+ why didn't you get the job?

Everyone loves feedback. Unfortunately we don't have the time or resources to provide personalised feedback to unsuccessful applicants, and the factors determining the outcome are always the same, anyway.

There are always plenty of applicants to every job advertised. Naturally we can't tell you who these people are, but it's all about competition.

+ firstly - you're not the only one

Just because you didn't get shortlisted or get an interview, it doesn't mean your application was bad or you're a bad person.

It does mean, however, that one or more other applicants ultimately met what the employer was looking for better than you did.

Whilst this may sound harsh, it's actually the truth.

This doesn't mean, of course, that you're stuck in a rut - it's all about who your competition is at the time. Every job is different, every opportunity is different.

There are, of course, some exceptions to this, as some applications can be pretty poor. But this doesn't necessarily mean that yours is!

No-one, except the employer and us, knows who, or how many, made the short-list, so despite the fact that you may feel you should've been the chosen one, you don't know who you were up against, so presumptions such as this are somewhat misguided and aren't good for your self-esteem!

+ don't give us a hard time

We've had more than our fair share of abusive email, phone calls and messages from disgruntled unsuccessful applicants and we aren't impressed when any of these events occur.

We're talking seriously unimpressed.

Please, sit back, cool it - before firing a missive in our direction,

We'll "black out" abusive applicants - permanently.

In remote communities this isn't a good look.

Why would we, or you, want to work with such people?

+ did you follow the application guidelines?

Let's make one thing clear. We don't want you to provide us with a thesis. In fact making your application concise, factual, and relevant is probably the biggest challenge. Check this out for information on putting your application together.

The most common reason applicants don't make the initial shortlist is because they didn't pay attention to the requirements we specified. This can include:

- Not addressing the selection criteria (why should you get away with not doing it when other applicants have? There is a process that has to be followed which must be fair.)

- Not providing a detailed work history (where did you work, when did you work, what did you do?)

- Not providing referees (we always specify that the contact details of at least three employment-related referees must be provided, as a minimum)

- Using "back-door" approaches (approaching the employer or funding body directly, thus disrupting our administrative processes, requiring more work from us, and potentiating the loss of documentation)

+ work history

Generally employers look favourably upon applicants with solid consistent employment histories - longevity is important as this is what employers expect when they invest their resources in the recruitment process.

And remote area recruitment isn't cheap - consider this:

- cost of telephone interviews
- cost of travel and accommodation for interviewees
- cost of relocating the successful appointee
- cost of repatriating the employee to their nominated place of engagement
- cost of re-recruiting to the position

It's a calculated risk which has major financial ramifications if it doesn't work out!

+ performance

We don't know you. We have to rely on factual and anecdotal feedback to determine if your performance was up to scratch. Can you:

- get on well with everyone, including agencies that you've dealt with, despite any differences you may have? (this reflects your true level of professionalism)

- meet the demands of any statutory requirements within the scope of your responsibility? (this indicates that you are capable of performing the duties you claim to have the skills for)

- not interfere with processes and issues which aren't part of your job description? (this demonstrates your ability to remain focused on your objectives in a cooperative fashion)

- resist any temptation to get involved in community politics which aren't part of your responsibility? (this reveals your strengths to negotiate issues in an appropriate, professional manner)

+ more information

Check out the links in the left sidebar for information on references and resumes.

>> Application guidelines - putting your application together