TB, it's all very well thinking up excuses, but to turn a flood into a more managable stream - not that it matters when they will be charging for the aptitude testing so can just hire some more staff - there are loads more innovative blocking criteria that would work and also make some more actual sense. Limiting the time window for applications is fair enough (though, it won't be if they don't give a few days' notice of the deadline and just suddenly close it down when inevitably some people will be in the middle of applying); requiring some minimum qualifications is reasonable; specifying the ideal age range they are looking for is also entirely proper. But inventing some kind of date-of-birth apartheit is getting a bit carried away. I know that in final selection, with so many candidates who are well up to standard to choose from, it becomes a bit of a lottery and probably actually unspeakable unfair, but you at least have had a chance.
Go with your instincts - if a strict age 26 rules seems questionable, then it is questionable, and merits sorting out. I remember saving a campus library by explaining to the library director the campaign I'd run; he went white and the idea was never heard of again. If senior CTC and EasyJet managers get a few strongly worded complaints from 26-28 year olds in their mailboxes, then honestly, just count to ten until they decide that actually, they'd rather have a slightly larger flood of applications and consider people marginally older than 25yrs 11mths 30days, than endure a flood of ill-will from disgruntled wannabes. They will discretely make it so for the sake of a quiet life. Roll-over for them now and down the line you'll be seeing your pay & conditions getting curtailed next, I guarantee it.
Anyway, enough ranting from me, I'll try to apply, and if not, more fool them in my opinion, but for me there are at least some other routes open...
Last edited by carb; 22nd November 2002 at 20:34.