# Job applicants who wont follow instructions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 8, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123 "2010-01-08T03:15:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/1 "2010-01-08T03:15:11Z")
What the hell is wrong with you? The job advertisement says to write to ME. Yet you send your CV to someone else at my company. Because you think they might be more senior than me?? Is that it?? Guess what buddy, everything goes through me and if I don’t like it it doesn’t see the light of day. Your CV is about to have an intimate and fulfilling relationship with my trash can… ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/2 "2010-01-08T03:26:23Z")
Bastards who don’t follow instructions are almost as bad as people who have grammatical errors in their thread titles. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/3 "2010-01-08T03:28:20Z")
They’re go-getters who think outside the box. Isn’t that what you want?? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/4 "2010-01-08T03:33:41Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > Bastards who don’t follow instructions are almost as bad as people who have grammatical errors in their thread titles. > > 🙂 Yeah, I can’t spell anymore. I’ve come to terms with that and I don’t list spelling as one of my major skillsets. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/5 "2010-01-08T03:42:17Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > The job advertisement says to write to ME. Yet you send your CV to someone else at my company.. It’s called Networking and it’s what you’re supposed to do. If you don;t know this, you are in the wrong job. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/6 "2010-01-08T03:45:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It’s called Networking and it’s what you’re supposed to do. If you don;t know this, you are in the wrong job. Really? I’m willing to be educated on this. Have I done the wrong thing by him? Is it standard to send your job application to someone else in the company? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/7 "2010-01-08T03:47:41Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Guess what buddy, everything goes through me and if I don’t like it it doesn’t see the light of day. What if the more senior person likes what he sees, and likes the way the guy thinks? Further, what if the guy actually ends up getting hired as a result? Would that make you _aaaaangry_? :mad: Ooh, I smell somewone’s widdle empye-were being enkwoached upwon . . . 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/8 "2010-01-08T03:51:00Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Really? > > I’m willing to be educated on this. Have I done the wrong thing by him? Is it standard to send your job application to someone else in the company? Yes, if you can claim any sort of relationship with them- professional, social, same school, LinkedIn, whatever, even a 2nd hand relationship is good. So, if I applied to your company, and I was LinkedIn to someone who was Linked to a higher up at your company, I’d send the resume through the higher up with a note “Hey, we both know Joe Blow from our Professional Association, so I’d like to send this through you, please.” Or if I went to the same college & class as your CEO- similar. Now, it’s only if there is some sort of Networking connection, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/9 "2010-01-08T03:51:45Z")
Just curious. If it was sent to a higher-up, how did it arrive in _your_ hands? On the presumption that the higher-up guy forwarded it to you, was there any comment? ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/10 "2010-01-08T03:53:08Z")
Eh, now that I have given you grief about your error, I will tell you I agree with you. It would bug the crap out of me if someone didn’t follow the clear instructions. If they want to network, why not send a resume to both of you? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/11 "2010-01-08T03:53:55Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > What the hell is wrong with you? > > The job advertisement says to write to ME. Yet you send your CV to someone else at my company. Because you think they might be more senior than me?? Is that it?? > > Guess what buddy, everything goes through me and if I don’t like it it doesn’t see the light of day. Your CV is about to have an intimate and fulfilling relationship with my trash can… Since the odds are overwhelming that you’re going to round-file it anyway, what do they have to lose by sending it to someone else? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/12 "2010-01-08T04:02:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, if you can claim any sort of relationship with them- professional, social, same school, LinkedIn, whatever, even a 2nd hand relationship is good. > > So, if I applied to your company, and I was LinkedIn to someone who was Linked to a higher up at your company, I’d send the resume through the higher up with a note “Hey, we both know Joe Blow from our Professional Association, so I’d like to send this through you, please.” Or if I went to the same college & class as your CEO- similar. > > Now, it’s only if there is some sort of Networking connection, mind you. I wouldn’t do it with a second hand relationship. I wouldn’t even do it with a “distant” first hand relationship. If I have to say “I know you from when we worked at Really Big Company