The use of text language in job applications could lead to people missing out on the job that is just right for them, according to recruitment agencies.
Text language is has been used more frequently in Resumes, or Curriculum Vitae's (CV's), for positions in customer service, sales or administration over the last year.
Madison Recruitment national manager Julie Cressey said employers don't like receiving curriculum vitaes in text language.
"Because so much communication these days is via e-mail, it is very important that whatever you put in an e-mail makes sense when you are communicating with people," she said.
Up to 30 percent of job applications are now being written in text language to some extent.
Recruitment Consulting Services president Jacqui Barratt said Generation Y applicants seem to use text language as their main form of communication and they don't see anything wrong with it.
Although many applicants come from professional backgrounds or are university graduates, they are unable to construct good sentences or communicate in a business manner, she said.
Writing a curriculum in text language makes it very difficult to assess a person's ability to communicate, she said.
"There are few roles that communication doesn't play, or is not a key competency required. So when you see someone write a cover letter that is largely in text language, it does raise a flag that says, 'can this person actually construct a full sentence?'"
Having a cover letter of only three or four lines in a curriculum vitae of well-constructed English is better than one that is full of text language, Ms Barratt said.
"You want to be memorable for all the right reasons," she said.
Prospective employers could think someone using text language in job applications has a casual and relaxed approach to communication.
Moreover, email addresses used by applicants could also be a turn-off for employers. E-mail addresses such as 'sexyhotchick@hotmail.com' or 'meanbugger@yahoo.co.nz' are becoming more frequent, she said.
Even music on a cell phone can affect your chances of getting the right job.
"If I am ringing you for a job and I get 'Yo yo what's up bro, leave a message'. Or if there is a song playing in the background that goes on for a minute or something – I don't have time for that," she said.
Ms Barratt said people seem to have difficulty understanding what is professional and appropriate in the workplace as opposed to what is appropriate in social situations.
"The boundaries have become blurred."
Author and Developer of the Better Writing Series of Programmes Heather Ker said texting is inappropriate in a business environment.
"Texting is a personal thing. What is a text version of a word to me might not be the text version of a word to someone else," she said.
"The important thing to remember in business writing is that whatever you write represents who you are and (if you are in business) the company you are working for.
"If you send a CV to a company and it has texting in it, frequently they won't even read it. The impression you give is that you are in too much of a hurry to do things in full."
Clarity and accuracy are important for business, she said. "When you are in business, how you write has no body language with it. It is not the same as when you speak to someone where they can pick up on your meaning by the tone of voice or your gestures or the expression on your face. In e-mails, we have none of that.
"So how we come across has to be pretty carefully monitored and texting looks sloppy."
Ms Ker felt that the failure of students to learn the difference between formal and informal writing could explain the inappropriate use of text language.
"So while texting is great for personal messages and for students taking notes, it is not good to use in business correspondence," she said.
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