KiddieKakes-I know I learned those things in a couple of different classes. I know we did resumes and cover letters in English. And I had a business class with mock interviews, and the same thing. Have they stopped teaching that?

When I was in college, I lived in France for a few months in an exchange program. I had my little French family, and I was incredibly meticulous and careful about what I said and how I said it. There was one word that I thought meant "alone" that I kept using, and they started getting upset. Turns out I was pronouncing it like how they say the word "drunk". I think most foreigners are more careful than native speakers because of things like this, or not being taken seriously.

Her text sounds just like the ones I get from my (gasp) 18 year old nephew, who can't read, write, spell, speak or think worth a !#%^! Sweet kid, but dumber than a bag of hammers. Don't get me started.

She wasn't being rude on purpose; she just doesn't know any better. And that probably was her best spelling and proofing, you can be sure. I often get texts from my nephew, and all I can write back is 'WHAT?' His notes are so full of errors to the point you don't even know what he's saying.

Good grief, Charlie Brown, is right.

If I got a text like that, I'd be prone to just write back, "We're not hiring at this time, but thank you for your interest," and leave her to live her life. Her entire generation is at the same level--maybe they can all work together somewhere...but not with me.

Duplicate post.

What I should add is this: Be very careful about writing her back even a NICELY WORDED note about improving her writing skills etc. Kids are so coddled any more, you'll very likely end up having a "visit" from one or both of her irate parents, wanting to know where the blankety-blank you get off, telling their daughter she's no good? Don't you know she's got potential and is worth at least $15 an hour, starting wage, even as a beginner? And how dare you correct her spelling? And how'd you like them to do a write-up on you in the local paper, telling everyone what a mean-ie head business person you are, not giving these wonderful ambitious kids a chance? (insert heavy sarcasm in the above scenario--WE know you'd be just trying to help this person improve her future job skills, but her parents will see it otherwise).

Trust me---I've seen this happen.

Wow, really unprofessional, but to be fair I wouldn't consider her message an application. I'd consider it an inquiry as to whether or not you are hiring. If you are then I would hope she'd get her act together and walk in to meet you and fill out a proper application. Still, I wouldn't have done that, ever. I always inquired or applied in person.

My, how times have changed. I went for my first real interview in 1960, at the age 0f 18. I was attending an airline training school and they sent me on the interview. I was advised by the school to wear a hat, without a veil, a suit, high heeled shoes without open toes, and to wear gloves. I was to bring a copy of my grades from the school with me. I still remember to this day that interview. I followed their advice ...and I got the job.

Summernoelle.....we never did any of those things....I am 40 and we had sex education classes where they seperated the boys and girls and showed them the videos and feminine hygiene products but we never did resumes and had business classes etc...I just see so many teens here and where I used to work that expect a job handed to them for free...a wage for free and a vehicle for free etc..Of course not all teens are like this I'm just saying I have seen alot that are totally clueless to working hard for something and actually achieving it...When I was a head Cashier at a Major home renovation store it was so frustrating having to schedule and deal with teens..They would call in sick or not show up at all or late,ask to go home after an hour....whine,get Mom or Dad to call in and say they weren't coming in...even get their Mom or Dad to apply for the job for them..Seriously!! When I was that age I wouldn't be caught dead having my Mom or Dad do any of that for me..No way!! I am not bashing anyone so please don't send me hate PM's (ha!ha! ) I just really can't believe how much things have changed since I was a teenager..All things!! All I can do is instill in my children the NEED for Respect,Honesty,Polite hardworking individuals and hope they turn out okay!!

Okay...this is really sad! I'm only 27 years old and this embarrasses me! When I was 17, I ALWAYS dressed nice and presentable, went in and asked for an application and filled it out. Then, if I hadn't heard from the manager within a week, I would make a polite phone call to follow up.

My mother would have killed me if I ever even thought about doing it that way! That is just pathetic! If it was the girl, I would like the feedback! She might not have any guidance at home for this type of situation.

I remember when I was in college, I wanted to work at a copy shop near my apartment. It seemed like a great job because I could walk there. I stopped by one day to get an application. On the day of my interview, I went back to my apartment to change, and the exterminator was there spraying and I couldn't go in. I had to go to the interview in jeans and an oversize sweatshirt! I didn't say anything (looking back, I should have explained), but the interviewer was very nice. I got the job, and then at the end, he just kindly remarked on what the dress status would be. I was very embarassed, but I appreciated his kindness and tact in the situation. He was no doubt used to dealing with college kids.

I agree that in our generation (I am also in my 30s), a little friendly advice would be the way to go. I agree that things may have changed, though, and teenagers (and their parents) do get offended so easily now. People think everything ought to be handed to them on a silver platter instead of having to work for it. It's sad. Let us know what you decide to do!

