RoadTest Application "What Am I Supposed to Write?"

Would it be useful to add a link to the Webinar (or to some of the explanations / discussions regarding the road test applications) right next to that text area? It might just be that some newcomers really don't know what is expected of them there...

Hi Hendrik.

I have been adding a link to the webinar for some roadtests. But I guess I need to start adding it to all roadtests.

Randall

Hi Randall,

I was looking through my application for some helpful comments to pass on to fellow members and somehow managed to click on Unenroll. Now I don't seem to be able to find any trace of my actual application, I'll see if I can salvage it somehow or else I will rewrite it.

Re: the roadtest applications you mention, I assume the comments were in the description box as that is the only place for free text.

Rod

I suspect the allure of "free" and the occasional social-media advertisement (e.g. on Facebook) that makes the RoadTest seem like "any other competition" might have some applicants think that this is only a game of chance. Regardless, I think that there's enough good examples of reviews/how to apply floating about and information about the process that there really isn't any excuse for not knowing. Applicants will do as they see fit and if that's to put it an unfit application, I think that was because they were never really serious about the program (and consequently may have never been serious about delivering a review anyway) ... in which case there's not much point in investing too much time to try and encourage them to up their game.

I think that rscasny has done a great job in making the RoadTest system a lot less opaque, by providing these occasional thoughts and guidances, so it's really not element14's fault that these applications keep coming ... indeed, it may have made your job of weeding risky-applicants out a little easier .

- Gough

Perhaps it should be mandatory or anyone applying for a RoadTest Review to go through the video.

You don't get to pass go and collect your product to review until you have gone through the appropriate pre RoadTest material. 

rscasny  wrote:

 

There is a 100% chance you will not get selected when: (a) you only write 1 sentence in the comments of the application or (b) you ask, What am I supposed to write here?

 

Hi Randall,

it shouldn't be too difficult for the software guys, to adapt the application form to force a minimum amount of words.

This will learn applicants that they really have to investigate in a proper application, and if they decide not to take the effort, you are not bothered with all these futile applications.

Gerrit.

Hi Randall,

It is a tough act to balance. On one side, there is the push to make the selection process more strict, so that you get better odds of good reviews published, but on the flip side you need to give chance to newcomers to prove themselves.

I think that you are doing a great job with the program, which I feel has noticeably improved in the last year. One thing we need to accept and live with is that a 100% success rate on all the Roadtests, as nice as it would be, it is just impossible, as there will always be someone who will play the system to their own benefit.

Making the enrolment process too strict it might result in reducing the number of applicants to the usual group of very reliable active members, which surely would provide excellent reviews, but would make the Roadtest group feel like a closed group, compromising the chance of further grow.

One possible way to try improve the quality of the application could be to add a short mandatory questionnaire as part of the enrolment process: the questionnaire would be based on the information given in the webinar you have published (a bit like the format used for the quiz of Essentials learning modules). Nothing overly complicated, just couple of questions (the ones that cover the points you made at the end of your post).

Probably, to be more effective, the questionnaire should be put as first step of the enrolment. The rest of the process I think works well just as it is now.

Just my 2p.

Fabio

It is a shame you have this issue and it is quite difficult to understand why - I assume the E14 team needs that greater breadth of  suitable applications to allow a more diverse selection and hence a more realistic set of roadtests. Why do so few people apply? I'd have thought these roadtests would attract the attention of 10,000 of similar likeminded engineers, tinkers and makers rather than the 54 counted on the STMicroelectronics-DISCO application.

You could:

• Amend the empty description box to include the simple one-line prompts that are in your useful webinar (the still at the very start).
• Break out into separate description boxes - Personal overview, why I'm applying, road test proposal brief summary, etc

I guess you'll either start getting applications back with existing text still in place or just a greater number of blank text boxes.

Rod

The webinar "How to write road-test " helped me to write my road-test application as I am also new here. I think everyone who is applying should view it.

I occasionally also took advice from fellow community members which was of great help to me.

If someone is not sure what they want to do in the road-test probably they will not do it later either.

Some sense of responsibility has to there even if is not 100%.

Your efforts to manage the RoadTest program are exemplary. I suspect you will continue to receive suggestions that may provide insight for improvement tweaks. I do believe you will never eliminate the candidates who chose to do as little as possible in the hope of garnering success.

I would recommend you to organize your reading of applications as to position those fields that enable you to eliminate applications that don't meet the minimum requirements first. You could include a canned response reflecting the submission deficient content if it blatant. I believe this effort will be of little return.

Sean