So you want a job...

Recession increases the volume of job applications and reduces the number of positions available.
Writing those disappointing letters to people eager for work is not a welcome task but can make you wonder about the quality of their education.
So often I receive job applications addressed to “Dear sir or madam” when a tiny effort would secure the name of the person you wish to impress.
Worse are those letters addressed to the editor who retired in 1996 or someone not known at this address.Misspelling the name is usually not as bad.
Displaying limited knowledge of grammar and spelling does not help when seeking a job requiring such qualities.
Forgetting to sign or date the letter is also best avoided.
Recently I have noticed a growing trend not to use capital letters. For example: “i am available for interview any day but sunday”, a development we can blame partly on the internet.
The heart then sinks when you discover during an interview that the applicant “keen to write for your quality publications which I have known since childhood” has never read them.
Good manners prevent the immediate termination of the interview but not the regret of time wasted.
Schools and colleges need to teach students more about the skills of job application, especially in these difficult times.
Philip Welch