Responding to a job advertisement
The main goal in responding to an advertisement is to show
the employer that you have the skills, qualifications,
experience and qualities they are looking for.
Analyse the advertisement
When you’re looking through job ads:
- Don’t just read the title of the position—job titles
mean different things to different companies. A suitable
job for you may be called by an unfamiliar title.
- If the advertisement isn’t clear about what the
employer or recruiter is looking for, contact them to
find out more.
- Some companies and organisations use job
specifications, role descriptions or selection criteria.
Sometimes they mention these in advertisements, sometimes
they don’t. It’s worth checking whether there is any such
documentation about your prospective job, so that you can
find out more about the responsibilities and
requirements.
Follow the instructions
If an advertisement says:
-
Apply in writing or Send applications to…,
write a covering letter and resume using a computer.
Never handwrite applications unless the advertisement
specifically asks you to.
-
Handwritten applications or Applications in
your own handwriting, write your covering letter in
your neatest and most legible handwriting on a clean
sheet of lined white bond (opaque) A4 paper.
-
Quote the reference number, type the number below
the salutation of your covering letter (e.g. Dear Ms
Jones, [leave one blank line, then type:] Re: Job
Ref 1234).
-
Phone for a job description/selection criteria,
call and ask for the document to be mailed, e-mailed or
faxed to you. Sometimes you can download it from the
company’s website.
-
Apply in person, dress appropriately and visit the
employer with your resume or portfolio.
Address the requirements
Job advertisements ask for ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ requirements.
‘Hard’ requirements are
specific, verifiable aspects of your work background, such as
qualifications obtained, years of experience in a field, or
skill level in specific programs or systems.
‘Soft’ requirements are more
subjective qualities like being ‘energetic’, ‘organised’,
‘flexible’ ‘results oriented’ or ‘a good communicator’.
Highlight or underline all the requirements in the
advertisement, and consider how well you meet them. If an
advertisement asks for all sorts of ‘hard’ qualifications
that you don't have, there’s no point applying for the
position. But in many cases you don’t have to fulfil the
job requirements exactly.
For example, you may not have the requested experience
using MYOB accounting software, but you know a different
package, SYBIZ, well, and you have a record of picking up
new software skills quickly. You might still have a chance
at this job.
The question to ask yourself is not, ‘Do I have everything
they want?’ but ‘Could I handle this job with a few weeks’
experience?’