In one week, I received 900 inquiries from people who’d seen our employment ads and wanted to work at Collegewise. We’re such a lucky company to have that many people interested in working here, and I never take that for granted.
But more than half of those people clearly didn’t bother to read our postings or the directions within them. Instead, they emailed me basic questions like, “Where are you hiring?” and “What are the job responsibilities?” A few didn’t even get that specific and just asked, “Can you tell me more about Collegewise?”
With that many applications to get through, it’s unlikely those people will be chosen for an interview.
We spend a lot of time working on our website and our employment postings. We’ve thought a lot about the kind of information people might like to know about us so we can make it as easy as possible for them to find it. That’s why anyone who spends five minutes on our website can read our story. They can learn all about available positions and the job responsibilities of a Collegewise counselor. They can even link to a past blog post with tips for job seekers hoping to work here.
Is it dismissive to write those people off? Could I be passing on someone who might be a great counselor? Maybe. But I’m only human, and those questions come off as lazy, to me. They want me to take time to give them information when they haven’t invested any time of their own to find it. If they make that mistake themselves, I can’t trust them to prevent a Collegewise student from doing the same thing with an admissions office.
If you’re applying to college this fall, remember to do your part. Don’t call or email the admissions office to ask basic questions that are answered on the website (and parents, don’t ever do that for your kids). Don’t make them do the work for you. No, they may not automatically hold that against you when you apply. But they’re only human. And when you show that you’re wiling to take their time without investing yours (or to even make that call yourself), it’s difficult to ignore.
Instead, take the time to learn about the colleges you’re applying to and the programs that interest you. Review the information the college has taken the time to share on its website. And if you still have questions, then call or email. Admissions officers are nice people and they’ll be happy to help you, especially if you let them know that you looked for the information on their website but were unable to find it.
You should also take some comfort in knowing that the human leeway goes both ways here. Admissions officers don’t expect you to be perfect. They know that even the best kids occasionally make mistakes. As long as you’re polite, respectful of their time, and thankful for the help they provide you (good traits to have outside of college admissions, too), they’ll almost certainly say something to the effect of, “No problem—you’re only human.”