Life in the Modern World - Job Applications Online

For many weeks now, I've been seeking employment; in the process, submitting applications by what has become the most common method for most companies of significant size - and many smaller ones as well: online via a corporate website, or via email.

Let me say at the outset that this is quite a welcome change from past methods, with the huge advantage being that I can submit many applications in a single day - greatly improving my odds in the currently horrific job market.

Needless to say, submitting by email is by far the easiest method in general - assuming one has all the information the job posting requests (e.g., cover letter, resume, and other requested details in "electronic" format). Occasionally I've encountered limitations (like "text only" resume requests) that complicate matters somewhat, but with my personal (technology) background, said complications are minor nuisances rather than show-stoppers.

The real inspiration for this post is the online application process via corporate or institutional websites. Again, one is best off to be prepared with all the details in electronic form - and most (but not all!) company websites will accept uploads of resumes and (in some cases) cover letters, etc. Some really snazzy websites will even do a pretty good job of parsing an uploaded resume into an online application - (like the "real" world, both are normally required) filling out some of the application fields for you. Those, of course, are the "snazzy" ones - as you might guess, it's some of the not-so-snazzy ones that drive this applicant nuts.

Not very often, but too often for a dedicated job seeker, one of these "Webby Apps" (as I call them - computer programs run on a server, and presented via the Internet) fails miserably to complete the (employment) application process. Either the website will take a major "Internal Server Error" - shutting down the whole application process - or what I call the "play through" of the designed application procedure will be so fraught with glitches and limitations (e.g., maximum text lengths), that creating an effective application is virtually impossible. In these situations, I'm led to wonder if the company in question is serious about taking employment applications online at all.

I've even encountered a situation where I successfully submitted an application for a job I neither desired nor was qualified for - because the website had the job posting number cross-referenced with two entirely different positions! In other words, I applied for one job, and was congratulated for applying for the other. I may never find out which position I actually applied for in that case.

All told, it's a good thing I consider my daily online job search process as part of "my current job" - meaning I expect to work at it; meaning (like all work) there are challenges and frustrations as a matter of course, along with the successes. I also consider this process (along with my entire lifestyle right now) an adventure - turning over rocks (be they heavy or light) to see what wriggles out - knowing that eventually I'll get rewarded with a prize catch.

Ever hopeful, and still blessed...