Those are African elephants - not easily trained. Impressive.
The cover letters from hell don't look at all unlikely. I've seen similar. Our graduate recruitment process doesn't use covering letters since it's all web-based, but it does ask applicants to explain why they want to work for JOLF. (Stupid question if you ask me - I'd actually think more highly of an applicant who put something like "I need the money to pay for my coke habit".)
The end of the article has a telling comment: "Maybe students send incoherent gibberish to potential employers because nobody ever told them not to." I'm afraid I think this is true. I deal with quite a few schools careers departments and they are all pretty useless. School careers departments in comprehensives and community colleges seem to be geared up to getting their pupils into the local factory (or in Plymouth, the Navy or Marines), and don't even try to equip pupils with the skills needed to get a professional-level job.
When I've done mock interviews, the schools always get the pupils to fill in application forms. The writing style, spelling, punctuation and grammar are often quite poor, even from the better pupils. Children who are taught these skills are at an enormous advantage in later life.
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Date: 2009-07-12 10:53 am (UTC)The cover letters from hell don't look at all unlikely. I've seen similar. Our graduate recruitment process doesn't use covering letters since it's all web-based, but it does ask applicants to explain why they want to work for JOLF. (Stupid question if you ask me - I'd actually think more highly of an applicant who put something like "I need the money to pay for my coke habit".)
The end of the article has a telling comment: "Maybe students send incoherent gibberish to potential employers because nobody ever told them not to." I'm afraid I think this is true. I deal with quite a few schools careers departments and they are all pretty useless. School careers departments in comprehensives and community colleges seem to be geared up to getting their pupils into the local factory (or in Plymouth, the Navy or Marines), and don't even try to equip pupils with the skills needed to get a professional-level job.
When I've done mock interviews, the schools always get the pupils to fill in application forms. The writing style, spelling, punctuation and grammar are often quite poor, even from the better pupils. Children who are taught these skills are at an enormous advantage in later life.