Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Biggest Email Mistakes

Biggest Email Mistakes
by Laura LaVoie with DISCOVER STAFFING

There are really only three unforgivable offenses when it comes to emailing a prospective employer. Being diligent about these things will go a long way to making sure you email gets read by any recruiter or hiring manager.

1. The Unprofessional Email Address
We see this one all the time. Emails such as "hotmoma@email.com" or "jimmyneedsajob@email.com" or "2manybeerz@email.com" or "ilovestarwars@email.com" or any of a million other options come through on resumes all the time. Do not do this. Email accounts are free through a number of services including gmail.com, yahoo.com and hotmail.com. Create an email address that is some form of your own given name. First initial and last name, first name "dot" last name or simply your first name with some easy to type number are all possible options that present a more professional images from the very start. Use your more personalized email for just friends and family.

2. The Lack of Cover Letter
When you send an emailed resume, do not just send a blank email. Especially when sending your resume to a staffing company, you should indicate which position is of interest to you. Include a short paragraph regarding your experience and how it applies to the position available.

3. Do Not Carbon Copy
Frequently, we receive emails from candidates who carbon copy multiple staffing companies at the same time. Do not do this. You should be sending an individual email to each company to which you are applying. If you must email multiple companies at once please be sure to blind carbon copy.