Applying for a Job: Two Kinds of People
17 June 2008
37signals, creators of some very fine Web applications, announced an opening for a designer last week. Take a minute to read the posting–this is not a run-of-the-mill, back office design job. Whoever lands this has an incredible opportunity to change the look and feel of this high-profile company:
You’ll have virtual free reign. We want you to take the lead. You’ll have a lot of influence here and across the web design and software design world.
We’re looking for someone who understands type, someone who understands color, someone who understands proportion, someone who understands what it takes to give something a distinct style all its own.
Now, of course, the applications are rolling in. And there are problems:
Unfortunately it’s not all coming up roses. It’s surprising how many people don’t proofread, spell check, or otherwise pay attention to the basics when applying for a job. It’s a minority, but it’s big enough that I was encouraged to write about it.
We’ve received applications from people spelling 37signals as “37 Signals” and Backpack as “Backback” and Basecamp as “Basscamp” or “Base Camp”. We even got one email from someone calling Highrise “Hi Rise”. One said how much they liked “Packcamp”.
Casual communications are one thing, but when you’re applying for a job you have to pay attention. Know how the company spells its name. Know the names of the products. Read what you wrote so you know what you said.
Two kinds of people make these mistakes. The first kind just don’t know that they should be paying attention to the details. Bad education can be fixed–once you learn that your application must be perfect, you make changes and make it perfect the next time. These people will get jobs, eventually.
The second group, however, is more troubling. These people are talented and bright but they don’t care. They know that the resume, the portfolio, should be perfect but don’t want to take the time.
Best not to be in either group–get the details right the first time.
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Related posts:
How (Not) to Write a Cover Letter, Part 1 and Part 2
Are You Just One of the Crowd?
Want a Job? Work Hard.
Filed under: Job Hunting, Work by Michael
My son completed the Duke of Edinburgh award (bronze level) and received three congratulatory cards from the Lieutenant Governor of PEI, Premier of PEI, and MP. The Premier’s office and our local MP sent cards with “I want to take the time to congratulate you . . .”; while the Lt. Gov. sent a card with, “Congratulations.” Strunk & White - omit needless words came to mind. The Lt. Gov. receives and A while the Premier (Governor) and MP receive a C-.
My daughter also received a letter from her school with a spelling correction marked in blue ink. This is a formal document sent by an education institution, and they do not take the time to correct it properly. Is that not what first drafts are for? Send the second draft (corrected).
I would state that some institutions and government bodies fall into your second category: they just don’t care.