The Talent Market Team
Pour the eggnog and erect the Festivus pole – it’s time for our annual Airing of the Application Grievances!
Now, before we jump in, keep in mind that the ladies of Talent Market see a sleigh full of job applications each year (4,000+ this year!). That means we see thousands of reasons for people to land on Santa’s Nice List…and just as many (if not more) for them to end up on the Naughty List!
The good news is our list will help you stay on Santa’s good side!
- Be Like An Elf and Read the Instructions
You don’t think Santa’s elves jump willy nilly into toy construction without reading the instructions, do you? Of course not! If they did, they would end up building toy trains made out of Squishmallows.And so it goes with job application instructions.The application instructions for a search I worked on recently asked candidates to articulate their thoughts on three distinct liberty-oriented principles in the cover letter. Shockingly, half of the applicants failed to do it. And all of those candidates were instantly declined by the client!
Lesson: Following the application instructions will put you ahead of at least half the competition!
- AI and Aunt Bethany
You remember the scene in Christmas Vacation when Clark realizes something isn’t quite right with the gift Aunt Bethany brought?Well, hiring managers have a similar feeling when they review cover letters entirely written by AI.Instead of telling us about their passion for free markets and past experiences, candidates submit ChatGPT’s attempt at a good letter. Unfortunately, AI often produces generic summaries of your resume, fails to communicate a genuine connection to an organization’s mission, and, in some of the worst cases I’ve seen, completely fabricates previous work experience.
Hiring managers are picking up on this trend and we’ve even heard tales of free-market organizations leveraging AI-detection tools to screen applications.
Lesson: Instead of outsourcing your personality to a computer, take the extra time to focus your cover letter on embracing your unique qualifications and sharing your genuine passion. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through!
- Do Your Homework: Santa Can’t Bring You $1M or a Pony.
Smart kids don’t just waltz up to Santa and ask for a pony. You know why? (Because ponies live 45 years and the poor kid’s parents will be saddled with that responsibility for decades after the kid leaves the house? Well, that, too.) Because ponies can’t fit in Santa’s sleigh! Duh!Likewise, smart job applicants don’t waltz into the application process for a manager role asking for more money than the president makes! Funny enough, I saw this happen recently when a candidate applied for a director role and asked for nearly $50k more than the executive of the organization was earning! Needless to say, the applicant ended up with an empty stocking and a rejection letter.Lesson: Be sure to do your homework before you apply for a job. Look up the 990s of the organization, research the average pay scale for similar roles, and visit GuideStar to gauge what is happening at other organizations. And, don’t forget to pay attention to the size of the organization! You cannot compare the salaries of a $100M organization to a $5M organization.
- The Code of Elves #2: There’s Room for Everyone on the Nice List
Once upon a time, there was a candidate we’ll call “Miles Finch.” Miles was very talented and applied for many jobs. But each time, he would find a way to insult the hiring manager and/or generally suck all of the holiday cheer right out of the process.On one occasion, Miles snapped at a hiring manager for asking about his interest in the role during a phone interview: “Have you not read my cover letter?!” On another occasion, Miles declined to respond to a short list of follow-up questions sent by the nonprofit: “My experience speaks for itself.” And once, Miles sent a ruthless cover letter that criticized nearly every aspect of the organization’s strategy and policy agenda. Despite Miles’ impressive background, the client rejected him in all of these cases.Lesson: Maintain professionalism and positivity throughout the hiring process. As we learned in Elf, there’s room for everyone on the Nice List. And those are typically the people who land jobs!
- No One Likes Farkus or Generic Cover Letters
I recently heard from a candidate (we’ll call him “Scut Farkus”) who was quite angry about not getting so much as an interview for any of the jobs to which he had applied. No one, it seemed, cared for Scut Farkus.So, I decided to review Farkus’ seven applications. It turns out every single cover letter was the exact same!The cover letters were all addressed “To whom it may concern” and didn’t even make a passing reference to the organizations’ missions and work. His cover letter droned on about his amazing qualities, but he couldn’t be bothered to even mention the organizations’ names, let alone express interest in a particular role. No wonder all seven hiring managers had responded with a lump of coal!
Lesson: Write a tailored cover letter that demonstrates your passion for the role and you’ll get everything you wished for this Christmas!
We hope we’ve entertained you with our Airing of the Application Grievances. If you take these lessons to heart, then when Christmas morning comes, Santa can deliver your Barbie dream house, two tiny champagne flutes, and a bottle of bubbly to toast your new job!
