A job application is the first impression a potential employer gets of you, and it can make or break your chances. This means you have to be careful and do everything right.
Something to point out, all these guidelines are based on my experience as a hiring manager and an applicant. Following these guidelines perfectly won't guarantee that your application will get you anywhere, some manager look for some pretty strange things.
Application Form
Some jobs require an application form and some don't. When there is an application form, it asks for the information the employer most wants to know, like work experience. The most important thing is to include all the relevant information. Don't leave a field blank unless it's optional or you don't have any relevant information to include. Remember, it is illegal to ask about certain things during the application process, like ethnic background and religion.
Another important thing to do right is how you format the information in each field. If you format things like your phone number or your name (I have seen it) incorrectly, an employer is likely to assume you have poor communication skills. This means proper capitalization in text, proper grouping in phone numbers and proper layout of things like addresses.
Cover Letter
Sometimes entry level positions wouldn't require a cover letter but all higher level and professional jobs do. Your cover letter should be tailored to the specifically to the job you're applying for and, when possible, addressed directly to the hiring manager. A cover letter should be brief, generally one page and never more than two, and professional. You should clearly state why you think you would be suited to the position and the organization.
It's crucial that your spelling and grammar are correct. One spelling error could remove you from consideration instantly. Read over your cover letter at least once, probably twice, before it goes off to an employer.
Résumé
Your résumé is the core of your application and thus the most important. It's always a good idea to tailor your résumé to the job somewhat and you absolutely must format it correctly. (You've probably noticed a theme.) It should be separated into sections that deal with the things employers look for, like work experience and education.
Be sure to keep all your points brief. Hiring managers have a large volume of applications to review and only have a few minutes to look at each one. If you feel needs to be expanded on you can do so in your cover letter but only if it's particularly relevant.
Email Application
Even though email is usually regarded as quite casual, an email application is not. You generally don't need a separate cover letter, the email body can serve that purpose. All the same rules apply to the email that apply to a conventional cover letter. The subject line should always contain the position you're applying for.
Addressing the Hiring Manager
In cases where you know the name of the hiring manager, you need to address them properly. The rule of thumb is to start as formal as possible and get more casual when they indicate it's appropriate. Obviously, if all you know is a first name then it's appropriate to use it but if you know a surname then that's what you should use to start with. The only exception is when you have no indication of what the appropriate salutation would be, like if they have a unisex first name such as Alex. If you're applying to me, you should start by addressing me as Mr. Loewen and later, once I've demonstrated that I'm a fairly casual employer you could start addressing me as Steve or Steven if you'd like.
Application Method
Most job postings include how you should apply and all list at least one piece of contact information. When there's an application method listed, that's how you need to apply. Otherwise you could be eliminated without your application even being read. If there's only contact information, then the method is at your discretion, just be sure to do it properly.
Hopefully you found this helpful and will make your job search easier.
Something to point out, all these guidelines are based on my experience as a hiring manager and an applicant. Following these guidelines perfectly won't guarantee that your application will get you anywhere, some manager look for some pretty strange things.
Application Form
Some jobs require an application form and some don't. When there is an application form, it asks for the information the employer most wants to know, like work experience. The most important thing is to include all the relevant information. Don't leave a field blank unless it's optional or you don't have any relevant information to include. Remember, it is illegal to ask about certain things during the application process, like ethnic background and religion.
Another important thing to do right is how you format the information in each field. If you format things like your phone number or your name (I have seen it) incorrectly, an employer is likely to assume you have poor communication skills. This means proper capitalization in text, proper grouping in phone numbers and proper layout of things like addresses.
Cover Letter
Sometimes entry level positions wouldn't require a cover letter but all higher level and professional jobs do. Your cover letter should be tailored to the specifically to the job you're applying for and, when possible, addressed directly to the hiring manager. A cover letter should be brief, generally one page and never more than two, and professional. You should clearly state why you think you would be suited to the position and the organization.
It's crucial that your spelling and grammar are correct. One spelling error could remove you from consideration instantly. Read over your cover letter at least once, probably twice, before it goes off to an employer.
Résumé
Your résumé is the core of your application and thus the most important. It's always a good idea to tailor your résumé to the job somewhat and you absolutely must format it correctly. (You've probably noticed a theme.) It should be separated into sections that deal with the things employers look for, like work experience and education.
Be sure to keep all your points brief. Hiring managers have a large volume of applications to review and only have a few minutes to look at each one. If you feel needs to be expanded on you can do so in your cover letter but only if it's particularly relevant.
Email Application
Even though email is usually regarded as quite casual, an email application is not. You generally don't need a separate cover letter, the email body can serve that purpose. All the same rules apply to the email that apply to a conventional cover letter. The subject line should always contain the position you're applying for.
Addressing the Hiring Manager
In cases where you know the name of the hiring manager, you need to address them properly. The rule of thumb is to start as formal as possible and get more casual when they indicate it's appropriate. Obviously, if all you know is a first name then it's appropriate to use it but if you know a surname then that's what you should use to start with. The only exception is when you have no indication of what the appropriate salutation would be, like if they have a unisex first name such as Alex. If you're applying to me, you should start by addressing me as Mr. Loewen and later, once I've demonstrated that I'm a fairly casual employer you could start addressing me as Steve or Steven if you'd like.
Application Method
Most job postings include how you should apply and all list at least one piece of contact information. When there's an application method listed, that's how you need to apply. Otherwise you could be eliminated without your application even being read. If there's only contact information, then the method is at your discretion, just be sure to do it properly.
Hopefully you found this helpful and will make your job search easier.
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