Jessica Asks:
“Earlier tonight I filled out an application for Dunkin Donuts. I just recently applied at Chick-fil-A also using this website. When I was completing the form for Chick-fil-A, in the section that gives you the option to briefly describe yourself, I mentioned something about the company. I didn’t realize until after I submitted the Dunkin Donuts application that the description section on the Chick-fil-A application was attached to the Dunkin Donuts form. I’m applying for a job at Dunkin Donuts and it has “Chick-fil-A” typed out on it. I pay close attention to detail, I just didn’t know that section would still be filled out from a previous application. I really hope this won’t affect my being called in for an interview.”
Hi Jessica – first off, let me applaud you for making a really smart job search move.
Customizing your application for each employer signals to them that you aren’t just hitting the “apply” button – you’re considering each opportunity carefully. That’s exactly what I do when I’m looking for a new job. It took tons of extra time, but I think that it’s a big part of why I have the job I’ve got now (that, and networking).
That said, one of the downsides to doing that is you have to spend extra time on your search making sure you don’t accidentally send the wrong information to the wrong employer. While I’d really like to tell you that it won’t hurt your chances, it may. I’d recommend following up with the location you applied to and showing extra initiative so they know you’re really interested.
You’ve already learned this the hard way – I think we all do – but next time, double (or triple) check everything. I find if I read it out loud I’m much more likely to catch my own errors. Having a friend look things over is also a great tactic.
If it helps any, I think this is one of those things everyone does once, I know I have. It takes knowing you may have screwed up an opportunity to really drive home the importance of being paranoid about checking your applications for errors.
About Amy White
