Old style manners help in internet search methods

Applying for a job through e-mail is becoming more common. A national survey has revealed that a quarter of job hunters (25 per cent) have used e-mail to send their CVs to potential employers.

The survey, commissioned by Bernard Haldane Associates, the career management firm, showed that the practice was even better established among top earners (socio-economic groups AB), 45 per cent of whom had used e-mail to send a career summary.

The courtesy of sending a thank-you note by e-mail following an interview was adopted by 8 per cent of applicants.

With internet job hunting likely to rise, competition for all jobs as intense as ever and low overall unemployment figures disguising growing numbers of jobless among high earners and senior executives who do not claim benefit, the career management consultant is advising that job
seekers should look for any leverage to help them stand out in their search.

ìThe Internet is changing the traditional rules of job hunting,î said David Northwood, UK client services director for Bernard Haldane. ìBut basic job hunting etiquette rules still apply, whether using only one or several
steps in the search process online.

ìManners maketh man as much as ever, especially in the 50,000-plus bracket where the number of jobs has fallen by between a third and a half, hidden by the fact that high earners refuse to register unemployed.

Mr Northwood, whose company helps job hunters through 100 offices worldwide, six of them in the UK, offers a number of tips for using the Internet in a job search.

Use the Internet to prepare for an interview. For now anyway, you will be in a minority. Our research shows only 31 per cent of applicants researching a company, and 17 per cent researching an industry, this way.

Search for networking contacts at company, industry and association web sites. Our finding was that a mere 13 per cent of job seekers did this, yet of those who went on to contact an individual online, no fewer than 83
per cent reported the contact had provided advice that helped with a job search.

Ensure that CVs are sent in a format, such as ASCII, that can be opened and read by potential employers.
As will regular mail, do use a covering letter with your e-mailed CV. It provides another change to grab an employer’s attention and highlight key selling points about your background.

Do not omit to send post-interview thank-you notes that can also be sent by e-mail.

Proof read any CV templates carefully and delete unused sections so it is not obvious you have used a software program.

Open an e-mail dialogue with employers before and after the interview to help build rapport.

Circumvent online applications at job sites and go directly to an organisation’s web site where the same form often works better.