Another bullshit question on applications

[Orrex]

"Have you ever applied to this company before? If so, when/where?"


Excuse me, but like millions of other Americans seeking better employment, I've sent out close to 200,000,000 resumes in the past few years, many of them in response to "company anonymous" Craigslist ads and "Company Confidential" listings on monster et al. So how the hell should I know whether I've applied to your company or not?

You're the ones with the HR department; why don't you tell me when/where I applied to your precious company before?

[Blue_Tires]

1. i think some people somewhere get kicks knowing they have power over

over applicants who have to essentially beg and grovel for a good job...

[Kali]

5. even worse

beg and grovel for a shitty job

[InternalDialogue]

2. That response on the application

might get you hired, with the appropriate company.

Aside from that observation, I wish you luck in your search. I know so many who are banging their heads against the wall. Not good, man.

[raccoon]

3. One thing I've always wondered about, when they ask you

if you were ever fired or forced to resign. If you say yes, seems to me that's a guarantee your app will end up in the circular file.

[Orrex]

4. I also like when they ask "may we enquire of your present employer?"

You might reasonably decline, because you don't want your current employer to give you shit about seeking a different job. But if you say no, then the prospective employer seems apt to assume that there's some negative reason why you don't want them to make contact.

The whole process is calculated to ensure that you have no "right answers," and instead the prospective employer is given dozens of ways to turn you down, some of them legitimate and some of them substantially less so.