LIST 137) Advice for job seekers: Applying can be trying, but hiring can be tiring.
I've happily hired two new designers recently, but the hiring process was not without its trials and tribulations. I thought there were several things that were common sense, but after sifting through hundreds of sub-par applications, I felt the need to write this list.
2. If you have the opportunity to do so, get the name of the person doing the hiring and address that person by name. I put my name as the contact in the last job I posted, and a majority of the people applying did not address me by name. I gave you my name; I made it easy; don't call me "to whom it may concern."
3. Read the job description. If I'm hiring for a product designer, I don't want applications for web designer positions.
4. Check the company's website before cold calling. Most companies list job opportunities on their website. Last time I was hiring, I got cold calls from people who were interested in a job without knowing it was posted on our website (complete with instructions for applying). I think it's fine to cold call if there's a company you really want to work for, but if the job is posted and you don't know about it, it shows that you didn't do your research.
5. Keep your Facebook, My Space, Friendster, etc. clean! Well, hmmm. I hesitate to post this tip. Investigating a prospective candidate via the Internet has saved me on several occasions from bringing a freakazoid into the office for an interview.
6. Take the time to write a targeted cover letter. I want to know why you want to work for my company, not why you want to work for the industry in general. I was spammed by many a mass-applicant.
7. If you list an objective on your resume, do not write, "to gain experience." That only tells me that you have no experience. Even if it is an entry level job, show me that you are ready to handle the responsibilities. Don't imply that your employer will need to teach you everything.
8. Your application should include everything requested in the job posting. If I ask for examples of your design work, include them and/or a link to a website where they are posted. Don't ask me to write you back for those examples. I don't have the time.
9. Pay attention to your file attachment names. I received a resume as an attachment with a file name something like "resume_draft_2006," and it was 2008.
10. Don't get too familiar. I don't want to read cover letters that resemble text messages to your buddies. If you are writing to confirm an interview time from your Blackberry, it still counts as business correspondence. Take the time to use correct grammar and punctuation. If you are going to be punchy and irreverent in your correspondence, you had better have the goods to back it up.
11. Your reply email address should also be workplace appropriate. Your prospective employer may not wish request an interview from thong_gurl2000@whatever.com, unless they are hiring thong models, exotic dancers, or... well, you get the idea.
12. Realize that hiring time can be a busy and stressful time for the people doing the hiring, especially in a small company. Hiring is almost always done when a company is short-staffed and overwhelmed with work. So, don't be surprised if your application doesn't get an acknowledgment. It does pay to follow up. Qualified applicants can often fall through the cracks. No response is not necessarily a rejection.
