Mark, a history professor, is applying for a job at a university. He needs to write an application letter to persuade the dean of the university to extend an interview invite to him. He, therefore, adds the following statement in his application message: "I hope you will go through my application and consider me a good candidate for the position of the head of the department of history." However, Mark's application gets rejected. The most likely reason for the rejection of Mark's application is:
A)the customized nature of the message.
B)the use of contemporary language.
C) the use of subjunctive words that indicate lack of confidence.
D) the use of second-person pronouns and receiver-focused statements.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The use of subjunctive words like "hope" and "consider" can indicate a lack of confidence, which might not be appealing to employers looking for a department head who exhibits strong leadership and decisiveness.

Mark, a History Professor, Is Applying for a Job at a University