3 Details No Job Seeker Should Overlook Photo Source: Freedigitalphotos.net
October 22 2012

3 Details No Job Seeker Should Overlook

You’ve heard the old saying, “don’t sweat the small stuff”. But sometimes it’s a lack of regard for the small stuff that can do you in, if you’re not careful. You spend so much time searching for jobs, writing cover letters, revising your resume, and gathering references, that come time to draft that final email, all you want to do is hit the SEND button. Be careful: it’s important not to slack off too early in the race – set your sites ten yards beyond the finish line.

Here’s a list of foibles you may have disregarded up until now.

Your Email Address

In a day when individuals have not one, but several email addresses, it’s important to pay particular attention to the online persona that’s representing you. The minute a hiring manager sees “SexyManEater@email.com” or “xxxNumba1Playaxxx@email.com” come through on their end, you’re going to get nixed.

It’s so crucial to keep track of this stuff, and yet, so easy to overlook in the scuffle and stress of getting all of your materials together and finally sending them out. And though you may have an account to which you forward all of your email – even one which allows you to send email on behalf of each different account – it’s better just to set up a new, professional account entirely, separate from any other online entity. Some email servers actually send emails that say something to the effect of:

From: “JohnDoe@email.com” on behalf of “xxxNumba1Playaxxx@email.com”

The reality is, while doing this may eliminate the ease of checking only one inbox per day, if you have multiple email addresses in the first place, you should be capable of keeping track of separate accounts.

Time Zones

It’s easy to forget that not everyone runs on the same schedule as us, but in today’s global information age it is essential to remember. If you are applying to a job or communicating with someone in a different time zone, make life easier for yourself and for others, and specify if you mean Eastern, Central, Western European, or Zulu. It clears up any confusion and it prevents sending superfluous, clarifying follow-up emails.

Also be wary of deadlines for submitting applications. If you are to have something in by 8 PM Eastern, don’t be tricked by the California sunshine into believing that you have an extra three hours. Your deadline is 5 PM Pacific.

Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy

Many a foolish coworker has found himself in a deep mess when he disregarded who his audience was, and hit the REPLY ALL button, sending his crass joke to the CEO of the company. While this is a topic to be expounded upon another day, it’s important to touch upon it here.

Many individuals seek the advice of their friends, mentors, or parents when applying to jobs. Perhaps a former coworker looked over your resume or your mother proofread your cover letter.  You might want to copy this person on the email, in order to express your pride and relief at having completed your application.  But there are two warnings to heed if you do so:

1. If you decide to copy an individual outside of the company in your application to a job, make sure you do a Blind Carbon Copy (BCC). If a hiring manager sees another person listed on the email, they may not take you seriously, or may be confused as to what your intentions are, and decide not to pursue you as a candidate.

2. If dear old Mom is new to email, you may consider forwarding her your completed application afterward. It’s hard to imagine a situation more mortifying than your hiring manager receiving the whole “Hey Sweetie, you know your mama loves you, if that silly little company doesn’t want to hire you they weren’t worth it anyway” spiel that was intended for your eyes only.

Applying for a job is a long, grueling process. But even when the end is in sight, it’s important not to get antsy and start letting your foot off of the pedal just yet. Instead, stay strong until the very end. Pay nauseatingly close attention to detail, and really think things through when you’re putting yourself out there. It would be a shame to lose it all on something so simple.

About the Author: Doostang was created with one goal in mind: to successfully advance ambitious young professionals in their careers.  Doostang offers its members the opportunity to search thousands of high-quality, highly relevant job opportunities, and tools to leverage their inside connection to get hired. Follow Doostang on Twitter: @Doostang

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