
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 3, 1994                   TAG: 9405030156
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:    CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Short

JOB SEEKERS MAKE SPORT OF DEALING WITH REJECTION

Business students whose forays into a tight job market have yielded little but rejection letters have found a way to take the edge off of being told no.

This spring, students at the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce competed in the second annual ``Ugly Rejection Letter Contest.'' The best of the worst were rife with grammatical errors, misspellings, gender confusion and nonsense. A panel of judges sorted through the ``don't call us'' mail.

The year's ugliest won on sheer gall.

After informing senior Tom Maguire, 21, of McLean that he would not be hired, the letter from a financial services firm went on to say, ``We hope you found the selection process to be a positive experience.''

Judges thought the clincher was the last line: ``We hope you will consider referring others to us as applicants for employment or as clients.''

Scott Caudill received a letter from a company that ``appreciated the opportunity to discuss your interests, education and experience.'' Kind words, except that Caudill never interviewed with the company, a computer manufacturer.

Another entry thanked Alexander Kim for responding to its advertisement in The New York Times. Kim dropped his resume in a company box on campus.

This year's graduating class faces companies that are still streamlining work forces. While jobs are being created nationally at a rate of about 200,000 a month, new graduates must compete with experienced workers and underemployed graduates from earlier years.

by CNB