How to Reply to an Online Job Ad

Virtual job fairs feature online ads from numerous employers.

Employers post online job ads with the expectation that most interested applicants will know how to properly express interest via a reply email. However, your tools and capabilities that help you respond to these ads might differ from the majority of other candidates. For example, you have a choice of at least three different resume formats -- chronological, functional and hybrid -- and you have to make sure your content gets you noticed by hiring employers. Before you actually reply to the job ad, you should make sure you are prepared to meet the potential employer's expectations.

Instructions

Prepare

1. Navigate to the Web page that shows the complete employer's description about the job opening. Click the "File" menu or similar option at the top of your Internet browser and save a copy of the ad to your computer's hard drive. Job ads have expiration dates.

2. Open a copy of your resume on your computer. Find the following three sections: summary (or objective), work experience and education. Make sure your qualifications match the employer's expectations from the ad and edit if necessary. Don't embellish your credentials. For example, an employer might term a "Call Center Agent" as a "Telephone Customer Service Representative." This also increases your chances of being contacted by human resources departments who use computer programs that automatically scan for keywords across numerous resumes.

3. Write a separate cover letter, even if the employer does not request it. The extra effort can set you apart from other candidates. Again, use keywords and phrases from the job description in the ad.

4. Discover from the ad the required method of replying to the employer. This will usually be via an email address: "Email your resume to the following address: [e-mail]."

Reply

1. Launch your email client application. Click the "New" or "Compose" button to begin creating an email message.

2. Type the job title and ID number, if available, from the ad in the subject field of the email: "Telephone Customer Service Agent position, ID# 8752."

3. Type a cover "note" in the body of the email, giving the email recipient a general idea of why you are contacting the company. This is not the same as your cover letter document. Open with the name of the person or department listed in the job description. Type a few more sentences that might provide an overview of your experience and qualifications for the job, increasing the employer's interest, but don't overlap with information in the resume and cover letter. End with a statement about these included documents.

4. Click the "Attach" button in the email message window. Browse for your resume and cover letter on the hard drive and then attach the documents to the email.

5. Type the reply email address from the job description in the "To" field. Click the "Send" button.

Tips & Warnings

• Type your email address in the "BCC" field, known as blind carbon copy, before sending off the email message to the employer. The return email confirms that you sent the message correctly. When saving your resume and cover letter documents, use clear and self-explanatory file names: "Customer Representative Resume -- John Doe" or "Customer Representative Cover Letter -- Jane Doe." Proofread and spell-check your documents.

• Carefully read the employer's job description for instructions. For example, some employers ask that you paste the content of your resume into the body of the email message. Use extreme caution when applying to online job ads that are not vetted and verified.

References

• BNET: Nail Your Response to an Online Job Ad; Dave Johnson; May 2009
• Experience.com: Online Resumes - Do's and Don'ts; Anna Jones
• Dummies.com: How to Write E-Mail Cover Notes to Introduce Resumes; Joyce Lain Kennedy
• The Ladders: How to Send a Resume by E-mail; Lisa Vaas; October 2009
• "The New York Times": Where, Oh Where, Has My Application Gone?; Phyllis Korkki; July 2009
• HR.com: The Online Recruitment Underbelly; Ian Alexander; August 2011

Resources

• Career One Stop: Resume Guide -- Sample Resum Walk-Through
• Career One Stop: Cover Letter Template
• Dummies.com: Sample E-Mail Cover Notes that Introduce Resumes; Joyce Lain Kennedy