Mastering the Mechanics of Online Job Applications

From Career e-news

by Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin
 

Applying for jobs has become a complex process, with the advent of the Internet and email.
In the past, you would mail or hand-deliver your credentials to
targeted employers. Now, you're required to complete online
applications and post electronic copies of your résumé and cover letter
to company websites and job boards. In theory, technology should make the application process easier; but to many folks, it adds a confusing piece the mix.  
    
Some Online Applications Are Disguised as "Computer Literacy" Tests. According to a recent article by Jim Pawlak ("Beyond the Three R's," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Money
Section, August 30, 2009), "online applications aren't just
'applications' - they are designed as 'computer literacy' tests."  He
says that many companies measure applicants on how long it took them
took to finish applications -- completely and accurately.    

Follow these tips, to help you complete applications correctly and quickly, the first time:  

 1) Scan through the application
after you register on the site, so you know exactly what information is
required.  It's okay to register first, logout, gather required
information, and complete the application later.

 2) Have copies of your résumé and cover letter open on your computer, for quick posting (upload to the server) or pasting to required sections on the application.

 3) Make sure you have a strong Internet connection to avoid unplanned "timeouts" which could erase your work. Save your work frequently, as you complete each section.   

4) Use Correct Résumé and Cover Letter Formatting
The
requirements for online applications vary for each company, especially
when you have to upload your résumé and cover letter. Use these
guidelines to translate the format requirements from website
instructions:
 
Attach / Upload your résumé and cover letter:  This means
that the only acceptable formats are Microsoft Word or PDF (Sorry,
WordPerfect of Microsoft Works users). Each company or job board may
stipulate limitations about how many kilobytes for MS Word documents or
megabytes for PDF documents, so check your document properties before
you upload; otherwise your documents will be rejected by the server.
When creating PDF documents, don't use security features; otherwise, your documents can be opened, but not saved.      
  
Copy and paste your résumé and cover letter: These instructions provide a box to copy and paste documents. Don't copy and paste Word documents here, because they'll be stripped of all formatting. Use a plain text format (with line breaks) so your documents will be visible within the screen frame, instead of having lines wrapping beyond the margins.  
 
Create an online résumé: This means
you'll be copying and pasting sections of your résumé (and/or cover
letter) into sections specified by the website.  What you need here is
a plain text format (without line breaks). 
 
(Here's quick tutorial for creating Plain Text résumés...)   
 
If you've done everything correctly, you'll
receive a confirmation email, tell you your information was received by
the company. Then, you can either sit tight until hearing back from
the company -- or find an inside contact to check the status of your
application. I'll vote for the latter, because it's the squeaky wheel which nearly always gets the most attention!