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RoadTest Application "What Am I Supposed to Write?"

rscasny

Part of my job at element14 is to read the RoadTest applications and make recommendations to the supplier for who should be selected as the official roadtesters. I just spent an hour going through applications for a roadtest. A high number of them were one sentence applications, which I do not consider competitive applications. In this sub-group I received a higher number number than usual which stated as his application: "What am I supposed to Write Here?"

 

It's a curious response, from my point of view. If this were a job application or a job interview, and the employer asked why do you want this job, would you answer, "What am I supposed to say?" My guess is probably not. If I were competing with other people for a product, I guess I would want to show them my I was the best and what I would do with it. Perhaps adding in something I did in the past was tangible proof I could do the job would help.

 

If you still do not know what to write in a roadtest application, please take the 15-munutes to listen to my webinar: Webinar Recording: How To Write a Winning RoadTest Application.

 

There was a previous discussion that memebers began on the chances of getting selected: https://www.element14.com/community/message/241787/l/re-commenting-in-roadtest-and-chances-of-getting-selected#241787

 

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?

 

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager

  • in reply to gecoz

    Fabio,

     

    I agree that making the application to strict may cause unpredictable results (i.e., fewer applicants.)

     

    But I am not asking for a book. Three paragraphs would do:

     

    Para #1-- introduce yourself and tell me a bit about your background for the roadtest.

    Para#2-- how you plan on testing it.

    Para 3#-- something on your schedule, availability and commitment of completing the roadtest and review in 360 days.

     

    300 words, maybe?

     

    Randall

  • in reply to rscasny

    Hi Randall,

     

    I think the requirements for a good application are already well laid out in your webinar, and I don't think they need changing.

     

    It might help setting a limit on the length of the application, both lower and upper, as I think a verbose application could be just as bad as a "thin" one.

     

    Does 300 words minimum and 500 words maximum sound reasonable?

     

    Fabio

  • in reply to gecoz

    I am already considering placing a minimum on the applications. We have a maximum but no one has ever hit it. I believe it's 32,000 characters.

  • in reply to rscasny

    I think you meant **60 days**

     

    Luis

  • It must be a tough job selecting road testers. I think you will always get the one-liners. Maybe you need to look at it as a positive thing? It could be considered a helping hand in weeding out the poorest applicants. The worst possible scenario would be if those people were diligent enough to put some effort into the application but not then carry that through into the road test itself.

  • G'Day,

    I am curious about the return(s) on your investment regarding RoadTest reviews.

     

    I was fortunate to be selected in the New Year's Grab Bag RoadTest  review as my introduction to the process. I see 9 of 19 possible reviews using the participation list at https://www.element14.com/community/allRoadTestReviews/2015#recentReviews . I appreciate this RoadTest may not be ideal for results. The Arduino kit review produced 5 reviews for 5 candidates Arduino Engineering Kit .

     

    Did your efforts result in any improvements on quality of applications?

     

    Has the end game of increasing the number of completed reviews improved?

     

    Has the quality of RoadTest reviews improved, gone down or stayed the same?

     

    Are you satisfied with the results or are there additional plans?

     

    Sean

  • in reply to colporteur

    I noticed the poor response rate for the New Year's Grab Bag Roadtest too, but that's not the only one. Conversely, as you say, the Arduino one had some good reviews. It would be good to hear 's thoughts on how things are going from his point of view.

  • in reply to gecoz

    I understand that sometimes I won't get all the reviews back. People get ill, or a family issue comes up. Or even someone gets laid off and now is looking for a full time job. These are valid reasons. When these things do arise, I tell the supplier and they always understand and are compassionate about these things.

     

    In every roadtest, I try to reserve a spot for a new/first time roadtester, because we always need new people in the program. But a new person still needs to write a reasonable application and I have to feel they can do the job. I have had several roadtests where ad no first timer write a reasonable application. I had no choice but to rely an experienced roadtesters.

     

    Am I too strict? I reflect on that a lot. I surely don't want to dissuade anyone from the program. But I need someone who has a genuine interest. So, if people don't complete the application or when I ask them to tell me about how they would roadtest and they say, "I dunno. I'll figure it out when I get the thing ion my hands." I have to think twice before sending it to that person when another applicant writes a good testing procedure.

     

    Randall

  • in reply to colporteur

    Sean,

     

    You ask some good questions that I want to answer.

     

    I am coming back from vacation tomorrow. Let me look this up first so I can answer your questions.

     

    Randall