Job Application

Six ways to screw up an online job application
How simple mistakes can really add up on your job application

Hook ‘em with your job application
Learn how a well polished job application can lead to a great job

Job application topics on Employment Spot
More job application resources on Employment Spot

Six ways to screw up an online job application

Tag and Catherine Goulet, co-CEOs, FabJob.com

Have you ever submitted a fabulous résumé and cover letter for a job you felt perfectly suited for… then heard nothing from the employer?

There 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.

If 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:

"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:

1. Using an unprofessional e-mail address. Whether 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.

2. Submitting your résumé as an e-mail attachment. E-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.

3. Leaving the subject line blank. The 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).

4. Using obscure software. If 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.

5. Ignoring instructions. 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.

6. Trusting the spell check to catch typos. 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.

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.

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.

Job Application topics on EmploymentSpot

Master the Interview: Insights from the Inside – Employment Spot
At the very minimum, each interviewer expects the applicant to bring extra copies of their resume and a completed job application form if required.

Cover letter closer – EmploymentSpot Tip of the Week Thank the employer for considering your job application and write that you will call to check on …

Find more job application information on Employment Spot

Hook ‘Em With Your Job Application

Kate Lorenz, Editor

When you’re ready for a new job, you buy the thickest job search book at Borders, find a cover letter and resume that look good to you, tailor them to your personal information, and, voila, you’re ready to start your job search. Your cover letter sounds professional, there are no typos in your resume and you have all the skills required for the position. But you’re not getting any interviews.

Job seekers are shooting themselves in the feet all because they’re not giving just a small amount of extra effort. Create a connection between you and the job, company, industry or leadership, and you increase your chances of an interview and an offer.

As you begin your research on a prospective employer, keep an eye out for any clues that could lead to a personal connection with someone in the company.

If the company’s Internet site contains executive biographies, read them carefully for any possible connections. Weave this information into your cover letter and send it to the executive with whom you found a connection. Send a second letter to the human resources contact.

Perhaps you’ve unknowingly volunteered side by side with someone from the company you’re targeting. Check out information about any foundations the company may have or corporate sponsored charity. Call the head of community relations to see if you can make a connection. He or she may be willing to get your resume to the right person.

Check out trade publications and press release archives. Who are the company’s major suppliers and clients? Perhaps you’ve worked for one of them as an employee or intern, done freelance work for one of their divisions or know someone who works for one of their clients.

You also can use this same process to identify connections between your previous employers and those you are targeting. One person who applied to Loyola University in Chicago cited her work experience in Catholic higher education as well as her knowledge of the Jesuit mission from attending Loyola New Orleans.

Have you attended seminars or industry events that featured the CEO or another top-level executive of a company that you are targeting for employment? Include a sentence or two about something he or she said during the speech in your cover letter.

Are you a member of the same professional organization as the hiring manager? Use this information to demonstrate that you know the business and already have a connection to the company. Include a statement about the benefits of the organization in your contact letter.

Have you worked for a competitor of the prospective employer? More than likely you have great industry contacts and understand the challenges in the industry. This is a distinct advantage that can spell success for you.

Your hook to the prospective employer can reap rewards ranging from winning an interview to receiving a job offer. The key is finding your hook and using it in your contact with the prospective employer.