Courtenay HR

Feeling Lucky?

If you are one of the many Graduates that emerged this year into the harsh world that is work you have our sympathy. If you are still spending too much time propping up the bar (from the wrong side) or perfecting your "Would you like fries with that, Madam?" then you could be forgiven for thinking that the holy grail that is a job has passed you by.

But, you studied hard, right? And stayed in whilst others partied all night, swatting for your finals so you could be sure of rising to the top of the pile when it came to fighting for that job. So its only a matter of time before you get spotted surely? Well, without wishing to rain on your parade as it were, we may have some bad news.

In recent discussions with one of the largest employers of graduate types in the UK, we were enlightened to the sophisticated process that is graduate selection. Leveraging the power of the internet to sift out the stars? Exploiting enterprise systems to streamline the selection process? Err... no. Not quite. The approach at this organisation goes something like this. Brace yourself.

Pointing to the hefty pile of recently received CV's on the desk (aparently over 1000 applicants for each job) the Head of Resourcing outlines the key selection criteria - "We are looking for lucky people". Taking the top half of the pile he declares "these are the lucky ones" and puts them down on the table. Picking up the remaining pile he says "these are the unlucky ones" and promptly dumps them straight in the bin.

Frankly, in these sophisticated times, there is no excuse for this kind of behaviour. On the surface it could be considered quite funny. To the many graduates out there who are still waiting for the new job, however, it’s a slap in the face. Yes, recruiting graduates is a challenge, particularly when the volumes are so high. But we should expect better from an organisation that talks openly about ‘resourcing excellence’ and ‘selecting talent’.

But don’t despair. In the face of such imcompetence, its Courtenay to the rescue with our 3 step guide to making sure you figure prominently in the ‘lucky pile’.

1. When applying for a job, make at least 10 applications for the same job




2. Being careful not to miss the closing date, submit the application over a period of time. Our resident statto reckons that a 10 day period is about right. Simply pop one in the post every day over that period to ensure an even spread amongst the pile.

3. Turn on the charm. Find out who the main admin person is in the department handling your application and flirt with/charm them relentlessly. Remember - its war out there, anything goes.

If all else fails, and you really want the job in that particular organisation, you could always try calling and saying you have reason to believe that their selection procedures are rumoured to be questionable and had they considered the implications for their record on diversity? You may find that your application gets a second look.

Bit naughty perhaps, but no worse than what seems to be going on in the corporate engine room is it?!