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Column: Part 3: The Job Application Process;
Or, Ads To Interviews: Getting To Where You Want To Go
Once you have done your planning and homework, either from my earlier columns or via traditional jobhunting programs, it is time to apply for jobs. You know what you want to do. You have a resume to assist you. Now it is time to get those interviews.
Step 9: Responding to Job Ads
You can find job ads online, in print, via mailing lists, or other ways. Once you see an ad that matches your interests, it is your turn to make the employer aware that you are qualified and interested in the position.
- First, do a little research on the organization.
- Second, write a good cover letter.
- Third, send the appropriate resume with it, following instructions in the ad.
See, it is not so hard to understand. But sometimes it is hard to do. Lots of hiring managers can tell you about the cover letter they got that was addressed to another company, or the resume sent in with no details about why and no cover letter, or the resume that came with no contact info other than a name, and so forth.
So what do you do?
First, do your research!
See what you can find out about the organization: look at its website if one is shown, try a web search for recent articles or information, ask people you know, and ask the reference librarian at your local public library. Most organizations have some public information, if only what the local economic development agency keeps on them. This research should help you decide if you are interested in working there. Think carefully about the information you have gathered to see if the position and the organization meet your goals and values.
If you are interested, write a good cover letter.
Most major jobsites, like Monster, have examples and articles on cover letters. (One of the most comprehensive set of sample letters is at www.careerlab.com.)
What is a 'good' cover letter? It includes the following:
- Title of the position and the source of the ad.
- A brief recap of your background as it relates to the specifications detailed in the ad. This is the most important part, and a simple chart is the easiest way to make clear your qualifications for each requirement stated.
- A reference to something you have learned about the organization that makes you a good match for its needs. This helps you show you did some homework first and know what you want. It also says you understand something important about the business and can help the company succeed.
- Details about how to contact you.
This letter should be one page at most. Avoid cliches as much as possible. Proofread it carefully—errors here are a red flag that you are careless.
Why waste time and energy to research the organization and write a cover letter? This time and the information gathered will result in a higher probability of getting the interview. You will stand out from all those applicants who did not bother or who sent in a generic 'I am very interested in your job and have all the skills you seek' type letter. Hiring managers and HR folk look at your cover letter and see a potential employee. As the old ad says, "When you care enough to send the very best...." And that is what employers are deciding as they look at your cover letter.
The right resume
You have written your cover letter. Now choose the most appropriate resume for the position. You may have only one resume, or you may have several. But when it comes time to respond to an ad, you want your resume to be tailored to the position. This is not as hard as it sounds:
- Compare your resume versus the job specifications.
- Should you add or expand anything?
- Make a relevant relationship pop out?
- Perhaps you have done freelance work, which you show on your resume in terms of the work done or technologies used. Look at this work to see if you have worked for any clients in the same industry as the hiring organization; if so, you might put in those clients' names. Or, you are applying for the webmaster position at an online antique mall—that college job you had in an antique shop would be a great addition.
Don't expect your cover letter to do all of this for you. Sure, the chart showing your background as it matches the requirements helps. But your resume needs to reinforce that. One of the delights of computers is that this is easy to do. One of the difficulties is that now everyone expects you to do such tailored resumes. The days of the fancily printed 'resume for all purposes' are long gone.
Now it is time to send this off. Many organizations prefer all resumes to come via email. Make it easy on them, and cut and paste all your text into the email if they do not specify that they will accept attachments. Lots of organizations have grown leery of the bugs that come as attachments. If they accept attachments, do put your cover letter into the email and save your resume for the attachment. If you do send an attachment, be sure it is in the most common formats so that there are no translation problems. If your response is not directly to a button on the organization's website, remember to use the position title as the subject line in your email. Do not name your resume resume.doc—put your name in it. If they ask for responses by fax or regular mail, follow their request. If you don't have access to a fax, local office supply stores and a wide range of other services offer them at reasonable rates.
Timing
Every expert has a different view on how fast you should respond to an ad. There are the 'have it on their desk by Monday morning' folk to the 'use any ad, no matter how old.'
