With many online companies outsourcing work these days, it's not
unusual to be able to pick up short term projects, even with very
small web development companies. These companies may not be able
to afford a full time programmer or graphic designer, so they
utilize online freelance databases to source casual workers.
With these kinds of jobs, a full blown development or marketing
proposal isn't necessary. It's much like applying for any other
job where a written application is required.
Having been involved with recruiting for web related jobs, I'm
very concerned by a trend that doesn't seem to be improving - the
quality of job applications. On many occasions I've reviewed
applications that are really sub-standard; even though it's plain
to see that the applicant does have skills in the specific area.
Many years ago when I was working in "real world" recruitment, one
of my mentors (an ex-bank manager) relayed to me his method of
culling applications for any non-physical laboring job. It was
quite simple - one spelling error, one grammatical error in an
application and it went into the bin, regardless of the skills and
qualifications of the applicant.
I told him I thought he was a little harsh in using this strategy
and his reply was something along the lines of: "A job application
should demonstrate the person at their best, if the person cannot
take the time to ensure their application is 100% perfect, what
are they going to be like on a bad day?"
... and I had to admit he had a point.
Do's and Don'ts of applying for web related jobs
If you're in the market for an online job related to web
development or marketing, here's a series of tips that you may
find useful.
1. Spelling and Grammar. Ensure that your application is
free of any spelling or grammatical errors. When you work on a
document for any length of time, you can become "blind" to it. It
happens to me a lot, I think an article is fine, then I go back to
it a couple of days later and see glaring errors. If you can, get
someone who has a good grasp of written English to proof-read your
application.
2. Use the person's name. If a job specification lists a
contact name, use that in the opening salutation, rather than "To
whom it may concern" or "Dear sir". Using the person's name
demonstrates that you read the job ad properly and makes it a more
personal approach.
3. ***Address the criteria***. This is where I see
applicants going way off on a tangent on many occasions. When
writing an application, you must address *every* requirement
listed in the ad. There is no point in rattling on about how
skilled you are in PHP programming when the major requirement
listed in the job description is for ASP. Mention your other
skills, but these other skills should be in a "bonus" line or two,
not the focal point.
If you are fluent in multiple languages (and I mean verbal
languages); it's good to also briefly mention these as
multi-lingual capabilities are highly prized in some companies -
especially if the team is multi-cultural.
4. **Apply the criteria**. While your resume will outline
where you have applied your knowledge, bear in mind that your job
application letter is meant to also summarize your resume. For
example, if the job specification calls for project supervision
skills, it's not enough to simply say "I have project supervision
skills" - something along the lines of "in 2003 I was able to
demonstrate my project supervision skills while coordinating 9
programmers from 3 different countries in developing X application
- on time and under budget".
5. Do not make demands. Unless you are the very best in a
field where labor is in short supply, you will need to remember
that you are not in a powerful position when applying for a job.
An employer is going to want someone who can follow direction and
can work with other employees within a company. A job application
is not the place to be making demands regarding salary, conditions
etc. - those types of negotiations can come later. If you're that
big of a hot shot where you feel you can make demands, then the
head hunters should be chasing you, not you chasing jobs ;).
6. Make yourself available. In your closing lines you can
demonstrate your eagerness for the job by adding something like "I
would welcome the opportunity to further discuss this
position/project with you at your convenience." This way, you are
saying - "yes, I'm eager and yes, I'll fit in with you". It's much
better than stating something like - "I'd like to talk to you
about this job further, but I'm only available on Monday
afternoons, Tuesday mornings and lunchtimes on Fridays". Ensure
that you provide multiple points of contact e.g.; phone, cell,
email and IM.
7. Research the company. Even if it's only a project that
may last a week, anyone reviewing your application will be
impressed if you show that you have initiative - and this can be
demonstrated by mentioning a little regarding what you know about
the company. Even something as simple as: "I can see that XX has
been in operation since 1998, and I would greatly appreciate the
opportunity of working with such a well established company".
8. Be careful with form letters. Form letters, i.e. a
document template that is used for many different applications and
only the bare minimum of content is changed, can be spotted a mile
off. Sure, use a previous letter to another company as a base, but
ensure you make substantial edits to it to make it look as though
you gave this particular job application careful thought and
consideration.
9. Too long/too short. Ensure your application cover note
gives enough detail without turning it into a novel. In my
opinion, 1 standard document page is more than enough for most
jobs. Bear in mind the chances are that the person reviewing your
application will be busy - if your application letter is too long,
they may disregard it or miss vital points
10. Neat layout. It doesn't matter whether it's a design,
development or marketing job you're going for, the visual layout
of your application is very important. A tidy layout tends to
reflect a tidy approach to work; something that most employers
find appealing. Do not submit a single page that is just one huge
block of text. The proper use of paragraphs is the key to a tidy
layout. Do not use fancy, small or large fonts either - in the
business world, 11pt Arial, 10 pt Verdana or 12 pt Times New Roman
are all acceptable.
Your application letter/note is a summary of you. It's probably
also the first contact you'll ever have with that particular
employer. In most cases, you only have a few seconds to grab their
attention in a positive way - and it's those precious seconds that
could decide whether you win or lose the job.
Michael Bloch
Taming the Beast
http://www.tamingthebeast.net
Tutorials, web content, tools and software.
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