The official “Highway Code” issued by the Department for Transport says: “It is important that all road users are aware of the Code and are considerate towards each other. This applies to pedestrians as much as to drivers and riders.”. Being considerate towards each other and do not forget that you’re not the only road user, the other users also exist and they must be respected and treated equally!
Good words, very wise ones. It’s clear this approach is suitable not only for finding your way in the traffic but also in finding your own way in the job market.
Somehow it turns out a lot of employers do not have any understanding of these rules, or maybe they just did not read the “Highway Code”?
A very standard job description (thousands of which are now published at the job searching sites) points out and underlines the only thing: that’s the company who makes a choice. It’s emphasized by all means: they are searching for exactly this type of person; they set the deadlines and the date of assessment which requires a certain number of applicants. Which sounds really strange – even if you totally fit in this job, they will not take you without making a contest. Ha! Competition is a crucial point, you don’t have to be just good or excellent, you have to fight and compete, and only when you win, you’re good enough. Very spoilt logic in my opinion.
They politely inform you that if they are interested in you, they will contact you, and say directly that if you were not contacted within a certain period of time – that’s because they did not see any interest in you. Alright. Sounds quite fair but for one exception. Just very few of them remember about the candidate and his interests. Strange? Yes, indeed!
Slavery was abolished a long time ago, we live now in the age of individual freedom, free and open market, and personal awareness. The company search for right people, the right people search for right companies. That’s how it works ideally – a two-way street functioning on the base of the official “Highway Code” and the respect towards each other. Ideal does not always mean real. And very often the second party of this contract is unfairly forgotten, sometimes even not mentioned. What does this job-seeker want? What exactly does he/she expect? What is he/she searching for?
Instead of carrying on fair negotiations with the candidates, the company chooses a strange way – to make them feel in need. Sometimes even worse – they make them feel low and insignificant. They are offered to make tons of tests and tasks, to imitate a real situation, to sell something/to buy something, to speak/sing/dance, God only knows what else, and finally to prove they are good enough for this place. And then, for a dessert – my favourite one! “Mmh, why should we choose you?” Pause. Applause.
Good when it goes as a dessert, very often this question is asked after 5-10 minutes talk, after the poor candidate had been investigated about his previous work experience and professional strengths. He-l-l-o-o-o! For that exact moment the candidate did not ask you to take them! They didn’t even have the chance to put in their questions: what about the company, about its strengths and weaknesses, about the salary and conditions?
The candidate is selling him/herself, right, but the price must be negotiated, don’t you think so? Otherwise, it’s not a two-way street, it’s the backyard of your house, where you govern and reign with the caveat, that your backyard is very limited. It’s limited by your own fence and the proprietary rights. And the real life is running behind this fence, that’s where the two-way streets exist, where both pedestrians and drivers are considerate towards each other. And where they all do respect the official “Highway Code”.
