Comments on: Applications: What Not To Do http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/ Marketing for Businesses Without Marketing Departments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:24:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: rmh3093 » Applications: What Not To Do http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-642 rmh3093 » Applications: What Not To Do Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:45:19 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-642 [...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerptI don’t care how good the application may be – if I receive an e-mail from hotandsexy@hotmail.com, it is going to be deleted. Unless there is a picture attached. (Naomi adds: There are two acceptable options when it comes to your email … [...] [...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerptI don’t care how good the application may be – if I receive an e-mail from hotandsexy@hotmail.com, it is going to be deleted. Unless there is a picture attached. (Naomi adds: There are two acceptable options when it comes to your email … [...]

]]> By: Naomi Dunford http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-551 Naomi Dunford Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:17:09 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-551 Brandon and Margie - TOTALLY!! Even if the letter is impeccable and the writer fully qualified, I don't like thinking I'm just one of hundreds. Make me feel special. Make my company feel special. Make me feel like you give a shit about doing this job. If you don't look like you give a shit at the application stage, what are you going to act like when you know you've got the gig? Shane - OMG, I know! Some of the resumes I have read recently have been from people I have seen commenting on "Cover Letter Clinic" threads at freelance writing sites. The ones saying "that's a great idea, I'll try that!" or "you're right, that letter sucked ass!" I'm going, are you thinking of trying that <i>today</i>? Brandon and Margie – TOTALLY!! Even if the letter is impeccable and the writer fully qualified, I don’t like thinking I’m just one of hundreds. Make me feel special. Make my company feel special. Make me feel like you give a shit about doing this job. If you don’t look like you give a shit at the application stage, what are you going to act like when you know you’ve got the gig?

Shane – OMG, I know! Some of the resumes I have read recently have been from people I have seen commenting on “Cover Letter Clinic” threads at freelance writing sites. The ones saying “that’s a great idea, I’ll try that!” or “you’re right, that letter sucked ass!” I’m going, are you thinking of trying that today?

]]> By: Margie http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-544 Margie Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:50:25 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-544 Brandon is absolutely right about personalizing your application correspondence, because generic e-mails and cover letters send the message that you want A job, while most employers want to hire people who want THAT job. Unless you are applying to be a holiday checker at the Gap while you work on your novel (or your blog launch), most of the people who read this blog are going to be applying for jobs that require some critical thinking ... so why send a cover letter that could easily be for a job as a checker at the Gap? Resist the urge to copy/paste, or at the very least rewrite the first paragraph. Brandon is absolutely right about personalizing your application correspondence, because generic e-mails and cover letters send the message that you want A job, while most employers want to hire people who want THAT job.

Unless you are applying to be a holiday checker at the Gap while you work on your novel (or your blog launch), most of the people who read this blog are going to be applying for jobs that require some critical thinking … so why send a cover letter that could easily be for a job as a checker at the Gap? Resist the urge to copy/paste, or at the very least rewrite the first paragraph.

]]> By: Brandon http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-538 Brandon Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:59:26 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-538 Hi Jamie, Good post as usual - I was with Shane on the <a>interview end</a> of our hiring process and I've gotta say you pretty much hit the nail on the head of the main things we were looking for. The only thing I might add is to "make it yours". So many of my friends, colleagues, etc. just send off mass emails with their resume attached... this is like treating the application process as if it were fishing for tuna. Which is ridiculous. Applicants (usually) have as much to say on whether or not the job/project is a good fit as the employers. Instead of "fishing" for a job with 1,000 copy/paste emails, you're more likely to find a job (and one that you actually enjoy) if you carefully manicure 10 or 20 and take the time, as you suggest, to treat it seriously and address the actual position and company you're applying for. This is especially true for those highly competitive jobs where the employer is going to see 100+ applications for the same position... "making it yours" will make your application stand out from the herd. Thanks for the great post! Excellent advise to anyone applying for a job. Hi Jamie,
Good post as usual – I was with Shane on the interview end of our hiring process and I’ve gotta say you pretty much hit the nail on the head of the main things we were looking for.

The only thing I might add is to “make it yours”. So many of my friends, colleagues, etc. just send off mass emails with their resume attached… this is like treating the application process as if it were fishing for tuna. Which is ridiculous. Applicants (usually) have as much to say on whether or not the job/project is a good fit as the employers. Instead of “fishing” for a job with 1,000 copy/paste emails, you’re more likely to find a job (and one that you actually enjoy) if you carefully manicure 10 or 20 and take the time, as you suggest, to treat it seriously and address the actual position and company you’re applying for. This is especially true for those highly competitive jobs where the employer is going to see 100+ applications for the same position… “making it yours” will make your application stand out from the herd.

