Many employers nowadays accept job applications via email. With this shift from printed-out traditional applications, many job applicants grapple with how to make an effective job application via email. Other applicants forget that this is their only chance to make a critical first impression and click the "Send" button without any second look or second thought just to get the job application off their to-do-list. No wonder their applications are ignored or at best laughed at by human resource officers.
The goal of making a job application does not change simply because the mode of application has changed. The main objective that should occupy the applicant's mind is to convince the employer to choose him/her instead of going for the other applicants.
Employers often receive hundreds or thousands of job applications and humanly speaking it is very difficult to give every application a detailed analysis. Most scan for keywords or look for small mistakes to justify not opening, downloading or printing out an application. Your case is closed if your application cannot be opened, is unprofessional, contains ridiculous grammatical errors or they cannot make head or tail of your application.
Here is Kenyan Jobs Blogspot top ten list of things to look out for or do to make your job application through email worth securing you an interview.
1. Use a professionally sounding email address
A job application is a serious matter and job seekers should avoid a casual approach when sending job application emails. Ensure that the email address you are sending your job application from sounds professional. The best theme for such an email address is the one that matches your name.
If your name is Another Other, seek to get an email addresses like Another.Other@yahoo.com or A.Other @gmail.com. There was a case in Kenya a while ago where an employer was complaining in the local press of a job applicant who used stickyfingers@yahoo.com or was it slimyfingers@yahoo.com to email a job application.
If you are already employed, avoid using your current work email address. Making job applications using your current employer may not be in your best interest. This may not be acceptable within the company's email policy. Many employers monitor or log email communications and a job application could be the last thing you want your current employer to come across.
2. Follow the employer's instructions given in the job advertisement
When employers define the job descriptions, requirements and application procedures, they expect applicants to take them seriously. This also defines the evaluation criteria and sets the employers frame of mind when reading and reviewing applications. Make sure you meet the required qualifications and essential requirements before sending your application. Follow the application procedure defined. Do not send un-requested documents and certificates.
3. Focus on the email subject
The email subject line is crucial for a successful job application. This will determine if your email will be opened or not. Some employers will give guidelines on what to write on the subject line. Follow these instructions. In the absence of the instructions, quote the job title applied for and any reference number given. For example "Accountant Position Application (Ref: 001) - Another Other". Including your name in the subject line enables evaluators to easily reference your application.
Non-existent or ambiguous email subjects can easily lead to your application being discarded or flagged by the email system as spam and not reach the intended audience despite your impeccable skills and competencies.
4. Appropriately name your CV and other attached documents
The naming scheme of your attached documents should be self-explanatory and consistent. Name your attached documents with your name as the prefix. For example "Another Other – Cover Letter.pdf", "Another Other – Resume.pdf". This will make it easier for the evaluators to pick up your documents.
Ensure your attachments are not large documents with heavy graphics. Images take a lot of space making your attachment time-consuming to download and open. Many email servers have size limits for attachments beyond which they get blocked. A safe size is to make sure a single document is less than 3MB.
Some applicants make the mistake of attaching scanned certificates from primary to post graduate overloading the employer's email servers. Avoid sending scanned certificates unless explicitly requested to. Your attached CV should not be more than four pages and your cover letter not more than one page.
Consider having the cover letter typed as the body of the email or as one of the pages in the CV document.
Ensure the format used can be opened in any standard computer. Most organizations have adopted PDF document format as an acceptable format because of legibility, preserves content and does not transmit viruses like word documents. When sending a word document ensure that you save it to be compatible with older versions of MS Word.
5. The body of the email is your sales pitch
Summarise your key qualities, skills and competencies in the body of the email and highlight what makes you the best candidate for the vacancy.
Keep the body of the email to a maximum of two paragraphs summarising why you are the best candidate for the job.
Make this section formal and professional. Avoid hi-five language and sheng. Paragraph and appropriately punctuate your content. Formally address the recipient e.g. Dear Ms So and So, Dear Sir/Madam. Appropriately sign the body of the email e.g.
Sincerely yours,
Miss Another Other (Full Names),
Email: Another.Other@yahoo.com,
Telephone: 000 111 222
Include contacts incase the employer is impressed enough to call you right away. Ensure you can be reached through this contact at any time or indicate an appropriate time when you are reachable. Employers don't fancy "mteja" businesses.
6. Be specific, brief and to the point
When making an email application, imagine meeting the CEO of the organization in question as he/she is entering a board room to meet other senior managers. The CEO impatiently asks you "Why should I hire you". What would you say? Will you start with "I was born in March 20 1967?" What if the CEO asks you, "Why should I hire you and not others who have similar qualifications like yourself?"
The body of the email, your application letter and curriculum vitae should serve the purpose of highlighting your key attributes that distinguish you from your competitors. The sooner and faster this is identifiable in your application, the better for you.
7. Spell check and proof read your application
Read through your application several times to make sure there are no grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, that it highlights your key competencies and makes sense. Have it reviewed by a third party whenever possible. Microsoft word and many email software have an inbuilt spell-check and thesaurus facilities for you to make use of before hitting the send button. Use these facilities and review your application to make sure the changes made are appropriate.
Ensure the formatting and fonts used are legible and professional. Avoid fancy fonts, layouts and colours.
8. Test-drive your application
Many applicants have the habit of putting their emails in the "CC" section to check what the potential employer will see. Unfortunately, it will be too late if you need to make changes. Why not send the application to yourself first before sending to the employer and make any necessary changes? Test whether the documents open, that the formatting is not distorted and make any corrections accordingly. Avoid copying your application to email addresses the potential employer is unaware of.
9. Send your application early enough
Many employers in Kenya give a two-week window for job seekers to send in their applications. Sadly, many wait until the last day's evening to rush to the cyber café to send in their applications before midnight.
The down side is that the Internet may be down at that moment and last minute panicking leads to errors in your application. Worse still, depending on the pressure and deadlines within the HR departments, the short list may already have been compiled by then; albeit mentally. In addition, the email servers may delay getting your application through up to three days after the deadline.
Why not send your application early enough to avoid last minute inconveniences and mistakes. You never know, your application may set the benchmark against which other applications are reviewed and you will get your chance at the interview room, which is the ultimate goal of a job application.
10. Cross your fingers – Literally!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Ten Ways to Make a Winning Email Job Application
