Yesterday I posted an urgent advertisement to recruit a multitasking and bilingual intern. The required skills were:

- To know how to write and speak English.

- To know the Web environment and social networks.

- To be curious and to be available immediately.

 

Within 10 hours, I received 65 applications by e-mail or via my Facebook page and profile. I received very good profiles. I will not talk about those.
I will focus on those who have been systematically rejected, since many of them were disqualified because they haven't realised that social networks are now a place where recruiters are "stalking" too. And if you dream of getting hired for an Internet job, here is what you must avoid doing:

 

- Not respecting the instructions of the announcement

Reply in comment while the instructions clearly state: "Contact me Inbox". The candidate who responds in the comments shows that, either he did not understand the instructions, or he does not care! The employer may want to discuss the finer details directly with the relevant candidates. He wishes to answer their specific questions, hence why the offer itself deliberately lacks precision.

 

- Replying to the offer with abbreviations

I have seen all kinds of things. I read it all. Here is a good selection: "Im up 4 da internship" or "Mornin its fr the job". But wait, there is worse: "hey gimme more info re: ur stuff".

Editorial quality is required. By sending SMS messages, you indicate that, even without pressure, you are not able to write a sentence correctly.

I also browsed Facebook profiles. What a catastrophe. Abbreviations, posts littered with spelling mistakes. One or two typing mistakes are okay! But when it's all over the place, the case gets hopeless.

 

- Being away from the Internet

Working on the Web obviously involves being on the Web. Some of the Facebook profiles (or Twitter accounts) haven't presented any activity for 6 months or more.

 

- Leaving inappropriate traces

On some of the profiles, I saw some awkward links and/or comments (girls with suggestive poses/clothes, people (almost) naked, videos of people being beheaded, etc..., others unknowingly (?) click on pornographic links and this is displayed on their profiles.

 

- The latecomers

Several candidates asked me inbox how to apply. I asked them to write a few lines of (their) motivation in English. Some of them replied later on the same night. As for the others... I'm still waiting.

 

I said it at the beginning. It should not be forgotten that our activity on the Internet (and specifically social networks) is scrutinized by employers. The CV and the cover letter are not enough anymore. The recruiter will check who you are, what you read, what you write. How you react. How soon. If you want to work, especially on the Web, do not make these mistakes.

 

[Translated from a contribution by Israel Yoroba]