Dear Hiring Manager/Human Capital Coordinator/HR peon,

I recently applied for a marketing manager position at your highly esteemed company. The careers section of your website is very informative! It details (with copious links) the high regard you have established as a “great place to work.” There are employee testimonials and survey data showcasing the emphasis you place on employees and their career goals at your company. You cite surveys from both Fortune and Forbes touting your high level of commitment to employee satisfaction and your investment in human capital. Very impressive!

Naturally I was very excited to see a job posting with a description detailing not only my career goals, but also matching my professional experience and education. I could barely contain my enthusiasm upon learning of a suitable job opportunity for me at your company!

I pored over the details of the job description giving each detail serious thought and consideration. After thoughtful and careful review I concluded that I exactly match your desired skills and experience. I was so excited about the potential opportunity!

I researched your company and your client-base. With each passing bit of information I found I became more interested and eager about the professional possibilities and what I have to offer your company.

I analyzed my research data on your company and your clients. I collected and analyzed my experience and skill sets. I compared and contrasted your desires for a job candidate, your company history and client base against my experience and skills. The final statistical analysis concluded that based on your job description and what I learned about your company and clients I am 100% qualified for the job. 

I then crafted a thoughtful and informative cover letter and resume telling you about me and why I am qualified for the job. I told you why I want the job, and more importantly what assets I can bring to your company. I gave thoughtful, detailed job description specific, quantifiable, verifiable examples of my work history. I offered links to former client sites showcasing my work as well as my own website showcasing projects, my career details and highlights. I gave you real-life, real-time, in-use examples of my work in the cover letter and in the many (many) essay questions on your online application.

I thoughtfully completed all the (many and extensive) pages of your hiring site process. I put full effort into the myriad essay questions, even the "optional" ones. I uploaded required Word documents, pdf documents and links. I self-identified my race, gender, age, marital, disability, veteran and criminal history status. (Because I couldn't advance to the next page of the application unless I made selections for each of those categories. And hey, if I'm lucky enough to get an interview at your highly esteemed company it's going to be obvious I'm a white girl over the age of 30 who doesn't wear a wedding/engagement ring, walks with a limp and hasn't served time in the military. Illegal questions, schmillegal schmestions. People get so hung up on that stuff!) And when you asked if I had religious obligations I barely flinched. I even gave you my social security number because your (very) comprehensive careers site requires all applicants to submit that information.

Between research on your company and clients and your arduous “user friendly comprehensive” online application process I spent over 12 hours on my application. Excited and confident in my abilities and application, I pressed the “submit” button at 7 PM Monday evening.

11:28 AM Thursday morning I received a form email from your “online recruiter” stating:

“Dear Applicant,

Thank you for submitting your application for the position of Marketing Manager. Unfortunately we have decided not to pursue your application at this time because other candidates' qualifications more closely match the position requirements.”

I realize hiring managers receive hundreds, sometimes thousands of applications for a single job. I understand that number increases exponentially when multiplied by the number of  job openings. I realize that equates to a high volume of applicants. So I do not expect hiring managers to spend a lot of time reviewing candidates. I understand there is a specific skill set delineated by key words and phrases in cover letters and resumes. I understand there are many (many) qualified candidates from which to choose in the marketing industry.

I respect your company and the caliber of work you produce. I want you to have continued success and esteem as an industry leader. So I hope the qualified marketing peer chosen for this professional opportunity does a great job and brings your company continued accolades.

Along with my professional experience I also have an impressive amount of experience with rejection. (See above, many (many) qualified candidates from which to choose in the marketing field.) I am a gracious loser and I am resilient (and intrepid). I am not bitter, resentful or mentally unstable. I have thick skin that quickly heals without scarring.

Please keep that in mind when I ask the following:

What do you want? What were you looking for in a candidate? Was there something you didn’t mention in the job description, something that immediately disqualified me? It would be extremely helpful for me to know why you dismissed my application so quickly. 

I spent over 12 hours applying for one job at your company, a company that boasts “priority investment in human capital.” How much time did you spend reviewing my application? Three minutes? A minute? 30 seconds? The time it takes your automatic response software to process and send an email? Did an actual human assess my human capital? 

You required many (many) web pages of personal information and subjective essay responses to many (many) questions. I thought (hoped) that was a reflection of your candidate review process. I thought it spoke to your commitment to invest in human capital. I presumed because you require such an extensive and subjective application that your screening process is equally extensive and subjective. 

Perhaps you have an HR staff of hundreds devoted to subjectively reviewing job applications. If so, then kudos to you for living up to your reputation as a company devoted to investing in human capital. If, however, as I suspect, you do not have hundreds of people reviewing job applications and you utilize application screening software, why bother with the myriad essay questions required on your application website? I ask this because I'm confused and I want to understand. I have a thirst for knowledge in hiring processes. 

Other companies, companies who do not win accolades from Forbes and Fortune, have more streamlined online application processes. Some require one or two essay answers, most do not require candidates to self-identify their race, gender, age, disability, marital, and veteran status (probably because it's illegal to require this information) and very few require that social security numbers be provided on the initial online application. Your site is indeed comprehensive and unique, hence my confusion and quest for information.

My blood type is A+, by the way. You didn’t ask for that information but since it’s the only piece of information you didn’t require on your application I thought I’d offer it so that you know absolutely everything not only about my professional career but also my personal life. Perhaps when you’re researching human capital for future job openings you’ll have a need for an A+ blood type candidate.