Career Services

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Tips and Tricks for Applying Online

With the wide network of internet job sites present today, job seekers have seemingly unending choices and opportunities to find and apply for the myriad of positions available.

• Get your resume to stand out. If you are applying online, make sure your resume screams out your skills and experience in the first sentence, and be sure to follow the instructions given on the posting. If the posting tells you to go to the company's website to apply, do it.

• Be proactive in your job search. Don't just click your resume through...call the company or contact to follow up. If you are including your resume as an attachment, be sure the file name includes your name.

• Include a cover letter with your resume and indicate how your background matches the job specifications. Include a brief yet compelling description of your experience and qualifications for the job. If you don't know whether the recruiter is a man or woman, address the note "To whom it may concern."

• When communicating electronically, use the header to your advantage. Write to catch the reader's attention. Reference the job number or position. Be sure to include your name, and make yourself familiar to the recruiter.

• Research the company. Demonstrate why you would be a good "fit." Don't just send a generic resume that you send to everyone. Be sure your accomplishments and qualifications match the job description.

• Use a chronological format, starting with your most recent position. If there are employment gaps, explain this in your cover letter and describe what you have been doing since your last position. It's best to provide a reason for the gap. If you have done freelance or part time work since your last job, that's much better than leaving the recruiter wondering.

• The recruiter is looking for a candidate that is the best fit for the open position. If you are unable to show how your experience relates to the job requirements, don't apply.

• Do make your resume clear and easy to read. Don't mix and match font sizes and styles. A recruiter may have to review hundreds of resumes. If yours is difficult to read or hard to follow, it will likely be discarded early in the process.

by Lynn Hazan, Executive Recruiter of Lynn Hazan & Associates www.careerbuilder.com (2004)

Have Questions? Contact the Career Services Office at jobsinc@centralgatech.edu.