With more employers turning to the Internet for recruitment, you should acquaint yourself with the proper protocol for sending out your application, cover letter and resume via e-mail. Here's a list of "dos" and "don'ts" that highlights six basic (yet frequently overlooked) pointers to facilitate your on-line job search.
DO
1. Send out your job application from a formal e-mail address
Don't make the mistake of using an e-mail address that is suggestive or playful (e.g. hotchick@e-mailaddress.com or cooldude@onlinemail.com etc.). By doing so, your
job search process may end prematurely since the employer would discount your credibility and hence suitability for the position, even before your resume is viewed.
2. Visit the company's web site
With the Internet, the bio data of most companies is literally at your fingertips. Exploit this resource to find out more about each of the employers you are considering. Such research will allow you to determine if the organization's culture and environment suit your preferences so that you can avoid wasting time and effort applying for incompatible jobs. Just as importantly, prior research will also facilitate your drafting of a cover letter that caters uniquely to the company and position concerned.
3. Follow up your e-mail application with a phone call
As with applications via "snail" mail, you should establish contact with the hirer by following-up your e-mail with a courtesy phone call. This call serves two main purposes: Firstly, it allows you to confirm that your e-mail was indeed received (attachments intact etc.); and secondly, it shows the hirers that you are sincerely interested in the job opportunity.
DON'T
1. "Mass mail" your resume
Such an exercise may appeal to you given the user-friendly nature of e-mail programs (and appear to increase your odds of "hitting a target") but it is more sensible to focus your efforts on fewer, carefully selected job opportunities. By narrowing your list of "targets", you can thoroughly familiarize yourself with each potential employer (as mentioned above, do take advantage of the information available to you on the Internet to learn about the companies you are applying to). This in turn means that you are in a better position to customize your cover letter and resume accordingly, paving the way for an interview call-up.
2. Send out a virus with your e-mail
This is a sure-fire way to end your on-line job search. In the best-case scenario, the company's anti-virus software detects and deletes your e-mail; hence your application never reaches its intended recipient. In the worst-case scenario, the virus escapes detection and wrecks havoc on the company's computer network! To guard against these consequences, do install an up-to-date anti-virus programme that screens both in-coming and out-going e-mail.
3. Use colours/animation in your electronic resume
While it may be tempting to "show-off" your design and programming skills, do bear in mind that your resume will usually be printed out by the human resource personnel. Keep the font simple and limit the use of colours (background colours should be avoided altogether) - green font on a yellow background is not easily viewed (whether on screen or printed!) and you will risk frustrating the hirers and your job hunt. |
