In an effort to eradicate bad cover letters and job applications, we will occasionally be featuring the worst of the emails and approaches we receive. All identifiable details have been redacted or replaced. Please forward any other gems and we will select the best of the worst. Comments are welcome.
Subject: Hi
Hello....
M glad2knw dat U R in ma Linkedin ntwrk.....actually v R of same profession,m doing ma law in business laws from NLU [Harvard] and ofcourse U R too from similar background.....may b it can be helpfull for ny future legal upcuming events for both of us.....so frankly speaking I just want to b in contact wid U and like2add U on Facebook too plzz add me dare....here is ma ID of FB with ma contact no....
[…]@gmail.com
Mob.no: 00000000000(call me if necessary)
Will b waiting4ur response
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Absolutely pathetic elitist behaviour.
And I agree it's hard learning, but you'd agree too that illustration is the best form of counsel in some cases.
We all know what happens to these emails. Far from serving their purpose, they are usually exchanged between colleagues for cheap amusement at the cost of the sender.
I think redacting his name and taking the closed-door-giggle-exchange to a wider audience, to demonstrate just what in reality happens to the sender's message, is the best favour LI could've done him without causing him public embarrassment.
I agree, to be more precise, typical NLS Bangalore reaction.
The english system of pedigree has been wholly adopted in India. Hopefully, we'll see that change in due course of time, but right now, that is the exact direction things are headed in.
Thank you for your comments and feedback.
No offence was meant and I regret if any serious embarrassment has been caused to the original author.
But this embarrassment is nothing compared to the damage that'd be done if that person kept sending the same email to others (and I know that it has been sent to at least 2 people, leading me to believe it is a canned email).
I have let the person also know personally that this kind of email communication will hinder rather than help them in their career.
We did not publish this post to humiliate that person.
The reason we published this post was because
1. We receive dozens of similar emails.
2. Despite previous Careers Counsel columns we've run (some of which also poked fun at badly-worded cover letters), and repeated links to it, as well as sites such as Lawctopus and others repeating the point to communicate with a modicum of professionalism, somehow it doesn't seem to stick.
3. This reminds and possibly helps others that this kind of communication might be funny but that it is not cool (and perhaps some may hear this point for the first time, since it was never told to them before).
4. This is a greater problem with teenagers not just in India, who simply get used to using such communication over phones and start treating emails the same (god this makes me sound old!)
5. It is just a little bit of fun (admittedly not in the best of taste, but justified because it's for the greater good).
Hope that clarifies matters, but happy to take people's feedback on board.
Best wishes,
Kian
As for whether redaction in itself serves to neutralize any humiliation that the writer of that post might have felt, I beg to disagree. Read the first two comments - there might have been a lot more in a similar vein had the conversation not changed track. Anyone who recognizes that post as his and reads our not-so-sensitive comments is bound to be seriously offended/hurt/stigmatized.
Eitherway, I guess if the sole purpose of the post was to educate and not denigrate, then a softer stance would be merited. I am a huge fan of LI's product and apologize for any over-reaction on my part.
Kian was professional enough in redacting any/ all identifying pointers.
So, how is there any humiliation and also how is this elitist?
He points out to a big problem that young people today do not even recognise. I have a couple of linkedin invitations (which if not this bad) are bad enough.
Rather than nit-picking with Kian on this one, why not make attempts at being more constructive in the comments?
Also, while we are email/ writing generally, do visit the link:
Kian - I am with you on this one.
In-house
We all adore you.
Peace. Joy.
Hi ABC,
Note that ur pay wud be 20K p.m. + tax. Join us asap.
Best wishes,
XYZ
Shortest forms, and dificult to understand. let him or her revert with an another e-mail asking about the content of the mail.
Please do reply to such mails with some senseless text.
Dear Kian,
Kindly find my reply for yor future partners who sent such sms through emails.
=====================
Dear Abc,
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in bculpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
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