The hiring managers at British mobile phone content provider Teimlo are getting creative. Forget mailing, emailing or faxing lengthy cover letters. They want to know why candidates think they're right for one of their marketing jobs via 160-character text messages.
It's certainly a unique application requirement, and those who master the art of descriptive short-texting will definitely have an advantage here. Texts that impress the company will advance the author into the next phase of recruitment involving traditional resumes and interviews. (You know, because this is a real company that is actually seriously hiring staff, so things like qualifications and skills are still important.)
If anyone was going to experiment with this, it makes sense that it would be a cell phone content provider. And if you consider that some people are trying to create literature out of Tweets, allowing an additional 20 characters almost seems kind of generous.
Will other companies follow suit one day? Who knows. But it's not totally outlandish, especially for positions that require a knack for brevity or fast communication. What jumps to mind are jobs in news media, public relations -- heck, even emergency response departments.
So when Mom (or your S.O.) complains about the time you spend/waste on Twitter, SMS or Facebook updates, you can rationally explain that you're practicing a crucial communications skill for your future career.
[via Savvy Sugar]
