but aren't nearly as obvious. I've been in the position of thinking, "gosh, that's what I do every day," while being fairly clueless as to how to bring that out in a job application. The normal response is to say, "Well, this is my experience. Do you want someone with this experience?"

On reflection, and as horrid as its language is, your dept.'s application process is an improvement on the PS norm, precisely because it does try to draw out the sorts of things you're talking about.