Thanks for the great post! Excellent advise to anyone applying for a job.

]]> By: shane http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-534 shane Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:58:56 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-534 heh, Jamie, where were you a few months ago. We got over 300 resume's in 4 days. It was astounding. Problem is that you get so many people who are qualified you have to sort some how. So we wrote a post on how to get noticed by us. Period. Figured, if ythey are going to send us a resume, we'll drop a cheat sheet and if they can't follow directions, well then ... I'm speachless at their incompetence. Ok, a bit tough, but I sure would have appreciated that when applying to a job. http://blog.shaneandpeter.com/2007/08/21/getting-your-resume-noticed-by-us/ =) heh, Jamie, where were you a few months ago. We got over 300 resume’s in 4 days. It was astounding. Problem is that you get so many people who are qualified you have to sort some how.

So we wrote a post on how to get noticed by us. Period. Figured, if ythey are going to send us a resume, we’ll drop a cheat sheet and if they can’t follow directions, well then … I’m speachless at their incompetence. Ok, a bit tough, but I sure would have appreciated that when applying to a job.

http://blog.shaneandpeter.com/2007/08/21/getting-your-resume-noticed-by-us/

=)

]]> By: The Official Blog of Jobaloo.com » More Delightful “What Not To Do” suggestions http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-526 The Official Blog of Jobaloo.com » More Delightful “What Not To Do” suggestions Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:49:54 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-526 [...] on one of our new favorite sites, IttyBiz there is another collection of what not to do during the job hunting [...] [...] on one of our new favorite sites, IttyBiz there is another collection of what not to do during the job hunting [...]

]]> By: Naomi Dunford http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-525 Naomi Dunford Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:34:08 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-525 Hello, everybody! My husband emerged. This is good because now people know he exists and is not, in fact, one of those Boyfriend-In-A-Box things you buy at novelty stores. Thank you for coming, Adrian! (Everyone who's not Adrian - sometimes I write stuff for Adrian's site and he pays me. We have a lovely relationship. You should go check his site out. It's yummy.) @ Kat - One word... May?!?!?! @ Tzaddi - You are the barrelliest of laughs. Thanks for the tech support. @ Susan - I told you he was real. Hello, everybody! My husband emerged. This is good because now people know he exists and is not, in fact, one of those Boyfriend-In-A-Box things you buy at novelty stores.

Thank you for coming, Adrian! (Everyone who’s not Adrian – sometimes I write stuff for Adrian’s site and he pays me. We have a lovely relationship. You should go check his site out. It’s yummy.)

@ Kat – One word… May?!?!?!

@ Tzaddi – You are the barrelliest of laughs. Thanks for the tech support.

@ Susan – I told you he was real.

]]> By: susan http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-522 susan Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:46:12 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-522 Yay! The other half finally emerged. :) Nice to see you on here, Jamie. Yay! The other half finally emerged. :) Nice to see you on here, Jamie.

]]> By: Tzaddi http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-520 Tzaddi Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:08:21 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-520 Hi Naomi When you set up the users, their byline can link to either a website in their profile or an author page. I recently set up author pages for the bluelime media site and found this helpful: http://codex.wordpress.org/Author_Templates The WordPress codex is one of my best friends lately. Doesn't that make me seem like a barrel of laughs ;-) Hi Naomi

When you set up the users, their byline can link to either a website in their profile or an author page. I recently set up author pages for the bluelime media site and found this helpful:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Author_Templates

The WordPress codex is one of my best friends lately. Doesn’t that make me seem like a barrel of laughs ;-)

]]> By: Kat http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-517 Kat Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:41:16 +0000 http://ittybiz.com/applications-what-not-to-do/#comment-517 Hey, Naomi, and Naomi's husband. :) I liked this one a lot, having just sent out a bunch of resumes for post-graduation jobs. Only 2 people out of the 15 emailed me back. All telling me to try in May. MAY?! Sigh. But I definitely sent my basic outline to everyone I knew in the hopes that they could improve it or catch errors. And then I didn't attach my resume to one. D'Oh. Lesson learned! Hey, Naomi, and Naomi’s husband. :)

I liked this one a lot, having just sent out a bunch of resumes for post-graduation jobs. Only 2 people out of the 15 emailed me back. All telling me to try in May. MAY?! Sigh.

But I definitely sent my basic outline to everyone I knew in the hopes that they could improve it or catch errors. And then I didn’t attach my resume to one. D’Oh. Lesson learned!

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