Your Job Interview Begins With The First Email You Send

Your Job Interview Begins With The First Email You Send

If you’re job searching, remember that employers are gathering information about you at every interaction, not just in the interview itself.

All too often candidates will send over beautifully written cover letters with a well crafted resume, but follow up with a very poorly written email.

As they say in show business, you are always on!  Below are a few tips to help you put your best foot forward.

What is your response time like?

Recruiters pay attention to how quickly candidates respond to requests for writing samples and references, and even how fast he or she returns phone calls.

The assumption is that you’re on your best behavior during the hiring process—so if they have to wait days for you to get back to them now, what will you be like when you’re working there?

How reliable are you?

Recruiters want candidates who take their own word seriously, not cavalierly. For example, if you say that you will send references within a day, they expect them within a day.

Can you follow directions?

When a company posts a position, they typically specify  points they want in all cover letters to include; on average, at least one third of the applicants ignore these instructions. If you can’t follow directions before you are even hired, they’ll assume you won’t follow them once you get the job.

By the same token, the opposite is noticed too. If you respond quickly and professionally at every stage, do what you say you’re going to do, respect and follow instructions, and treat everyone you come into contact well, that will get you noticed.

It won’t get you the job if you’re not qualified, but if you are, it could be the extra push you need in the event the decision comes down to you and another individual. You want to stand out from your competition for all of the right reasons.