Session One - Your Email Address
Your job application is the very first impression employers have of you.
It’s their ONLY experience of you, ever.
You are being judged solely on this application - they haven’t met you, they don’t
know how lovely you are, they haven’t sat and had a chat with you.
Your job application is the ONLY representation of you they have.
They want to see a professional application, regardless of your industry.
Don’t think because you work with your hands as a plumber or heavy vehicle
mechanic that your CV can look like a dog’s breakfast. It will be disregarded
within seconds.
They want to see that you’re neat, organised, pay attention to details and show
respect for others. A messy CV will not achieve this goal!
We want to give the message that you are serious about applying for this job.
Employers will be spending thousands of dollars on the successful applicant and
they don’t want to waste their money on an unsuitable candidate.
So from the first second they receive your application, they have to see
professionalism and commitment. They are very serious about where they spend
their money and little details matter a LOT!
And this leads us into today’s topic - Your Email Address.
Your email address must be professional and not refer to your pets, children,
partner, favourite superhero or sexual prowess.
Never use a “family email” for job applications
Never use a “work email” for job applications, this is particularly
unprofessional, it’s very bad form to look for a new job while at work
The safest and most professional rule:
Your email address needs to match your name, so for example
If your email address doesn’t match your name, please create a new email
address. Gmail is free and there is no limit to the number of emails you can
create.
It’s very easy to forward all your emails to your regular email address.
This is a good (and quick) video tutorial:
Make sure the FROM field is just your name and surname, nothing else.
Don’t try to be cute or creative, just keep it very simple.
And remember to add your new email address to your CV!
HOMEWORK:
Make sure your email address matches your name and if not, create a new
email address.
Remember to set it to forward all emails to your regular email address!
Session Two - Greetings!
An employer is not your friend.
Remember, they don’t know you, they’ve never met you - all they know of you is this
email application in front of them.
The way you address them is the VERY FIRST THING they learn about you.
You need to show respect, or you’ve lost the job right there, before they even open
your CV.
Don’t try to be cute or funny, now is not the time for that.
You need this person!
You need them to want to read the rest of your application - so now is not the time to
treat them as an equal.
Regard them as your future boss.
Keep it 100% professional for this, and every other part of the application process.
This section focuses on how to address the employer or recruiter, in the body of the
email. (We will tackle appropriate email subject lines tomorrow).
If you know their name, use it.
EXAMPLE:
Dear Ms Fisher
If you don’t know their name, you can either use Sir / Madam or a job title.
EXAMPLE:
Dear Hiring Manager
Do not use the following:
Yo!
Hi
Hey y’all
Greetings!
Howdy
What’s up?
Or even worse, no greeting at all!
HOMEWORK:
Go back to some emails you’ve sent employers and check how you started the emails.
How did you address each employer?
Session Three - Subject Lines Matter!
The email subject is the very first thing the employer or recruiter reads from you, so
there can’t be any mistakes. It’s your first opportunity to catch their attention and if
inappropriate, will cost you the job.
Today I received an email with the subject “Curriculum Virtue” and it was repeated in
the email body. If that candidate claims on their CV to have “meticulous attention to
detail,” I can’t believe them.
So – we have to make sure there are NO spelling or grammar errors in your email
subject.
If you aren’t sure how to spell a word, don’t use it!
If you’re emailing a job application, make it easy for employers to find you.
Include your name, job title and ID (if applicable).
Job application: project manager, #12345 – Roz Fisher
This is ALL that is required, don’t try to be cute or funny.
They will not see you as “quirky or funny,” they will see you as inappropriate.
There are some awesome articles about this online, I’ve collected some of the tips
from Indeed.com:
An unprofessional email address
We covered this in yesterday’s session
Informal words
Don’t include informal words like "Hey" or "What's up”
Too long or complicated
Don’t make your email subject line too long or complicated, just stick to the example
provided above. The goal is to get your email opened.
Capitalising every word in the subject line
Don';t capitalise every word in your email subject line. It looks unprofessional and could
potentially cause your email to be flagged as spam. Only capitalise the first word.
Except for names, the rest should be written in lowercase, as in the example provided
above.
TYPING IN ALL CAPS
Don’t do it!
Not respecting a specific subject line instruction
The recruiter cares about your ability to follow directions, so start by following those,
especially if the employer instructed you on the specific subject line to use.
HOMEWORK:
Go back to some emails you’ve sent employers and check the subject lines.
Do you need to make some changes for future applications?
Session 4 - Signing Off
Every part of your application needs to be professional, so it creates the best first impression possible.
Signing your email is just as important as every other part of the application.
End your email like this:
- Regards or
- Best wishes or
- Sincerely
Do not end your emails like this:
- With love
- Kisses
- xoxo
- Hugs
- Yours
- Ciao
-Thx
HOMEWORK:
Go back to some emails you’ve sent employers and check the way you ended the text.
Do you need to make some changes for future applications?
Session Five - Attachments and Protecting your Identity
Always protect your identity online!
I receive hundreds of job applications each week and every second one has identity
documents attached, along with qualifications and other information.
NEVER send your identity documents with your CV.
There are a LOT of scammers out there – and not all vacancies are genuine.
Don’t make it easy for someone to steal your identity.
ONLY send what the advert specifies.
If the advert says send your CV - ONLY send your CV and cover letter.
If the advert says – “Must have Positive Skills Assessment” – Send your CV, cover letter
and positive skills assessment
If they require Red Seal, send that with your CV and cover letter.
Don’t send anything they don’t specify.
It’s very annoying to receive an email with ten or more attachments – it’s often difficult to
identity the CV in all the other files.
It's REALLY important to follow instructions so ONLY send what they require.
HOMEWORK:
Go back to some emails you’ve sent employers and check the attachments you
included.
Do you need to make some changes for future applications?
Session Six - The Email Content
Always focus on what you have to offer employers:
Don’t go into your personal circumstances, or the reasons you need the job – only tell
employers why you are the ideal candidate.
I always advise clients to wait until the interview process to tell the employers what you
need from them (such as sponsorship). Otherwise, you present a “problem” before
you’ve even started and this will place you at a disadvantage over other applicants.
THIS IS MY OPINION ONLY AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS
Follow instructions:
Read the advert properly and respond the way they require.
You may need to read it a few times to make sure you are providing everything they
request.
Some employers may ask you to answer some questions. In this situation, ONLY
answer the questions they ask, don't go off on any tangents.
Keep it simple:
Again, only focus on what you have to offer, not what you need.
You only need a very simple note saying:
Please find attached my CV and cover letter in response to your advertisement for a
POSITION TITLE in XXX.
Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely,
Your name
HOMEWORK:
Go back and read some of the emails you’ve sent employers.
Do you need to make some changes for future applications?
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