Oh good God Txcupcake, I totally forgot about that. I am in the Dallas area (not Dallas ISD thank goodness) and I remember the scandal over that one. It wasn't that long ago-about a year or so? Dallas ISD defunct now, anyway, with the ridiculous budget crisis.

Oh, also, Chef Stef, that is completely possible! Although, if I had done this as a teenager, my mom would had literally laughed at me for behaving that way. And then lectured me into oblivion. And then probably make me write a polite letter to say thank you for your advice and apologize for the previous email.

You aren't the person who had the kids banging on your shop window, asked the parents to make them stop, so they called the news, are you? Just curious.

My husband and I have been in management for years and have done lots of hiring. I am constantly amazed by what adults (let alone kids!) put in a resume.

Our 16 yr old daughter is looking for a job (working for mom is not a "cool" job .... she wants a "Real" job ) We are constantly telling her, "no you CAN'T place applications on Sunday ... no it's NOT a good idea to apply at a restaurant during their lunch hour ..... I dont' CARE if that's your favorite shirt, you don't wear a t-shirt to job hunt."

text messaging spelling as the norm .... yes, it happens. My 30-something year old brother (not the brightest candle on the cake to start with), drafted a letter to a court JUDGE during his divorce. Fortunately, he sent it to our sister to review first and she told him that he can't use text spelling when writing to a JUDGE for god's sake!!

When I worked in corporate america, I was always (!) the person who reviewed letters and projects for spelling and grammar. The standing joke that I would tell of these "children" is that ".....oh, I forgot. you're a college graduate .... I'll dumb it down for you." This especially irritated me because as the "old lady" of the bunch with no college degree, I had to compete for jobs against these same college kids who can't spell, can't write, can't deal with customers, can't answer a phone, can't logically figure out problem solving ... but guess who they ALL came to when they needed something done fast and right. But I digress ......

And dont' even get me started on how nobody has any real knowledge of history anymore!

read this thread, then hopped over to facebook...quite coincedental that i found this link posted on a friends page....true and funny!

Now This is a Cover Letter
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 11:10 AM - By Elie Mystal

Everybody has written a cover letter. The vast majority of people write the same cover letter, because there aren't more than a couple of ways of doing it right. They're boring to write, they're excruciatingly boring to read, and really the only point is to prove that the person writing the letter is basically sane.

But, what if you are not sane? Maybe you started off sane, but the terrible job market has driven you to madness? What if you are at the point where you "just don't give a f***?" What does that cover letter look like?

A few days ago, I received this email:

Frustrated by my failing job search, I decided to write a more unorthodox cover letter....
I sent it to Bingham McCutchen. I chose Bingham because they emphasize the importance of maintaining a sense of humor in the workplace. I emailed it to them and received a rejection letter in the mail within three days. It was one of my fastest rejections ever.


Well, I've read the cover letter, and I think that Bingham made a mistake. There is a true talent here and (if properly medicated) this person would have made an excellent addition to the firm.

Read the cover letter after the jump.

UNEMPLOYED J.D. CANDIDATE -- COVER LETTER

Normally, in my cover letters, I list my various qualifications with the hope that my record will impress the reader. However, in such a competitive market, my top 15% rank, managing editor position on my journal, and participation in moot court are not as likely to stand out. Even my experience teaching in [Redacted] for two years is incapable of impressing current hiring committees. Moreover, my immodest self-proclamations regarding my superior abilities are unlikely to convince you of anything more than the extent of my vanity. Thus, instead of providing you with a generic cover letter that will be filed away with hundreds of its kind, I have chosen to provide you with an outside perspective of my abilities.

Your colleagues from other competitive firms have had a great deal to say about me; therefore, I would like to share with you some of their opinions. Alston & Bird writes, "your qualifications are impressive." Remarkably, Blank Rome makes an identical assertion. McKee Nelson also express this view but do not limit its opinion to my qualifications. Rather, it considers my "credentials and qualifications" to be "impressive." Chadbourne & Parke takes a different focus, indicating that my "background is impressive."

Other firms convey similar opinions with a different focal point. Epstein, Becker & Green is "impressed" with "my credentials." According to King & Spalding, my "resume is impressive." Furthermore, Debevoise & Plimpton feels slightly more strongly, stating that they were "most impressed" with my resume. Uniquely commenting on both my background and credentials, Dow Lohnes indicates that they "were quite impressed." Cleverly using a more concise adjective-noun wording, Holland & Knight writes that I have an "impressive background."

Clearly, there is a consensus among many firms that I am "impressive." Although there is some disagreement about whether my background, credentials, qualifications, resume, or a combination of these is impressive, it is obvious that I am impressive on some level. Furthermore, while these accolades were all included in rejection letters, the opinions still hold true and are strong measures of my value as a candidate in your colleagues' and competitors' eyes. Thus, I am undoubtedly qualified for a position in your litigation department.

