Here is a selection of applications I got for the open Ph.D. position in „Process tracking for forensic readiness in operating systems“ (application deadline was yesterday). The most important aspect in finding a good candidate is to find a good fit for the candidate’s abilities and aspirations, the work that needs to be done, the institution, and the supervisor.
Sometimes, candidates do not even disguise that they care little for the specific announcement (if they have read it at all). Being able to read the announcement and being able to tailor an application is a recommendation to move forward with a candidate in the selection process.
I do receive applications from more than one person, and it is fair for applicants to apply for more than one position. Nevertheless, you should avoid the impression that you are applying elsewhere. Starting an email with „Gjøvik University Colleg, Germany“ is a bad idea.
One candidate (master of computer science, University of Malaysia, currently head of ICT department at an international company, claiming to have published „about 15 journals and proceedings“) was not able to find the URL for the announcement with the link to the electronic submission system. Ahem. I guess this is mainly an issue of spamming my email inbox with an application that is not even aware of any specific announcement. Avoid.
If you are just looking for a job, a Ph.D. stipend is a bad idea. You might lose this job after a short period owing to your lack of enthusiasm, and the time at the start of a Ph.D. project does not provide you with the experience that, say, a developer position at another organisation might provide in the same time. And, as most are aware of, using the same text to make yourself known to a recruiting firm to also apply for a Ph.D. stipend is a non-starter. Just forwarding it is insulting, somewhat like copying a love letter, stuffing it in a new envelope to send to a different person and then not even changing the name.
Another candidate (graduate in electronic engineering, Italian university, 110/110 cum laude) would like to find „a job to enrich and develop the theoretical knowledge acquired during the college career that I think are particularly suited to the following areas: renewables (especially solar), electronics and automation.“ Sure. But, please, tell me why this makes you a good candidate for process tracking and forensic readiness? I guess, posting an announcement with Euraxess increases the number of applicants, but also the amount of noise.
Of course, the selection for this blog entry is heavily skewed towards non-matches. I look forward to the significant number of high quality applications that HR forwards to me.
