Teimlo asks for job applications via SMS

Teimlo, a Welsh mobile media and content company, is inviting people to apply for a marketing job via SMS.

Applicants have to send a text in which they will have to impress the company in 160 characters, including spaces, or less; which should concentrate the minds of those seriously interested in the job.

Phil Terrett, the chief executive of the Monmouthshire-based company, which produces mobile content for various organisations and companies, said he hoped that the novel application method would attract innovative applicants.

“It was one of those ‘light bulb’ moments. We hope to encourage sassy people, who are good with words, understand multi media and who can engage people in what we do.

"We have had one application which essentially just copied information from our site which is not very innovative. But we have also had some interesting applications,” he said.

Mr Terrett said that there were no hidden costs involved in applying for the job. People who apply for the job will be sent an acknowledgement text followed by a further text to let them know if they have been shortlisted.

“This is not a premium rate based process. If you have free texts then your application will be free; otherwise it will cost you the price charged by your operator for a standard text. We pay for the other text messages,” he said.

Once people have been shortlisted, the application process becomes more conventional and people will be asked to send a CV to the company via email.

The company has also advertised the job on Twitter and told people to text JOB plus their application message to short code 82088. Although the company has given no cut-off date, it hopes to have a shortlist by September for the job based in Usk, South Wales.