together in 1984” that’s too distant. And I wouldn’t just send the resume, I’d call (after all, it wouldn’t be a distant relationship) and ask. Now, I have made Linked in introductions…“you know so and so who works there, I’m applying for a job there, I’d like to talk to someone who works there, would you mind introducing us?” The end result of these conversation is usually something like an informational phone conversation about what the company is like - and if they hit it off and the other guy offers to drop off his resume or something… ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/13 "2010-01-08T04:12:42Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Since the odds are overwhelming that you’re going to round-file it anyway, what do they have to lose by sending it to someone else? He doesn’t have any connection whatsoever with the guy he sent it to (who is in fact the firm owner). The firm owner didn’t even read it, just handed it to me to take care of. I’m not going to throw it out if what he did falls within the norms - I’ll be fair to all candidates. But I just felt he was being discourteous. Maybe I should get over myself. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/14 "2010-01-08T04:19:18Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > He doesn’t have any connection whatsoever with the guy he sent it to (who is in fact the firm owner). The firm owner didn’t even read it, just handed it to me to take care of. > > I’m not going to throw it out if what he did falls within the norms - I’ll be fair to all candidates. But I just felt he was being discourteous. Maybe I should get over myself. I would not throw it out. But if it was me this guy starts with one strike against him. Right to begin with I would be think he does not follow instructions, will he follow instructions if hired or will he do it his way. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/15 "2010-01-08T04:46:47Z")
There’s a meme floating around among the job seeking crowd that you do everything you can to bypass HR, personnel, etc. Which is probably how it arrived on the desk of the owner. Whether or not that’s a problem for you depends. At the last big company I worked for it was company policy to round-file ANYONE who tried to apply outside normal channels. If you knew someone in the company there was a procedure for that person (NOT the job applicant) to give a reference to HR, but if the resume, app, whatever was NOT sent to the published address/fax in HR the person was eliminated from ANY consideration of employment. If they couldn’t follow clear instructions and rules the company did not want them. Period. Other places are not nearly so strict. So… likely this is up to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/16 "2010-01-08T05:17:27Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > There’s a meme floating around among the job seeking crowd that you do everything you can to bypass HR, personnel, etc. Which is probably how it arrived on the desk of the owner. What I have observed is that applicants want to get their resume to the hiring manager with as few middle-men as possible. Plenty of good resumes are rejected, lost, or delayed by the middle-men. In a down market, an HR person or recruiter will get hundreds of resumes _a day_ for a single, new job posting. At the same time, 5 or 10 resumes may come in through internal recommendations. Typically these 5 or 10 resumes will be reviewed first and the emailed resumes will only be reviewed if the internal recommendations do not pan out. If an applicant knows someone within the company, they will often ask this person to give their resume to the hiring manager (possibly with a recommendation). Usually they will also apply through the traditional channel as well (email to HR, post to the company’s website, etc.). In the case of the OP, it seems that the applicant did not know the firm owner at all. I suspect that he figured sending it through a non-traditional channel (and the owner no less) would increase the chances that the resume would at least be reviewed. Personally I would try not to treat that resume differently, but I might subconsciously make it a strike against him. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/17 "2010-01-08T11:02:10Z")
Maybe I’m just being a petty bitch. I’m new to this (vetting job applicants). And after reading his resume, I can’t really, in good conscience, not at least give him an interview: J.D. from a ‘top ten’, doctorate in the field we want, industry awards and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/18 "2010-01-08T11:52:35Z")
I’m with Snnipe 70 E- he can’t follow directions. And I think the networking excuse is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/19 "2010-01-08T12:02:29Z")
Maybe he didn’t see the advert. Maybe it was just one of those applications that you send to all likely companies. Unless, of course, he said in his application: ‘With reference to your advertisement…’ ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123/20 "2010-01-08T12:53:13Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Maybe he didn’t see the advert. Maybe it was just one of those applications that you send to all likely companies. > > Unless, of course, he said in his application: ‘With reference to your advertisement…’ He did, he most certainly did - I looked out for that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-applicants-who-wont-follow-instructions/524123.md?page=2)