Chennai Journal: Letter to a Young Job Hopper

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Letter to a Young Job Hopper
I've written before about the recruiting market here, and how young people tend to hop jobs for things as mundane as the canteen food. This week I got a CV from one of them for a position in HR. Usually, I don't even read these, but forward them to the recruiting team, unopened. However, for some reason this one caught my eye and I read the young man's write-up as well his letter to me ---"Dear sir" ---"give me a chance and I will never let you down."

Here is the letter I wrote in response:

Dear Senthil,

After reviewing your CV and your note, I cannot consider you for employment in our organization.

First, you address me as "Sir." Detail is important when you are applying for a job. You should have checked my gender and proofread your note before sending it.

Second, your email to me--which is clearly a form note-- is sent in the middle of the afternoon, when I imagine you should be working rather than looking for another job. We are looking for people who will put their full attention on their job responsibilities.

Finally, and most important, you have jumped companies three times in almost as many years. Past record is the usually the best indication of future behaviour, so I must assume that this trend will continue and you will quickly become dissatisfied here as well.

Your present organization is a very reputable one, and the head of HR there, who is known to me, is an accomplished professional from whom I am certain you could learn a great deal. My advice to you is (1) stay with your present organization long enough to make a real contribution and (2) if you must job hunt, do it on your own time, not your company's.

You know the story about the boy who walked along the shore, where thousands of starfish had washed on the beach and were dying. He started rescuing a few of them by picking them up and throwing them back in the sea. He was observed by an older man, who counseled him to stop, saying "there are thousands of them, how will you ever make a difference?" And the boy, holding one starfish in his hand, replied, "but I will to this one."

While I doubt that this starfish will stop his search, he did write me back apologizing for calling me Sir and saying that "all the suggestions are really precious."
- posted by nred @ 6:46 AM

Comments:

Greetings,
I'm relocating from US at the end of this year. I work at a truck manufacturing company in USA in the IT department. I'm interested in finding out suitable positions in Ford India. Is there way I can contact you via email ? or can u contact me at ksrr2i@gmail.com

Regards

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:57 PM

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