Applying For A Job? Follow Instructions.

Applying For A Job? Follow Instructions.
Anytime someone announces that they’re looking to employ, they will be instructions on how to apply–even if nothing more than a sign that says, “Inquire within.” Often, they’ll want quite a bit more–CV, cover letter, samples, references, etc. There’s a delicate dance involved in deciding just how completely to follow those instructions. Here are a few of the important steps.

To begin with, it’s important to remember that, whatever the instructions are, they exist for at least two reasons, only one of which is to gather the information the people doing the employing think they need for deciding if you can do the work. There’s another reason, that’s at least as important. It’s a test!!!Whether you’re able and willing to follow instructions is an important thing for anyone to know before deciding to employ you.

Just over a year ago, I decided to apply for a  writing job online (There was a page on the site with instructions on how to apply. I don’t know if they’re hiring right now, so I won’t link to it) I followed the instructions scrupulously, because I thought writing would be cool, and I didn’t want to sabotage my own application. As it happens, the admins  hired me.

A year or two earlier, though, I’d applied for an assignment writing an article for a HR magazine. There was the usual list of things that they wanted, several of which I blew off for various reasons. Not surprisingly, I didn’t get the job.

Why not follow instructions?

There are plenty of bad reasons to ignore the instructions. I can only think of one good one: You only want the job if they’re so desperate to hire you that they’ll overlook your unwillingness to follow instructions.

In essence, ignoring their instructions turns the test around: Now, you’re testing them.

You might think that knowing that they were desperate would give you an edge–in salary negotiations, for example–but I think you’d have a much bigger edge if you went at it the other way around: Follow instructions scrupulously, make the absolute best case that you’re the person they want to hire, wait until they actually offer you the job, and then play hardball–on salary, or whatever terms and conditions matter to you. Once they’ve decided you’re the number-one candidate you’re in a much better position than if you’ve already got strikes against you for ignoring their instructions.

Bad reasons for ignoring instructions
So, why didn’t I follow my own advice, when I applied for that writer  job a couple years ago?

First, because I didn’t have what they were looking for. In particular, I didn’t have a CV for myself as a writer.

Second, because what I did have wouldn’t have made me look good. I could have sent my CV for myself as a self employed consultant, but almost everything on it was irrelevant for the position.

Mainly, though, it was because I only wanted the job if I was their only good choice. I already had a full-time job, so I wasn’t in a position to offer to write numerous articles–one or two would have been all I could handle. The one article I offered to write would have been fun to do, and it would have paid well, but it would have been a lot of work to do a good job. Basically, if they wanted me, even though I didn’t provide exactly what they asked for, then I’d have been pleased to write that one article. Otherwise, they were better off getting someone else to do it.

Solutions
Here are a few bad reasons for ignoring instructions, with suggested alternate steps to take:
You don’t have what they want (no experience, no references, no samples, etc.)

The solution in this case is to come up with something. If you don’t have a CV, write one–a crappy CV may get you dinged, but no faster than not sending one if they asked for it. If you don’t have references, find some–coworkers or classmates aren’t as good as someone who’s supervised you, but they’re better than nothing.

If you need samples, make some–again, crappy samples won’t get you dinged any faster than no samples will (although, if you can’t come up with good samples, maybe this isn’t the job for you anyway).

And if they are asking for past salary details, you’re better off following instructions. Otherwise you dont want to be called for an interview for the interviewer to drop you based on something you two could have cleared way before.

Follow instructions today.