Online Job Applications

Filling out online job applications is beyond aggravating and many times a pointless endeavor.

I just attempted to fill out two such applications. I got to the end of the first one, which only asked about five questions in addition to the resume upload. At the end, it asked for a user name and password. I submitted both and sent the application. No dice. Either the user name or password were already in use. When I attempted to change my user name (my email), the system would not let me. Then, I changed the password and hit submit. The page would not go through or refresh. So the application presumably never went through.

On the second one, I was able to upload my resume and enter my work history. Then, at the education fields, it INSISTED on a high school entry. When I entered my high school, it REFUSED to accept it. It made me search, and when I did so only colleges came up. The system REFUSED to allow me to pass this section of the application.

How do employers not know their online application systems are not user friendly, clunky and are, frankly, sometimes impossible to complete? It seems like some kind of sick joke. I know there are lots of job candidates out there for them to weed out, but at least give a guy a chance to fill out the application.

Anyone else have all sorts of difficulties with online job apps? I know I'm not the only one.

So I'm the only one having these problems? That's hard to believe. This forum has become totally dead since the meddling. Sigh.

No, No I agree with you. The online applications are a PITA. So many ways to go wrong, technical issues and it just flat out takes a long time to complete one. Then there are the ones where I completed one, hit submit and then it comes back with - You are already in the system. huh?? Apparently some companies use the same online system.

Employers get so many applications - is my guess - they don't care some of them don't make it through.

It's the technical issues that really are bothersome. The systems are so old looking, clunky and not user friendly. The technology has to exist where you can enter information, revise it and put it in the proper order, but many of these systems do not let you and sometimes won't let you pass certain areas without filling a field that is impossible to fill.

If it's all by design as a weed out process, it's cruel and really not useful.

Whenever I get one that's a breeze to fill out to the end and submit without error, I feel triumphant, even if I don't get contacted back, which has never, ever happened as yet with an online application.

Thanks for the response, Dallas. You always have good posts on here.

But I have to tell you though, Parafreegal - I got my current job from a web-based application - a long tedious PITA online application of a company. The HR person told me they were searching for the keyword Litigation and that's it.

Parafreegal in Chicago, Illinois said: So I'm the only one having these problems? That's hard to believe. This forum has become totally dead since the meddling. Sigh.

What meddling are you referring to?

The moderator of this forum has set it so that I cannot see his posts anymore. I assume he is still posting. Since his posts make up about half of the forum, the forum has become pretty dead from my view point. I have gotten some good replies recently though, which is nice.

I can't see his posts either. He might have been banned and all of his posts deleted.

Yes, all his posts seem to be gone. Who knows whether he resigned from the board or was deleted.

Hmm, that's strange. I've seen his posts quoted, so I figured he was still here and posting. If nobody is seeing his posts, then I suppose he really is gone. I wonder what happened? I figured he'd somehow put me on some sort of ignore. It's too bad really, as many of his posts were useful. I just got tired of the constant droning about what attorneys are like, etc., etc., etc.