Ah, good ol’ summer time. Beautiful weather, sandy beaches and sheer laziness. But, if you’re like me, along with many other young adults out there, your parents can’t have you sitting on their couch any longer. We need summer jobs. You and I both know that we can only savor the last dollar sitting in our bank accounts for so long. 

With my cash dwindling, I decided to look for a job the other day. As I pulled up to my local shopping mall, I smiled to myself with a superfluous amount of confidence. At least one store would hire me, right? 

Wrong. Associates at every store I entered gave me the same response: “Apply online, please.” I walked into several stores and did not speak with a single manager. I understand that the modern technological world has almost eradicated the need for anything involving pen and paper, but I thought that by physically entering a store, I could at least fill out an application.

Instead, I ironically ended up back on my couch to apply for a job. As I was entering the same monotonous data about my work history and my education, I realized how inefficient the online job application system really is. 

The reader of these applications has little or no insight into the kind of person applying. Picture this situation: there exists an extremely qualified person for a retail position. She has seemingly great work experience, and attends an impressive university. However, she has no people skills whatsoever. She cannot hold a conversation for more than thirty seconds. Then, there is another person who is slightly less qualified. He has just enough experience in retail, but maybe attends a less impressive technical school. However, this person has a natural communicative ability. This person can hold a great conversation with a stranger and knows how to sell the product. Whom does the company call for the interview? The bad talker. Who really is a better fit for the position? Mr. Way With Words. 

Now, I do understand that both candidates could receive calls for the interview and the hiring manager would hopefully realize that the second applicant is a better choice. But, what if the online application attracts many applicants? (It’s not so difficult to copy and paste work history and education and answer questions.)  Mr. Way With Words may get lost in the mix and never receive an interview call. Maybe the bad talker applied relatively early and her application is right on top of the pile. In any case, if the better applicant could enter the store and schmooze with the manager, he would be well on his way to a summer income. Instead, he enters the store and hears “apply online,” and we are back to the original scenario.

The Internet strips an applicant of personality and individuality. The online application process is indifferent to whatever sets you apart from other applicants. I may have a great sense of humor that allows for strong customer-to-employee relationships. Or I may be persuasive enough to sell a product in record time. Online applications, however, do not make these qualities readily available to the company. One may argue that written applications lack personality as well, but if I enter a store, talk to an associate and then to a manager, I could give that company a glimpse of my sense of humor or my persuasive language before I even put pen to paper. And, while I start to fill out that paper application, the manager is already thinking, “Wow, this girl seems like a good fit for our store.”

If you have ever applied online, you may have also noticed that the online applications ask a large number of questions, making them unnecessarily longer than the average written application. Most written applications I have filled out include the necessary basic information, work history, references and maybe a few open-ended questions about why you want to work for the company, etc. Online, you can get thirty questions like this: “You see your co-worker gossiping in the corner. What do you do? A. Advise him/her to stop and maybe tell a supervisor, B. Do nothing, or C. Join in while pointing and laughing at the victim.”

The topic of the question is definitely vital, but a person with common sense knows to pick A (even if he or she really wants to do C). These kinds of questions will definitely weed out those lacking common sense, but when it comes to picking out the best candidate among the rest, the questions are rather unproductive. 

The online application system makes it difficult to find the best candidate; the Internet has hurt the job search. Not just for teenagers and young adults, but for anyone looking to pay the bills. It may seem efficient for managers to have their applications virtually organized rather than have a bunch of chicken scratched packets sitting on their desks, but it is not. Call me old-fashioned, but face-to-face communication is a necessary component of the application process, and generally speaking, of most careers. 

So, if you are caught in the same situation as me this summer and a store associate sends you straight back to the couch that you are trying to escape, ask to speak with a manager anyway. I have learned the hard way to be more assertive. The worst he or she will do is tell you that the manager is unavailable. If you do have to fill out an online app, consider a follow-up phone call to the company or an in-store visit just to let them know that you applied and that you are interested in a position. Alternatively, you can ask if the store has a written application, while simultaneously flashing your pearly whites and being really, really funny. I can see the dollar signs in your eyes already.

 

Reach Contributor Hallie Roth here.