Job applications are one of those necessary steps in a career that promises more frustration than opportunity. A single application can take quite some time to fill out. And sometimes, the best you can hope for after submitting an application is briefly meeting with the manager and shaking hands.
If one had to choose between filling out application after application or getting teeth pulled, the former would likely win — though the choice would require some thought.
Management is my chosen career path. I started at the bottom of the ladder and worked my way up over the years, until I finally landed a position that I am happy with as a manager at a restaurant. Being in a college town, I work with students more than any other demographic. Of all the applications I receive, about 95 percent of them have scheduling restrictions because of classes, holidays and game days, and applicants are only available one or two days a week.
Those restrictions are not the problem — they’re expected. Working full time and going to school full time is asking too much from a person.
There are other reasons why these student candidates are so hard to hire.
Incomplete applications are among them. I receive more of those than I can count. Many applications, possibly from qualified individuals, are placed in a folder and never called back simply because they did not include their contact information. When I see this, I can only conclude that the application wasn’t taken seriously.
To be fair, this problem is not exclusive to students. Poorly filled out applications can come from anyone. I don’t believe these mistakes are made out of incompetence. I think the source of the issue is that many just don’t have experience.
Since college is the place where we take the first steps toward a career, perhaps thorough instruction for students should be considered. If incoming students were taught how to apply for a job — even one they don’t keep for long — they would be better prepared when they seek a position in their desired career. After all, looking good on paper gets your foot in the door.
Sure, the part-time job you’re applying for now might not turn into your career. It’ll be yours for a semester, maybe two, and then you’ll move on. But work ethic is not restricted to what some call “real jobs.” It expands into every field, and is valuable in every employee from white-collared CEOs to part-time dishwashers working for pocket money. So, it makes sense to develop good work habits at the first possible step.
Jacob Sailor is a guest columnist and East Lansing resident. Reach him at jacobdsailor@gmail.com.
