Do's and Don’ts of Applying for Jobs Online

Almost all job applications are now sent via email.  As an HR Director and Recruiter I’m often asked, “Does anyone actually read my resume when I apply online or does it just end up at the very bottom of someone’s inbox?” My answer to both questions: “Sometimes.”

Because of the very large volume of resumes companies receive, and the fact that quite often only one person is responsible for screening all of them; some resumes get read, and some get tossed.

Want to keep your resume out of the tossed pile and get it read by the right person?  Then check out this simple list of do’s and don’ts for online resumes.

Do’s

• Do include your place of residence on the resume.  Some employers will only interview local candidates and if you are local but don’t have your address on the resume, they will often assume you are out of state and will not even read the resume.  If you are out of state and they are only looking for local candidates and they call for a phone interview, it will waste both your time and theirs. 
• Do make sure you meet at least 3/4^th of the job requirements and that they are stated  clearly on your resume.  This should be an obvious one but surprisingly, hundreds of people apply for jobs for which they are not qualified. 
• Do keep your resume in bulleted format - it’s easier to read than narratives.
• Do add dates of employment to each position listed on your resume.
• Do include both an email address and a phone # where you can be reached.
• If they ask for a cover letter – include a cover letter.
• If they ask for salary requirements or history, include them.
• Do take the time to find out to whom you should address the cover letter – yes this may actually involve a phone call or two to the main office. 

Don’ts

• Don’t turn your cover letter into an autobiography - keep it short and focused on how your experience meets the requirements of the job description.
• Don’t be overly personal or casual.
• Don’t use the exact same cover letter for different positions/companies – we can tell when you do that and it makes you look lazy.
• Don’t forget to change your “objective” to match the position for which you are applying.  If you are applying for a Business Analyst role – the objective should include something about being a Business Analyst (not QA Analyst). You may be applying for roles with different titles, make sure each resume matches each position for which you’re applying. 
• Don’t use an unprofessional email address – your application will not be taken seriously for a management role with bubblebunny@xxxx.com as your email address. 
• Don’t forget to modify your voice mail message when you are on the job hunt.  Many managers will call you to see what kind of phone manner you have.  If it’s casual, includes music, uses slang, or anything of the like – you will most likely not be invited in for an interview.
• Don’t have any incriminating posts on any of your social networking pages!  Hiring managers check these sites to see if they can get a sneak peek at potential candidates.  If there is a picture of you doing a keg stand on your facebook page, you have probably just ruined your chance for an interview.  Change your pages, pictures and posts to be minimal and professional.  When you work for a company, you represent them even on your down time – managers want to know that you will be a good ambassador of their firm. 

If you’ve gone at least a week without any acknowledgement regarding receipt of your resume, it’s perfectly fine to follow up on your application, provided you don’t bombard the person with nagging emails.  A simple “I’m emailing to enquire about the status of my resume” will do just fine. 

If after that, you still don’t hear back, it probably wasn’t the job for you.  At that time it may be best to move on and set your sights on another opportunity. 

Comment on this post.

What do you think?  

Indicates a required field

First Name:

Email:

URL:

Comment: