Job Discussion Forums

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 5:43 pm Post subject: Job Applications by Email

For reasons I barely recall (but it seemed like a good idea at the time) I find myself in the position of DOS of English in a mid sized NGO. Like many organisations in our situation, we do a lot of our hiring from abroad via the internet.

My current question is: Why can't people who apply by email write? I have received rather more than a dozen applications today, and they are filled with obvious errors. I'm not talking typos, as I'm a pretty crap typist myself, but glaring errors of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Even typos could be avaoided by proofreading, which I would think would be imperative if you really want to get hired. But a lot of these people write incomplete sentences, and use neither periods (full stops) nor capital letters.

Am I being unreasonable, or would you hire these guys?

Justin

WYSIWYG · Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 7:19 pm Post subject:

can i have a job to teach i can speak very good english and will be sure the students learn d3wd sp33k along the way and u can check my references to just ask anyone i know if u need to no anything about me

Haha! Very Happy

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

You might end up having to hire them because you can't get anyone else. I suspect they would be just as sloppy on paper.

What's even more amazing is that most of them have got degrees.

The reason you get this crap is obvious. TEFL pays peanuts, and so you get monkeys. Mind you, if you let a load of real monkeys loose on a typewriter they'd manage to hit the shift key every once in a while.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 11:06 pm Post subject:

Well, I thought the typo was funny...I already said I was a crap typist.

Very Happy

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Justin,
It's up to you to decide whether qualifications merit a closer scrutiny than writing skills. Granted, people spend too much time on the Net and end up using Net-ese instead of normal English language, but I agree that for people applying for jobs in the teaching field (more than any other), knowing how to construct a sentence should be a basic skill.

Some recruiters toss out anything less than perfect. Some probably look at the qualifications and put them in a B pile to be considered later despite poor writing. It's up to you and the vacancies you have to fill.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I think it may alos depend on your ad and the details that are given about what kind of person is attracted enough to apply. Vague details attract desperate or unqualified people IMO.
I too have hired and interviewed people and the majority of the applicants have crappy grammar and interviewing skills.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Girl Scout · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 525 Location: Inbetween worlds

Did you see the thread, Incorrect spelling will not be penalized on tests?

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=24473

The level of education is starting to go down.

I also think that some people are just not taught how to write a cover letter. You may think its basic and everybody should just know these things, but its obviously not a reality.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 4:41 pm Post subject:

I agree, the advertisement can help. Those who apply for a specific position that I've advertised are generally the best. Those that just arrive on spec, when we haven't been advertising, are usually the worst.

And yes, Stephen and Glenski, sometimes they get hired. And what's weird is, a lot of the "bad speller/writers" have been good teachers. I'd prefer a coherent application, but if the qualifications are right, sometimes I take what I can get...

Another one that gets me is people who lie about their native language. I get a fair number of local applications from people who swear they grew up in an anglophone country, and then can't use proper structures in an interview...

And the best is when they all come together- a badly spelled app from a highly qualified, native claiming teacher, from countries like South Africa, Namibia, or wherever. These people may be natives, for all I know, as many but not all of their compatriots are, but can I take the chance? Or is it worth a phone interview to find out?

Regards,
Justin

tedkarma · Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 9:32 pm Post subject:

I don't know about Namibia, but one of the best EFL teachers I know is from South Africa. My guess would be that there are also probably a few English native speakers from Namibia.

I spent two years in Botswana - and even there - there were quite a few native speakers of English. Some the countries in that area are much more ethnically and culturally diverse than you might imagine.
Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to consider someone from South Africa.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

EnglishBrian · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 189

Place I worked at a few years back got repeated applications from a chap proclaiming his skill as "an accomplished mime artist". Every time we advertised, staff had to petition the director not to employ him! Don't recall how good his spelling was though.

Also had a guy who's previous job had been "Tony Blair's election agent". Did anyone here end up with him?

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject:

I am an accomplished mime artist. Made a living on the streets of Barcelona for rather too long. I don't mention it on teaching applications, though.

Justin