• Author Author: rscasny
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5 Reasons Why An Applicant Is Not Selected as an Official Roadtester

rscasny

This afternoon I have been going through roadtest applications. I do this on Fridays because it's quieter and I am left alone to really read and absorb what has been written in the application. The following came to my mind while reading them regarding why some applicants don't get selected as official roadtesters:

1. If you a provide a test procedure on a MS Word doc that is eleven words long. Test procedures tell a lot about an applicant's skills, knowledge, abilities, etc. Most of what we roadtest has a level of complexity that requires more than 11 words to describe what a roadtester will do in a competitive fashion.

2. If you provide a test procedure that is an academic research paper that's someone else's work without an explanation, commentary or personalization to your ideas for the roadtest. Of course, you are welcome to use a research paper as a reference to your own self-written test procedure. But the test procedure itself has to be your own work and explain to the best of your knowledge what you are going to do. You don't have to write a book, but 2 to 3 paragraphs is an amount that can tell me where you are going to go with the roadtest.

3. If you provide a test procedure that is a resume where the skills, experience and credentials are not relevant to the product being tested without a commentary or explanation. (For example, you could have a degree in chemical engineering and tell me you have done a lot of work with the Raspberry Pi, then that is fine.)

4. If you provide a test procedure which is an amusing image (jpg, png, etc) and nothing else. Perhaps I lack the sense of humor to understand why I am receiving an amusing image for a roadtest on sensors. Are sensors inherently amusing? 

5. If you provide a test procedure that looks like a generic testing and performance procedure from a university textbook and is not adapted to the product being roadtested, using your own words. 

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  • I occasionally see blog posts that reproach the RoadTest Review selection...'I have applied numerous times and have never been selected."

    I'm surprised that applicants don't appreciate the expectations for an application. No, I take that back. I'm not surprised. Maybe the application effort reflects the commitment. I want something for minimal effort. What does FREE cost?

    My application reflects the understanding I am up against some pretty stiff competition from this community to be successful. If successful in the application, getting feedback during the process is ideal. I enjoy engaging the community and making them a part of the process.  

    I'm brainstorming a RoadTest Review workshop. A committee of successful RoadTester would offer the opportunity to have applications critiqued. Participants submit applications to get feedback. I have done this exercise for creative writing. It can be difficult and rewarding. Having a third-party critique your work and rip it apart can be hard to take. Getting the right feedback can lead to improvements.

    I would like to think the poor application is a lack of understanding but I'm thinking with the amount of feedback that has been provided regarding RoadTests it is hard to not be critical when someone submits an eleven-word test procedure.

  • in reply to colporteur

    I'm surprised that applicants don't appreciate the expectations for an application. No, I take that back. I'm not surprised. Maybe the application effort reflects the commitment. I want something for minimal effort. What does FREE cost?

    I don't know if that's the case out of mall intention or laziness. Only the ones that read the applications can tell.
    But I bet that virtually anyone who's good at enrolling for road tests now, has started off with silly/clumsy/sub-par first proposals. Bar some exceptions.

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  • in reply to colporteur

    I'm surprised that applicants don't appreciate the expectations for an application. No, I take that back. I'm not surprised. Maybe the application effort reflects the commitment. I want something for minimal effort. What does FREE cost?

    I don't know if that's the case out of mall intention or laziness. Only the ones that read the applications can tell.
    But I bet that virtually anyone who's good at enrolling for road tests now, has started off with silly/clumsy/sub-par first proposals. Bar some exceptions.

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