Applying via E-mail and On-line

Increasingly, connecting with employers is done electronically, which presents new challenges to the job seeker. Consider the following guidelines as you manage your on-line job search.

APPLYING VIA E-MAIL:

• Establish a professional, formal email account name, avoiding words or phrases that will undercut your credibility.
• Follow instructions, i.e. referencing job code numbers in the header.
• Use a short but meaningful subject header which includes your name.
• Send your resume and cover letter in the body of the email. You may also make them attachments, but not all employers will be willing to open such documents.
• Write your correspondence as a formal letter, using an appropriate salutation and not using emoticons or all capital letters.
• Use a standard font such as Times or Arial and do not use the Tab key, bold or italics .
• Replace bulleted items with standard keyboard symbols such as an asterisk (*) or a dash (-).
• Edit lines to 65 characters or fewer and allow lines to wrap naturally.
• Include a section of "Key Words" communicating skills and areas of knowledge.
• Proof your work just as you would hard-copy correspondence.

POSTING YOUR APPLICATION TO ORGANIZATION WEBSITES:

• Follow company-specific web site instructions, but be cautious in providing personal information such as social security number.
• Review as much of the application site as is allowed to avoid entering information in an incorrect or less appropriate section and to plan your entry of your qualifications.
• Complete all fields, even those that are not required.
• Be aware of when your application is submitted; some sites allow you to enter data in stages with a final submit option.
• Proof your work just as you would hard-copy.
• Target your information to the individual company and the specific position, using words found in the job description wherever possible.
• Submit applications for each job of interest, updating your profile as appropriate.
• Use key words found in the job description in your qualifications and in fields requesting such a summary.
• Follow-up with employers on specific openings just as if hard-copy been sent.