First Impressions..

amyloofoo

You've had some really good advice, and contacting your college's career service is a really positive step. I also wanted to say that, although it sounds obvious, making sure that your spelling and grammar are correct is really important. So many applicants don't seem to even proof read what they've sent and it makes a really negative first impression. Good luck with finding a suitable part-time job.

Savvy_Sue

amyloofoo wrote: »

I also wanted to say that, although it sounds obvious, making sure that your spelling and grammar are correct is really important. So many applicants don't seem to even proof read what they've sent and it makes a really negative first impression.

This, plus do not use txtspk or be casual in your email: you want to stand out in a GOOD way, so treat it almost as a business letter: Dear Mr Bloggs not Hi Fred i saw yr ad in the Job Centre & thought it looked grt, cv atached and i can come to interview any time.

Also make sure your email address is sensible. There is no place for 'weird', 'fluffy', 'princess', 'sexy', 'kettle', 'bunny' or 'kitten' in an email address used for job hunting.

wantsajob

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Also make sure your email address is sensible. There is no place for 'weird', 'fluffy', 'princess', 'sexy', 'kettle', 'bunny' or 'kitten' in an email address used for job hunting.

For those who have their own internet domain, I have wondered if a gimmick, such as thejobisyours@wantsajob,com would be of any benefit.

Joe_P_2

Hiya,

Use your careers advisor.
Research the Hell out of your target companies, and tailor email AND CV to fit (whilst staying honest)
Use a standard, easily read, font in your email - no Gothic Garamond or whatever today's favourite font is.
Sensible email address, please. If you are serious, invest in a domain name - fredsmith.me.uk, for example, or at the very least get an address like [EMAIL="fredsmith@gmail.com"]fredsmith@gmail.com[/EMAIL] rather than [EMAIL="bighunkybloke@gmail.com"]bighunkybloke@gmail.com[/EMAIL].
Use correctly punctuated and grammatically correct English, and get the spell checker out. No text speak, please!

Best of luck!

Aryndeneth

wantsajob wrote: »

For those who have their own internet domain, I have wondered if a gimmick, such as thejobisyours@wantsajob,com would be of any benefit.

As a recruiter, gimmicks mean nothing to me. I've got a job description/list of criteria and I need to be able to see, from your application, whether or not you meet my requirements and I need to be able to see it quickly and clearly. Something gimmicky might raise a smile but it won't impact on whether I shortlist you or not.

I would potentially be put off by a stupid/rude email address as it makes me think "if this is how you represent yourself in an application, do you know how to represent me and my company in a professional way?

The exception is for a creative role but the key here is to be genuinely creative in an appropriate way. Creative does not mean weird and wacky.Again, something gimmicky isn't going to work, but talent will stand out. I had a candidate for a PR job who sent her cover letter in as a press release about herself. Showcased her ability and stood out. She got the interview.

Savvy_Sue

wantsajob wrote: »

For those who have their own internet domain, I have wondered if a gimmick, such as thejobisyours@wantsajob,com would be of any benefit.

Can't see it personally. You want to come across as a person who can do a good job, not a desperate jobseeker.

Also don't do what someone did to us the other day: left a message saying they would like to speak to a manager, didn't say what about. As I knew where they were calling from, I got what I thought was the appropriate manager to call: this person is quite new.

the caller then asked if we had any vacancies, said they weren't happy in their present job and didn't like their employer, said they'd enquired about volunteering with us but had never heard back from anyone and thought that was appalling, and generally ranted.

They've made their mark, but not in a good way ... If they'd said they were interested in vacancies I'd have got the right person to speak to them!

Pennywise2012

I agree with the advice about making it relevant to the company. I've done recruitment, and the 'copy and paste' letters make it look like you want any job that will pay you. Whilst that may well be true, you have to pretend otherwise :rotfl:

This is absolutely my personal opinion, and others may disagree, but if it's a job that will get a lot of applicants (and therefore one person will have to read a lot of applications), keep the waffle to a minimum and get to the point. When I'd read the 10 millionth "I work well in a team, but I also work well by myself" of the day, I'd start thinking that maybe I'd hang myself and they could have my job.

And spell check spell check spell check! I used to bin anything that had loads of spelling mistakes on the grounds that if they couldn't be bothered to check the application, what would they be like to employ? Ditto illegible handwriting (I know your application is online, but I can feel the rant decending )

wantsajob

Pennywise2012 wrote: »

And spell check spell check spell check! I used to bin anything that had loads of spelling mistakes on the grounds that if they couldn't be bothered to check the application, what would they be like to employ?

My smell and grandma chequer always work perfectly. They never spit any mistakes in my righting. My English must be grate.