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 invitation for him. He, therefore, adds the following statement in his application message: "I hope you will review my application if you believe I am 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 the _____.
a. use of second-person pronouns and receiver-focused statements
b. customized nature of the message
c. use of subjunctive words that indicate lack of confidence
d. use of contemporary language
The most likely reason for the rejection of Mark's application is the c. use of subjunctive words that indicate lack of confidence.
The phrase "I hope you will review my application if you believe I am a good candidate" suggests uncertainty and a lack of assertiveness about his qualifications. A more confident approach would be to assert his qualifications directly without conditional phrasing.