Dear Applicant, Please bend over.

Edjoin sucks. What is Edjoin you ask? It is the attempt at paperless school district Human Resource departments across the state of California. I see where they are going with this. It makes things all digital, easier to sift through and database, and post opening at a moments notice. The problem, it makes all of us potential applicants exactly that, a potential applicant. Job posting #’s, and obviously followed up with an applicant #. Where is the charm? The personal touch? The thing we all know is that makes a good candidate, ACTUAL QUALITY TEACHING?
I have at the moment, over 47 applications on file with Edjoin. Yes sir, from San Francisco to Chula Vista, I am ready for hire! Every time I apply, I try and follow up with an email to the person in their district office letting them know, “Hey blah blah.. contact me with any questions, I would love to discuss my qualifications with you blah blah hire me.”
A few weeks ago I received an email from a charter school I forgot about. They were the first organization to not send a “Dear Mr. Coppers, go F yourself” email. They invited me to a meeting about their hiring process, who they are, and who they are not. AWESOME!!!!! Hey everybody, I might have a shot!
I left work early, dressed to kill, killer resume, spank- the- competition letters of rec, and a charming smile. I drove 50 miles, getting there 20 minutes early only to find over 200 more people just like me. ☹ I enter just in time to get one of four empty seats. At the end of their presentation they have a questionnaire for the applicants to fill out. The lady said that by filling it out, you are telling them you wish to move to step 2 in the hiring process, an interview. What the heck, right? So I filled it out. I wrote neatly, answered thoroughly, and walked it to the lady.
Sunday comes, and as I open the computer, my email alert chimed. It read as follows..
Date: 4.5.09
Dear Applicant:

Thank you so much for applying for a position as an educator for Aveson Charter School and for attending the informational meeting last Wednesday.

Unfortunately we received many applications in the job search process and will be interviewing individuals whose credentials and qualifications were closer suited to our needs.

Although we will not be offering you an interview, we thank you for your interest.

If a need arises for us to contact you in the future, we will do so and you have our continued good wishes in your job search.

Regards,
Aveson Hiring Committee

No big deal right? Correct, except for the obvious blow to my confidence, my further questioning of our state’s economic stability, and of course my on going prayers continuing to be answered in ways I don’t understand. So I leave it at this; the world needs Mr. Awesome, we just don’t know where yet. ☺