While most hiring managers want a person yesterday, few respond that quickly themselves. So, when you see an ad that interests you, check the date. This requires a little research on some sites that trawl for ads from others, but is often very easy to find on the major websites and is obvious in print ads. If it is relatively recent ( I think that means up to 5-6 weeks old for most positions, more for the most unusual or senior ones, 1-3 months for those in trade periodicals), respond. If you see an ad in the Sunday Post, take enough time to do the research. Getting it there Monday is not your first priority.
Salary
What if the ad says you must include salary to be considered? DON'T! You do not know where your information may be passed. Tell them you will be happy to discuss it if there is a potential match. Or give a range you would accept ($45-$60,000) if you prefer. Or just ignore the request.
Want a wonderful and different take on this from a headhunter's perspective? Go to www.asktheheadhunter.com and look at the article on salary questions.
Response Time
I sent my resume and have not heard anything.
No response? Follow-up at the 10- to 12-day point—emails do get lost, recruiters do get busy. Two follow-ups is the max though, if they do not contact you. Make your follow-up notes (or calls if you have a number) professional:
- I sent in my resume for job x two weeks ago, and I am very interested in the position.
- Could you tell me if any decisions have been made or when I might expect to hear?
No demands, no fuss, no threats. And, yes, every recruiter has had these: the applicants who demand to talk to an executive because the recruiter is obviously too stupid to see their worth, the person who curses or cries.
TIP: Don't apply to several different jobs at an organization in a short time. Recruiters do notice this and wonder why you do not know what you want to do. But if it has been 3-6 months and the same or a similar job opens up, do apply again. Many organizations don't review their resume files effectively; others do not maintain such files.
Step 10. Responding through an employee you know
Perhaps someone you know or have networked with tells you about a job in her organization. Or you hear through another method and remember that you know a person there. These leads are often lost because the applicant doesn't think of this as applying for the job but thinks of it as the friend's responsibility: "I told Joe I was interested" or "My friend will take care of me." Don't make this mistake!
When you get one of these leads, treat it very similarly to any other job ad. Sure, first you talk to the person you know to get any additional information about the job and the organization. Then do your own research. Then formally email/send your contact your cover letter and resume.
What are the differences?
- In your cover letter, thank the person for letting you know of the job (or for talking to you about it).
- Ask if he or she will give your resume to the right person, or if he or she prefers you to go directly to someone else, and if so whom.
- Then go right into your chart of qualifications and the rest of your typical cover letter.
This lets the employee pass it on and get credit professionally. Plus many companies have an employee referral program. Also, it shows you as a professional who can stand on your own merits.
Step 11: Keep your network going
We talked previously about building your network. This process continues throughout your jobhunt (and beyond.) Each new contact you make should get a thank-you letter and a copy of your resume. Any job lead you get should result in several actions:
- Research to decide if you want to pursue the lead.
- If you do, contact the new person about the job directly. If you have an address, follow the same plan above as you would for a job ad. Substitute the person's name who provided you with the lead in the opening sentence for the 'read your ad at Monster' line.
- Whether you pursue it or not, remember to thank the person who gave you the lead.
- Ask if you can pass it on if you know someone else who might be interested.
Step 12: Direct contacts
Perhaps you have identified organizations you really want to work with, but have seen no jobs there that meet your goals. Find out the name of the top person in your field who works there. This info may be on the website, in public documents, or from the company when you call the company and ask—just get the correct spelling!
Write to that person directly. Tell her why you want to work there and what you can contribute. Put a little 'sales' effort into your cover letter. It still should be one page long but it can be more detailed than an ad-response one. Attach a resume.
Another option, especially good if you are changing your direction, is to write a one- to two-page letter and skip the resume. In either case, put in a line about when you will contact her, and put it on your calendar too!
There are samples of these broadcast/direct letters on many websites, including:
Through all these efforts, be sure you are maintaining good records. You want to be able to easily pull your packet up when you get a call from the company. You need to be able to thank the right people, pass on leads to others, and continue to grow your network. This, plus your research efforts, is why job hunting is hard work. But it is also true that an effective jobhunt may be the most worthwhile investment you ever make.
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