We are sourcing many different positions right now so my antennae are up regarding resumes, phone calls and emails. At times, the responses can be overwhelming. Or underwhelming. Just yesterday I received a stammering voicemail about a position in which the candidate said they were going to send an email with their resume. I’m still waiting.
I received another call a couple weeks ago in which the candidate wanted to fax a resume to me for a technical position. I told him he could email it to me instead. He said he doesn’t have email.
It seems apparent to me that their is no more odd time in a hiring process than sourcing. On that topic, CareerJournal.com offers up a short Q & A article titled Do’s and Don’ts for Emailing Cover Letters and Resumes.
The multiple questions are topical and one stands out to me:
Will employers frown on replying to job ads from my work email?
That is an excellent question and I agree with the author’s answer:
Using your business address may not be wise for another reason: It shows potential employers that you don’t hesitate to use your company’s resources for personal gain.
I realize many employees use laptops and capture their work emails from their home network too (myself included). However, the use of work email for personal job hunting has the appearance of lacking respect for corporate property. Whether accurate or not, I often view these candidates as lacking discretion too.
On to a different topic with a solid answer:
As for cover letters, don’t attach one unless an employer specifically requests it, because employers don’t have time to open and read them, says Christine Goodson, director of talent sourcing for SPX Corp., an industrial manufacturer in Charlotte, N.C., employing about 15,000.
Use your email text as a very brief cover letter, Ms. Goodson says. Just say in about three sentences why you are the best person for the opening and offer your phone number.
If you have read The Hire Sense for any period of time, you know I have a weakness for poorly worded cover emails. Yet, Ms. Goodson is right – keep it concise, direct, well-written and you will stand out.
Lastly, a topic that is of great importance in our world:
She’s also impressed by applicants who follow up their emails to job postings with a phone call, even when an ad says not to call. Ms. Goodson says only about one person in 25 calls to ask if she has reviewed their resume. “It makes a difference,” she says. “I can think of several hires we made because someone took the initiative to call and point me to their resume.”
Remarkably, the phone call has almost become “old school” in the hiring process. In sales sourcing, the phone call is crucial to size up the candidate’s abilities. I’ve written this before, but if you are currently filtering candidates by their resume and then bringing them in for a face-to-face interview, there is a better way.