Picture Perfect

It's quite amazing how many hoops you have to jump through these days, just to get an unpaid internship somewhere.

One organisation wants a side of A4 on why I'm the best person for the job, in addition to a standard covering letter, CV and interview. But who has this sort of time, before you even know you're being considered for the unpaid job? It's one thing to say "hey, we liked your application and want an interview with you, but before that, give us an A4 on why you're good for the job" - because at least then you know you've got something coming to you and your efforts won't be in vain: you know for sure that at the end of that side of A4, which if done properly should take around an hour to complete, there will be a job interview. But before this stage, there's no telling whether you'll be accepted or rejected, so it doesn't make good sense to me to fill out that application form before others. Why invest more time on something which could potentially fail, rather than using the time to further your chances by applying to two organisations (or making further progress on another application), increasing your chances of getting an interview by 50%? Afterall, someone once said to be successful, you have to double your rate of failure: entirely correct, in my opinion.

Ah, but, I hear some people say, this is what looking for a job is all about: get stuck in! Stop being so lazy!
To these sorts of people I say two things: first, no, this is not the way it's always been. written tests, psychological testing, handwriting reading, these are all vestiages of the last decade and a half. And lazy? Anyone who is seriously looking for a job is probably not that lazy.

It's just that, when you're looking through job ads, sorting through what you can and can't do and what's paid, unpaid, expenses paid; then when you finally find something you can do, it's time to research a company. The research should take 40 minutes - look through their site, see what they do, how they describe themselves, who their clients/members/patients are, that sort of thing. Then, there's the cover letter, which always takes ages because it incorporates all the information from the research, whilst also imparting enough about you to make them think they should read your CV, which, btw you've obviously tailored to their firm. A health magazine might be interested to know you've volunteered at a loal hospital for 8 months in addition to your journalism experience, but an editorial position in a law magazine is more interested in your law degree and volunteering at a local solicitor or CAB office. And you can't just stick them both in to one CV and hope for the best, it has to be done properly: someone reading the CV wants to know you can do the job, not how amazing you are for volunteering in loads of different places for loads of different causes.

All told, a single application, if done properly, should take about 1 hour 50 minutes:
40 mins research the company;
40 mins writing up a cover letter of less than a single A4 side;
20 mins tailoring CV to that firm;
10 mins to check the whole thing over before sending off. Especially being aware that you attached your CV to your e-mail (If you haven't and sent off another e-mail with it attached afterwards, I've learned it's not the end of the world. I've still been offered an interview to two places (the only two places) I accidentally did that with).

These times are minimums in my opinion.

Anyway, the latest thing to hit my inbox was to offer me an interview, but also a 40 minute test on why I want to join the organisation and other questions of the sort, and a half hour interview with the editor and deputy editor. All before giving me an unpaid job.

Why is it so hard?! It shouldn't be. I'm doing them a favour: a college educated graduate working for free. Ok, so I get to put it on my CV when looking for paid jobs, but really. If this is what trying to get an unpaid job is like, I wonder what they make you go through if you request that you would like to be paid for your services.

I should have just become a plumber.