Post #454720
2026-02-23 20:15 UTC
Replies (5)
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@drscriptt@oldbytes.space 2026-02-24 03:37
@sirwumpus being on both sides of the hiring table gave me perspective. Maybe not good perspective, but perspective none the less. I was the applicant / hiree a few years ago. Before that I was on the hiring, or at least interviewing team. That company had hundreds of thousands of applicants per year. Responding to each with the same time they put in their application was quite untenable. Responding to candidates that made it to first round of interviews was polite respect. Each round reduces the pool by an order of magnitude. So we could respond to candidates more gracefully. Going from 1000 candidates to 10 for a position was hard. Going from 10 to 3 was as hard. Going from 3 to 2 to 1 was equally hard. Then after all that there was a real chamce that the candidate wouldn’t accept the offer. The time involved is staggering on all sides and for all participants. But I do believe that each candidate deserves a polite and timely answer from a human. Sadly, earlier in the process is more form letter like. I dislike it. But I get it. I’m not saying it’s correct. Just what I observed.
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@amras@town.friendmaterial.lgbt 2026-02-24 07:37
@sirwumpus One thing you can do is have a boilerplate cover letter - a few anecdotes that showcase your skills, some generic language about your values. And just lego a response together, so you don't waste time personalizing each letter. And you can still go full essay mode when it's an employer you care about. :reply_discouraged:
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@xexyl@fosstodon.org 2026-02-24 08:05
@sirwumpus best wishes Anthony! But on the plus side you will have more time for the #ioccc! That’s what I have done on my free time (not that you or @ioccc would be surprised there). Well that and had my birthday with the obviously obligatory cake. Also had home made potato soup. Anyway good luck with the issue!
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@reay@beige.party 2026-02-24 13:11
@sirwumpus I feel your pain. I’m not even getting form letter rejections, just crickets that I eventually take as sign that I’m not getting a shot. Very frustrating, particularly when most of what I’m applying to is stuff I can slam-dunk and my resume clearly demonstrates that. Like… wait, I’m bringing all this to the table and that doesn’t even warrant an initial interview? Very weird times.
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@alcinnz@floss.social 2026-02-26 03:05
@sirwumpus At least they tell you that you didn't get the job... Where I'm at: Kiwis tend not to!