How many of us are tired applying for jobs that never seem to result in interview calls and job offers? Or jobs that dont fit our skill sets? Wrong companies? Life is too short to make mistakes! And on top of that we get lazy and send out our cvs to companies & consultants, within BLANK EMAILS!! Sacrilege! That is the first cardinal sin when it comes to applying for jobs. Well, the second actually. The first one is sending it for wrong openings, to the wrong companies, etc.
Ok, lets get it into precise bullet points, shall we? So its easier to understand, and we can all keep it as a reference note.
1> Know Thyself
Firstly, pl, compulsorily, have a thorough understanding of your skills & expertise so you know what jobs you can or should apply for & which ones you shouldn't. For eg: Someone who has done Sales may want to get into Marketing & think, "I've done sales, I can do marketing...its just selling right?" Now as plausible as that sounds, the employer's job description sheet always asks for mainstream Marketing MBAs who may have experience in Market Research, ATL/BTL activities, and other marketing related experience. Someone from Advertising may have a better shot at making a transition into Marketing, but not a Sales guy. I'm not saying its impossible, you may go the proper route of doing an MBA in Marketing, getting a minimum of a year's experience as an intern in marketing with some company & then slowly & steadily climb that ladder. But when one sends out a cv for a job that doesn't suit them or their skills, the chances for any kind of a call back are zero. Hence, Know Yourself.
2> Email Subject
Sometimes, uninteresting or vague email subject headers also tend to put off employers. The right way to form an email subject could be as under:
i) Ref: Your Job Post on Xyz.com: HR Generalist with 5 yrs exp_Mumbai location (when applying for a job posting)
ii) Introduction: HR Generalist_BPO Industry_5 yrs exp_Delhi location (when freshly introducing your candidature)
iii) Referred by John Smith for the HR Generalist opening with you. (When referred by someone the company/consultant knows)
iv) HR Generalist with 5 yrs exp looking to relocate to Mumbai (for job applications from other locations)
3> Email Body
Some common mistakes people make while sending out their cvs which need to be avoided are as follows:
i) Blank email:
This is a complete no no, as a blank email is seen as pure laziness and/or lack of initiative taking in properly introducing one's candidature to the employer. Plus since these employers/consultants get more than 200-500 cvs a day, can you not guess which ones get checked & which ones get deleted?
ii)Vague information:
Some people have a habit of writing their qualities rather than skills without putting in any details about how many years they have worked, which company have they worked for, what is their current ctc, what is their reason for wanting to leave their present employer, and how soon can they join if selected, what areas or functions are they competent enough to get jobs in, etc. So if you send out a mail that goes like this, "Dear Consultant, I am a hardworking individual who has high levels of integrity & is very diligent & punctual. I've got rewards & recognitions for my work in my previous companies & have been appreciated by my seniors. I'm looking for a job that will add to my career growth & help me succeed", no points for guessing, but its going into the trash can!!
What employers WANT to see would go something like this, "Dear Consultant, I introduce myself as an individual with 8.5 yrs of strong and relevant experience in the Human Resources function with organizations like ABC, DEF & XYZ, where I am currently working, in the capacity of Manager - HR. I am an MBA in HR from the prestigious B-School, (Name of B School), Year 2007. My specialties include Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition, Comp & Ben, Payroll, Grievances Handling, PMS, Employee Engagement & OD. I'm looking to move from XYZ because they are shifting their operations to a new location & it would be impossible for me to relocate as my family is here, and hence I'm looking for a job at the earliest, I'm already serving a notice & can join any organization in 30 days at the max, although an earlier joining can be negotiated, I'm currently on an annual ctc of 10 lacs p.a (of which 1 lac is variable, pl let me know if you need any other information. Regds, John Smith (Mobile No)"
Helps to put it in the below format also for quick reference & maximum call backs as not all cvs get opened, but this is enough to make a consultant open your cv:
Name:
Mobile No:
Email:
Current Company:
Designation:
Annual Ctc (Fixed+Variable breakup):
Currently Residing at location:
Area of Expertise:
Current Industry:
Reason for looking for a change:
Flexible with 6 days working?:
Highest Academic degree:
How soon can you join if selected:
Hope this helps! Pl pass it around so maximum people can understand 'What Not to Do while applying for jobs'
Regards,
HR Interface Corporate Services
