Recipe For Disaster

A few months ago, I applied for a job on-line ... a new experience for me.

It was in communications and sounded like my background was a pretty good match. I began the tedious task of filling in the boxes, getting frustrated multiple times when the screen froze or wouldn’t allow me to proceed. The job history section was a challenge, since the format doesn’t allow for someone who hasn’t been working for a while.

I was mildly annoyed at the fact that the computer plays such a critical role in my job search. I liked the old process of mailing a resume and cover letter to a potential employer, then following up with a phone call. I had control over how my work experience was presented, rather than being shoehorned into a specific format. Applying on-line means we send our information off to oblivion. In most cases, we never hear a word back in response and don't quite know where we stand.

I decided to write what I thought was an excellent cover letter to compensate for any gaps. However, in my impatience that day, I pushed the wrong key a little too quickly. Oops!  I dropped in a recipe instead of the cover letter. I didn’t realize this until after I hit “submit.” Needless to say, I got absolute silence on the other end. I’m thinking that I didn’t impress them with my computer savvy. But I have to say, it was a pretty good recipe. Maybe someone in cyberspace enjoyed it.

I am much more adept at applying on-line now – I take my time and print out everything before it is sent. One tip: I have the cover letter in the same file as my resume, so they always go together. I learned the hard way on that one!