Have you ever submitted a fabulous résumé and cover letter for a job you felt perfectly suited for... then heard nothing from the employer?
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# {( E6 C7 n/ X$ g4 b5 kThere are the usual reasons your phone may not ring or your e-mail may not chirp -- the company was restructured, the current job-holder decided to stay, the boss's nephew got the job. But if you find yourself not making it to the interview on a regular basis, you may be making some common mistakes that relegate résumés to the trash.
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2 i, n. u: M* }' t% cIf you're applying for jobs online you'll find an abundance of articles about how to format a résumé, so we'll focus on some don'ts. To begin here's a scenario similar to what HR departments see every day:
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"Hey, we've got a great candidate for customer service here. The only problem is her e-mail address." You check it out and see she has sent her application from
gothicbikerwitch@hotmail.com. It certainly conjures up an image, but not one usually associated with friendly, efficient customer service. This illustrates the first thing applicants can do wrong when applying online:
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1. Using an unprofessional e-mail address.
5 L- z( R% ~: {1 Y& SWhether it's the candidate for a management position who lists his e-mail address as
cuddlybuns@msn.com or the applicant who writes from
worksucks@mail.com, an e-mail address can and will be held against you if it conveys an image contrary to what a company is looking for.
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2. Submitting your résumé as an e-mail attachment.
3 F( ?( [$ j" ^" A) qE-mail attachments from strangers (or friends who haven't kept their computer systems up-to-date) are more likely to contain viruses than the résumés, love letters or photos of Paris Hilton promised in the subject line. Instead, send your résumé in the body of an e-mail, unless the employer specifically asks you to send an attachment.
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3. Leaving the subject line blank.
8 y1 |3 h4 }& V+ V: @4 Q; A! EThe subject line helps get your e-mail through to the right person so you can be considered for the right job. If the job listing doesn't say what to put in the subject line, use the job title with "Experienced" in front of it (e.g. Experienced Brain Surgeon).
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4. Using obscure software.
1 g" |; s6 }/ T9 eIf the employer asks you to send an attachment, don't create it in some little-known program they'll need a Ph.D. in computer systems to figure out. Instead, attach a Word document or an RTF file that can be read on all types of computer systems.
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5. Ignoring instructions. 4 O* v/ |' s6 K
For example, if the employer asks you to fill out an online form ... actually fill it out. Don't paste your entire résumé into the first box on the form then say "see above" in the boxes that follow. The employer may be looking for specific things in each part of the form.
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3 u& r o: X, a; o/ E* x6. Trusting the spell check to catch typos. ( O, Z1 B/ k0 b) L# I6 o
One applicant who applied to FabJob said "As I would very much like to develop a relationship with Fabio, I am willing to be flexible..." To avoid potential embarrassment, make sure you read twice before hitting send.
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Next time you apply online we hope you make such a great impression you end up with that corner office the boss's nephew wanted.
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Tag and Catherine Goulet, "The Breaking In Experts," are co-CEOs of FabJob.com, a leading publisher of career guides offering step-by-step advice for breaking into a variety of dream careers. Visit www.FabJob.com.
