Cut out the smiley faces and cute IM slang
By Sharon Winfield
For the St. Louis American
Ever heard of the saying “first impressions are the last impressions” Oh so true, especially when you are searching for a job or wanting to make a career change.
If you have applied for a job in the last 7 years or so, chances are the company you were trying to get your resume to requested, required, demanded and only accepted resumes by email. So, say to yourself, how does one get their resume viewed via email? Your best bet is to ensure you are utilizing proper email etiquette. It is imperative that your email be professional and polished. If you decided your email should not display a polished, professional tone, then you may be in for a long job search. Stop with the funky fonts, smiling faces and distracting backgrounds.
To avoid sabotaging your job search, here are some tips to follow when sending cover letters by email:
Forget what Instant Messenger has taught you.
Do away with instant messenger and stick to the rules of English 101. Job recruiters report that young professionals are the applicants most likely to send too-casual emails.
It is inappropriate to use IM when applying for a job. Treat your email the exact way you would a cover letter (for those of you who don’t use a cover letter, shame on you).
Don’t be cute.
Never, ever send an email of your favorite puppy as a background. Stick with the basic fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier and Arial, along with black text on white paper only.
Moreover, those of you who are looking for a job and your email address is sexgoddess@, or Misshotthang@ or better yet, hotchocolate@, you might not get the chuckle you want. It is better to change your email address to something more appropriate.
If you leave your cell phone number as a contact number, please by all means make sure your voice mail message is appropriate. That means no music in the background. That’s right, no Nelly, Jay Z, Beyonce, etc. in the background saying to leave a message. This is extremely unprofessional.
Customize your cover letter to the job.
Mistake number three many applicants make is sending a blanket cover letter. To a recruiter who sees hundreds and hundreds of emails, this shows a lack of effort on the applicant’s part. Take the time to customize each cover letter specifically to the job and company you are applying for.
Don’t ramble.
Get to the point. Messages should be straightforward and concise. There is no need to spill your guts out as to why you feel you should be interviewed. Let your skills, knowledge and talents do that for you. To let you in on a little secret, most recruiters only devote a few seconds to each cover letter. They are looking for: position you are applying for, positions you have held, companies you worked for and your educational background. That’s it!
If attaching a cover letter, write a brief note in your email.
There’s no rule about whether a formal cover letter should be attached to an email or whether the email itself can serve as a cover letter.
If you attach your cover letter, the text of your email can say: “I really am interested in working for your company, please see attached resume and cover letter.” Also avoid being too creative in the subject line of an email. I recommend: “Experienced candidate seeking position as [name of position]” or “Experienced candidate seeking position with [name of company].”
By following the steps listed above, you put yourself ahead of the competition. Take the time to ensure your emails are concise, professional and polished.