Finally, if I do not receive an offer for employment, many firms will be quite disappointed. Dozens of firms have indicated a desire for my "success" in the "future" with a "challenging" or "rewarding" position "somewhere else," and I do not intend to upset these firms by failing. Therefore, I am very motivated to find a position and to impress my employer with my dedication and superior performance.
I have attached my impressive resume and transcript for your review, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Unemployed J.D. Candidate

I still need to read all the responses. But...

When I was 16 I went to apply for my first job.

I took my resume. I wore a skirt, blouse, and nice shoes. I was well groomed and on time. The manager apologized to ME b/c I was dressed more appropriately than she was. I got the job.

This was at McDonald's.

You must be professional no matter where you are applying.

I had two bosses that were fanatics about this stuff. One humiliated me (seriously) during a surgery when I said "supposebly" instead of "supposedly". Mocked me like crazy, to the point the whole room was laughing. Argh. Tell you what, I've never done that again.
The other gave me a very tough time over ending my sentences with at. "Where did you get that at? Where are you located at?" I never do that anymore, either.
Nothing like good old fashioned humiliation.

Hey Debi I need to axe you something... you got a second?

Sorry... I couldn't resist!

LOL mixinvixen! That letter is genius!

I got my first job at 16 at a pizza restaurant in my very small hometown. I called and asked if they were hiring, I showed up nicely dressed with my hair pulled back, I filled out the application completely and neatly, and I was hired on the spot. The other 3 people there at the same time as me were told "we'll call you". They were the ones who showed up without much enthusiam, slouched in their chairs, didn't shake hands or make eye contact, and weren't dressed for anything other than hanging out.

Now I have 2 more stories for you. My first child was about 3 months old when I got an appointment for a job interview. I had regular daycare lined up, but it didn't start until I got a job. The baby-sitter I had hired didn't show up so I took my baby with me. Yep, I walked right in with him in my arms. I introduced myself and then I told the manager the situation. I assured him that my regular childcare would be steady and reliable. After filling out the application and going through the interview the manager hired me. He said he was impressed that I wanted the job badly enough to show up and also the way I handled myself under the pressure of the situation.

Fast-forward 6 years, my second baby is 4 days old when I get a call for an interview for a job that I had applied for several months before. I really wanted that job so I called my sis-in-law to come with me and stay in the van with the baby. I got through the interview and then remarked on the picture on the desk of the interviewer. I told her I had 2 children and she asked their ages. When I said 6 years old and 4 days old she just about fainted! She asked me where the baby was and I told her in the van with my sis-in-law. A week later she called and offered me the job and said that anybody who'd go to an interview with a 4 day old baby really wanted a job!!

My peeve is "I want to order a Birt day cake" I'm wondering if I spelled it that way on the cake they'd notice!

true story... my BIL and SIL are the kind of people that dont care if they pay the bills and get evicted every 4 months, have had 3 cars repo'd and my hubby and I are tired of helping them out... so... they called us and asked us for a ride to a store that you can trade in a gameing system... he has over 500 bucks tied up in this system, and was going to get $75.00 for it... so we told him, give us the system and we will give you the 75 bucks you need, pay us back, we will give you the game system back... that was 5 years ago... care to place bets on who has the game system? They still havent learned.

I am in my 30's and have a 21 year old daughter. Everytime my daughter sent me an email or a paper to read or proofread and it had more than three spelling errors, I would send it back to her and tell her that I can not read her letter due to all the errors. Needless to say she still won't write to me to this day. I just know it is one of the most important skills you can have in life. I think "texting" is a disservice to society and does not teach children the neccessities of life skills. My husband is taking a college course now and I do the same thing to him when he asks me to proofread something. But he also appreciates that it makes him try harder to get it right.

Alright ladies. Get off of us bad speller and those of us lacking in the grammatical arena. I suck ( I know, bad word but I feel I need to really emphasis this.) am completely abysmal at grammar and spelling. If it weren't for my husband editing my papers in college I would have barely passed English. That being said what was my degree? Oh Mathematics (funny story I actually misspelled mathematics on the application to the college of mathematics...there was that pesky little e in the middle go figure.) My husband groans every time he gets an email from me with my run on sentences and free thought format (by the by this format was made famous by the great Fitzgerald one of our great writers of the 20th century so back off hubby.) I went to an amazing school, all honors course and I STILL just absolutely STINK at grammar. I can't ever remember where the stupid commas go, and if it weren't for spell check I'd be out of luck. I had a father who when I asked how to spell a word would reply "how do you think" Some of us are just horrible at grammar, give us a break, can you do complex derivatives or prove Reimans sums?