Applying via e-mail – how to do it correctly

Basically, applying online is the correct way when the corresponding addresses are given in the job advertisement, either online or printed in newspapers.

Getting into contact via e-mail has many advantages, as you show that you know how to handle this medium. Moreover, you have time to formulate and send the e-mail, yet it is quickly sent so that the receiver can open and read it all over the world almost instantly.

E-mails are a modern instrument of communication that is gaining continuously more importance. They can contain all the documents required, so generall HR managers consider e-mails a positive trend in the job application process.

What is important when applying online are, just like in a traditional application, the details, how you present yourself and your application. That is why e-mail applications are mostly criticized for their layout. Do not forget to be as precise and careful as when writing a normal letter of application, spelling mistakes or something similar make you seem unprofessional and not really convincing.

Watch the form! Even if your message is written and sent on the computer, it is meant to reach a person who you should respect. So be careful not to make your application too personal. As you can surely imagine HR managers are not eager to read salutations like “Hey buddies!”.

Sending e-mails hardly creates costs. Additionally, you can easily send an e-mail to more than one recipients. However, do not be tempted to send one standardized letter of application. Have a close look at the job advertisement and study the company carefully, something that is even easier nowadays because of the Internet. Refer to the company and the vacancy in question! Moreover, do not forget to mention the job advertisement and where you found it (newspaper, website, etc.), if available also include a reference number, so that your application can be treated correctly.

What is most criticized is the fact that many e-mail applications are not detailled enough. The recipient has to be able to decide, whether your application – and in the end you yourself – are interesting for the company. If your e-mail is not significant enough, you might receive a letter of rejection rather than an invitation to a job interview.

What your online application should include:

• Why are you interested in the job and the company?
• What are your qualifications?
• What kind of job(s) have you had so far?
• What makes you different from others and what are your personal and special abilities?
• A short CV

Try to be as detailled as necessary but also as short and precise as possible. Since reading right from the screen is not really comfortable, avoid writing novels. Moreover, also include information about your postal address and your (mobile) phone number.

Basic rules for applying online

• As the letter of application and the CV leave the first mark about the applicant, the documents need to be complete, appealing, and carefully designed.
• Always have a folder of application at hand, which you can bring along to a job interview.
• Obey the form and do not forget to be respectful towards the HR manager.
• Make sure your spelling and grammar is correct and proof-read the documents before you send them.
• E-mails can easily be sent to more than one recipient, but it should not become an obviously standardized mass application.
• Inform yourself about the company in question. Doing research on the Internet is easy, as companies which want their candidates to apply online surely have their own website.
• Even with online applications you should never forget to complete the subject line, so that the employees at the company immediately know where to place your application.
• Do not forget to mention the source of information, where you found the job advertisement.
• Contact the company before you send off your e-mail whether they want you to attach documents (danger of viruses) and which files they can read and open easily. Try to make your files as small as possible (500 KB at the maximum).

Attachements – A Blessing or a Curse?

Put yourself into the shoes of an HR manager who receives dozens of applications every day. Without being asked a ten-minutes presentation with somebody’s personal photos is opened on your screen. How would you react?

It is all about attachments which can often turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing. So inform yourself beforehand, whether they are requested at the company to which you apply or not.

Mind usual file formats!

You should never forget this guideline in order to reduce your data volume and save the HR department from having to install extra programs. Be aware that HR managers do not have the time to spend whole days with just one application and consequently are not interested in installing extra programs to be able to open your application.

In some companies it is even forbidden to open attachments because the danger of viruses is far too high. So make sure which file format to use to prevent your application from being thrown into the waste paper basket immediately.

The following file formats are usually accepted:

• Documents like certificates or CVs should be either sent as .doc-file or preferably .pdf-file
• Photos or scanned certificates should be sent as .gif-file, .jpg-file or .bmp-file. However, the first two ones are to be preferred, as they are more compact and thus have a smaller data volume.