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9 Tips on Creating a Professional Emailed Job Application
by Angela Wu
With the advent of the Internet, many of us have the
opportunity to apply for work through email.
However, just because this is the Internet and email is
so fast and convenient, that does NOT mean you should give
up professionalism and polish!
First impressions count. I recently looked over a few
emailed applications, and let me tell you, it was an
eye-opening experience! Here are a few examples of
how *not* to do things ...
- One person simply forwarded the job description to the
hiring company. There was no explanatory letter, no name
(just some garbled email address), no nothing. Why should
a company want to hire someone who can't be bothered to
make an effort?
- Several people got the name of the hiring party wrong.
Some misspelled it, others substituted someone else's name.
- Spelling mistakes, typos, grammatical errors, and
formatting problems like you wouldn't believe. One
person said that her greatest strength was her attention
to 'detal' (should have been 'DETAIL'); another said it
was his responsibility to 'a tent to customers' ('ATTEND
to customers').
It almost goes without saying that you should always
follow the application instructions provided. If you're
inquiring or applying for a job - regardless of whether
it's online or in the 'real world' - there are certain
rules of etiquette that apply:
- Greet the person. Don't just barge in and start
writing. A simple "Dear ___" is great.
- Correctly spell the company's name and that of the
hiring manager. If you don't know how to spell them,
take a few seconds and find out.
- Indicate what position you're applying for. Be
specific; the company may be hiring for more than one
job.
- Provide a brief summary of your relevant skills. Keep it short and to the point.
- Check your spelling and grammar. It takes just a
few minutes. If you are not confident about doing this
yourself, ask a friend or family member to check it over
for you.
- Be courteous! Don't make demands. Remember that
the *only* thing the hiring manager sees is your email -
he or she can't see your facial expressions or body
language, so take extra care in the words you select
and how you put them together.
- Format your email to 60 characters per line. Many
email programs automatically 'word-wrap' somewhere between
60 and 70 characters. Add a hard return when you reach 60
characters on a line; this will ensure the company gets
a nicely formatted application, just like you intended.
- Tell them how to contact you. As the bare minimum,
leave your phone number and email address.
- And for goodness' sakes, tell them your name. This
is so obvious it's painful, yet I've seen dozens of
applications there are not signed. End your letter with
'Sincerely', 'Regards' or 'Yours Truly', and then sign
your name.
Competition for home based jobs is fierce, and companies
can afford to be choosy. Don't give them a reason to
pass you by! Professionalism still counts - even on the
web.
About the Author:
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical guide to building a business on a beginner's budget. You can request a series of 10 free reports
to get you started by sending an email to businessbasics@workyourleads.com... or visit http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html.
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