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3 Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Applying To Jobs Online

Posted by admin under Job-Industry

This article addresses the issue of online job applications specifically, as it seems that the bad habits that come with browsing the Web have permeated to the job application process. It is no secret that our attention span on the Web is very short. For some reason, this impatience has built itself into how we respond to job postings.

Following are 3 bad habits to avoid at all costs:

1) Applying to positions we are not qualified for. The Web has streamlined how we communicate with each other. We often see postings on the Web we “may” be interested in and quickly apply to them without giving it more thought. That is the path to failure as the whole process is built on wishful thinking. Most people who have this habit will then have a tendency to send a short email, along with a generic resume (or no resume at all!). Recruiters can easily identify these types of applicants and will not waste their time reviewing these applications. For these applicants the issue really is: If you are not interested in the position, why bother applying and, if you are indeed interested in the position, why don’t you put more effort into it?

2) Lack of professionalism when applying online. It is certainly true that the Web has broken a lot of frontiers, including that between people. We are much more informal on the Web. Some people push this attitude too far however to the point of using the wrong “tone” when applying for a job. Keep in mind that a certain degree of formalism should remain. It’s preferable to lean on the safe side. You probably have heard that when attending a job interview, better dress conservatively (except if you are an artist, or working in the creative field) than push your luck. At the end of the day, you will be hired for your competence. You don’t want your outfit to be a distraction. Same thing for your job application. You don’t want anything to distract the employer when reviewing your job application. Being too informal could have a nagging effect on some recruiters and might jeopardize your candidacy.

3) Failure to recognize competition. The internet has leveled the playing field by allowing more job seekers to gain access to more job postings. Jobs posted online are accessible to anybody who has an internet connection. With this increased exposure comes increased competition. Yet, many job seekers fail to fully acknowledge this reality. When posting an opening online, an employer can be bombarded with as many as thousands of applications. Knowing that, you should ask yourself what you have done to stand out.

There are no shortcuts to finding a job. Time is of the essence. Choose which jobs are worth applying to carefully and spend as much time as needed to put all the odds on your side. You only need one job, so focus on tailoring each of your applications. It’s not an odds game. Applying to many openings won’t necessarily increase your odds if each of your applications don’t make the cut.

The 6 No’s Of Applying For A Job Online

Posted by admin under Job-Industry

Online advertising for jobs has now over taken, in terms of expenditure, job advertising offline.  But are candidates responding appropriately to an online job advert?

Here are  6 tips to ensure you have the best chance of successfully applying for a job on line

Don’t read the job title only.  Project Manager/Accountant/Lawyer/IT Consultant – one of these titles may apply to you but the body of the job may not.  Read the job details carefully and only apply for those roles you feel you qualify for – or at least might qualify for.
Don’t attach a CV with spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.  Our own conversations with recruitment departments have demonstrated that if they see your CV and you haven’t been able to phrase your own experience with correct grammar or there are spelling mistakes contained within your CV it leaves them with limited confidence that you can operate at the level they need.  This is especially true if a part of your role is writing reports of some description.  This point may seem obvious but it is more then just a spell check.  Have you used the word “incite” instead of “insight” or other similar sounding words.  Take the time to get it write….(right!)
Don’t apply to the same recruiter for a variety of different jobs requiring diverse skills.  Are you really an expert in Supply Chain, Transaction Services and Merger Integration?  What are the requirements of the roles you are applying for?  If they clearly state you need to be a proven expert in a given area – show your focus and apply for the role that you can realistically perform well in.  As a recruiter, receiving several applications from the same candidate, for several distinctly different roles (that required a specific expertise) immediately leaves an impression that you are not focussed in any area. 
Don’t ignore the recruiter.  Even if youhave a great CV and you are applying for the right role, add a courteous cover letter referring to your application. Ideally refer to a key element of the job requirements and how your skills and experience relate.
Don’t ignore the requirements.  Expanding on the previous point, if you read and liked the role, you read the requirements too but were short on one or two aspects – the cover letter is a good opportunity to highlight why your application is still relevant.  If you ignore the requirements and the recruiter has lots of applications the chances are s/he will not consider that you may have compensating skills and experience.
Don’t forget where you applied.  It’s easy to do; keep a track of what jobs you applied for and when.  If the recruiter calls you and you have no clue about the job and when or how you applied –it doesn’t leave the best first impression.

Most of the above is common sense, certainly for the seasoned professional.  However if I had £5 for every job application I have read – applying for relatively senior consulting roles or similar – that didn’t apply the basics as described above I would own a small private island right next to Richard Branson’s!”  Take a few extra minutes when applying online and ensure you give yourself the best chance of getting the job you want.

Applying For Healthcare Jobs Online

Posted by admin under Job-Industry

As the need for people in the healthcare profession has grown considerably, the industry has started working to find the most qualified people to fill these positions.  This means that they have begun using the internet as a way to reach out to more and more people.  You can find a number of job listings on boards that are solely dedicated to finding jobs for people in the healthcare industry.  These listings are often very detailed and allow people to search through the numerous job opportunities to find the one that will work best for them.  

If you are someone who works in the healthcare industry and you are trying to find a new job, then most likely you are going to need to know how to find and apply for these jobs online.  The good news is that over the years the process of applying online has been refined, and it is now easier than ever to apply for these positions.  This is because many of the employers who take online applications have a simple and easy to follow application that will allow you to fill in the blanks of the basic information so that you can get into their system.

There is also usually an area where you can upload your resume.  If this is the case, then you will want to make sure that you read and follow the instructions that are listed on the site very carefully. The reason for this is that some companies have a rule about what kind of documents they will allow to be uploaded.  For example, there are some sites that will only allow documents that have been saved in rich text format to be uploaded.  This is done to help reduce the risk of a virus infestation on the company’s computer system, and if you were to load the wrong type of document then your application could immediately be dismissed.

Something else that you will want to consider is how your resume is laid out.  Since this application process is done completely over the internet, you will want to make sure that you stand out from the other applicants.  This can be done by working on your resume to highlight your experience and education in a clear and concise manner.  Too often people choose to try and fit in too much information, and this makes their resume look cluttered and unprofessional.  By cleaning up your resume and using concise language you are making sure that the people examining your application are seeing the important aspects of your career.

Since most resumes are only a page long, this means that you may need to find a way to fit in a lot of information into a small space.  Do not try to use too many complicated acronyms or abbreviations as this can cause confusion.  Just be sure to use bulleted points to reference the training and experience that you feel is most closely related to the job that you are applying for.