I work at a mid-size business law firm in the downtown office and handle commercial and construction litigation matters. Our law clerk passed the bar and is joining as an associate and we are looking for a new clerk. My law school alma mater is across the street from our office so I thought I'd post a job listing on the school's job board. Pretty concise job description, listing the primary practice areas we are looking for help in, made it crystal clear that it was an in person job (a/k/a "not remote"). Willing to consider 1L and 2L candidates.
After posting the job, immediately started getting applications. Soon found out that the career office at the law school effectively gate keeps the information provided by the students to such a level that every single applicant used the same format of cover letter with such verbatim verbiage that I started to think they all just cut and pasted off of a template. I talked to our clerk (who went to the same school) who confirmed that the career office requires the students to get their approval for their cover letter, resume and writing sample before they are allowed to apply to jobs through the school board/portal. So the career office has limited an opportunity for candidates to differentiate themselves from the crowd (because I actually read the cover letters).
Our HR person scheduled interviews with a number of the applicants. So far, none of them have really stood out. But our second interview yesterday left an impression. And by left an impression, I mean HE COULD NOT STOP SCREAMING WHENEVER HE TALKED. EVERY THING HE SAID WAS SO LOUD THAT IT SEEMED HE THOUGHT WE WERE DEAF. LITERALLY HIS VOICE DID NOT MODULATE AT ALL DURING THE INTERVIEW.
The candidate also had some personal issues that meant he would not be able to work in person for the foreseeable future and then said I KNOW THE POSITION WAS LISTED AS IN PERSON BUT THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR ME, HOW COULD YOU SET UP A REMOTE POSITION FOR ME.
Now, if he had put something in his cover letter along the lines of "I can't work in person presently, but I'd still like to be considered if remote is a possibility" I would have taken the time to let him know that was not possible and have been polite about it. But instead I HAD TO WASTE TIME BEING SCREAMED AT BY SOMEONE WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND A BASIC REQUIREMENT OF THE JOB.
Anyway, assuming my hearing comes back today or tomorrow it will be on to more interviews.