The Rules For Electronic Job Applications (From A Real Hiring Manager)

I have a friend who is the (defacto) hiring manager at a local non-profit organization. After hearing about the crazy applications she received for an open position, I asked her to share her experiences for the benefit of the Gradversity readers. The result is her list of “rules” for electronic job applications. I hope you find it useful.

I have chosen not to include her name or organization as this list is not officially sanctioned by her company.

This past summer I had the opportunity to hire an employee for a 9-week contract position. I work for a small, not-for-profit company that develops injury prevention programs. I posted the position on Craigslist and received over 400 email applications. Given the overwhelming response, I developed some simple rules for job hunters to follow when applying for jobs electronically.

1. Always include contact information in an email signature.
2. Attach a cover letter instead of including it in the body of the email.
3. Consider bullet points for cover letters – they stand out to recruiters who are scanning electronic applications.
4. Keep the email message brief but be sure to sell yourself in a few key points. Try to include something unique.
5. Apply using the method advertised on the posting. If email is advertised, apply by email.
6. Avoid slang or conversational language in your cover letter, resume and email message.
7. Try using an alternate format – one of the strongest applications I received included a banner of quotes from past co-workers and employers.
8. Follow-up using the method posted in the job ad. In other words, if the posting requested email applications, follow-up via email.
9. Save your resume and cover letter in pdf format as it can be read on almost any computer.
10. When applying by email, use an email address that includes your name.

I hope these 10 tips are helpful to you in your electronic job hunt!