Tuesday 17 August 2010

Standardize Job Applications Now!

I am currently 'resting', as they say in the theater, although in my case resting involves the same workload with the added requirement of filling in job applications. I probably average one a week, which is not bad given they take 2 days each to complete.

An efficiency saving of at least 10-15% could be made very easily if employers woulc agree on implementing a standard for that covers the basic data required by all application forms: name, address, email, employers, eduction, etc. Each employer could have their own layout into which the data is imported from a file, probably via XML.

Why, when such an efficiency gain can be easily made for little effort, does no such standard exist? And, indeed why does a Google search reveal no efforts to develop one?

The answer is simple - those in charge of the system (the employers) do not gain from such a system. Indeed, it may be argued that they would in fact loose out, as they would have to spend longer sifting through application forms than they do already.

So, I say to all employers and makers of electronic job application software - give the poor man a break and knock together a standard and some I/O routines PDQ. Ta.

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