Responding to Job Ads

1. Criteria in a Job Ad:

The Company

• Sector
• Location
• Product Type
• Turnover
• Staff Numbers

The Job

• Title
• Tasks
• Resources
• Reporting Structure
• Operational / Functional
• Travel
• Compensation

Candidate Profile

• Education
• Experience
• Personality
• Age
• Languages

Before responding, carefully read each job ad to understand all the information and selection criteria.

This careful reading helps you target which ads to respond to, because you should never stop at just the job title.

2. How to Write a Response Letter?

Get to the point!

The Hook: You, the Company
Why this company interests you and the position you are applying for.

The Development: Me, the Candidate
What are your strengths?
Present yourself in terms of experience, skills, and/or career goals.
Explain what you can do and what interests you. Highlight your qualities, results, and quantify your achievements. Show what you can bring to the company.
Prove you match the job description.

The Meeting Proposal: Us
What can we do together? Let's meet.

Closing
The letter should be short and impactful. Use short, clear sentences.

It is important that the application (CV + cover letter) aligns with the company's requirements.

The CV should be tailored to each application, and there should be as many distinct applications as there are job ads.

Be careful with ads that ask for your salary expectations. Don't include them in your response. Instead, when requesting an interview, add a sentence such as "Regarding my salary expectations, I would like to discuss this during a future interview" or "We can discuss my salary expectations during a future interview." This proves that you read the ad carefully and that it wasn't an oversight.

3. How to Follow Up on Applications?

Each type of ad has a different way of following up:

Ad placed directly by the company, clearly presenting its sector, contact details, etc.

• Find the company's phone number and follow up within 15 days of sending your application.
• Ask if they received your application and where they are in the recruitment process. Use the follow-up to ask clarifying questions about the position.
• If your application is not accepted, try to find out why. This information will be helpful in your job search.

Blind ad: You have no information about the company, its activity, or its contact details.

Generally, you should send your application to a postal or email address, or "to the newspaper which will forward it". In this case, unfortunately, there is no way to track your application.

Ad placed by a recruitment agency
Consultants are usually busy, but don't hesitate to try your luck. It is normal to follow up on your application; a job application is not a message in a bottle.


4. How to Select a Job Ad?
Take the time to carefully read the ad. Then analyze it using the following steps:

• Information in the ad
• How I can meet the ad's requirements
• My application's strengths

If you meet more than 80% of the criteria in the ad, you can respond with a good chance of success.

The information in the ad will help you write your letter: employers' objectives, motivations, and constraints determine how to write. It is therefore necessary to understand all the meanings to identify a company's real needs and clearly respond to their expectations.

Overall, 15% of job placements are made through job ads. Given the number of responses ads generate, only respond if you truly match the position described.


Conseil-carriere.com

Published August 15, 2012.