Cyber-Resumes for Work-At-Home Jobs

The Internet has created many new opportunities for job seekers to find, apply, and obtain a work-at-home job online. But simplified job searching capabilities and the ability to e-mail a prospective employer in an instant do not change the basic rules and etiquette of applying to jobs. A quick e-mail note to an employer letting him know you are interested in a posted job is not going to get you hired.

In the cyber-world as in the real world, your resume and cover letter are the first chance you have to make an impression on a potential employer. But too often, job hunters view the resume as a list of accomplishments, instead of what it really is; a marketing document. An impressive resume doesn’t just list your skills and achievements, but presents them in a way that shows you have the exact qualifications to meet the job. That doesn’t mean you should lie, but it does mean that you need to tailor your resume to job requirements. The more you can use the lingo and show knowledge of the industry, the more you set yourself apart from others.

Before sending your resume and cover letter to a potential employer, check to make sure you follow the guidelines below:

Do:
1.   Follow the job announcement’s instruction for applying to the job.
2.   Limit your resume to one page.
3.   Use 12-pt font size.
4.   Avoid fancy style fonts and formats. Not all computers can accurately decipher special fonts and formatting (i.e. bold, italics).
5.   Spell out all abbreviations; even those that should be obvious.
6.   Include your full name, address, telephone number and e-mail in all documents.
7.   Outline relevant work experience using your most recent occupation first.
8.   If you are recent graduate, consider listing your education before your work experience.
9.   List other relevant experience such as volunteer work, certifications, course work, etc.
10. Address your cover or introductory letter to a specific person. You can get this from the job announcement or the company’s web site.
11.  Your letter of introduction should include the position to which you are applying and where you saw the position advertised.
12.  Highlight your skills and experience that are specific to the job in the body of your letter.
13.  Proofread, proofread, and proofread your resume and letter of introduction (cover letter). It doesn’t matter how qualified you are for the job if your resume has typos and grammatical errors, it will be deleted.

Don’t:
1.  List skills or experience that are unrelated to the position offered in your resume or cover letter.
2.   Exaggerate or falsify anything.
3.   Give your social security on your resume or cover letter. And don’t give personal information such as marital status, age, etc.
4.   Have any grammatical or typographical errors.
5.   Use a personal or buddy-like tone in your cover letter.
6.   Send bulk, generic resumes and cover letters.
7.   Sound desperate. Companies want the best person for the job. Your financial situation will not sway a decision one way or another.
8.   Be over enthusiastic. ‘Salesmen’ type hype does not impress employers.
9.   Refer to yourself in the third person in your cover letter. Instead, use “I”, and “me”, etc.
10. Send your resume as an attachment unless you are told specifically to do so. Most companies delete e-mail with attachments for security purposes.

Finding a work-at-home job has become much easier with the growth of the Internet. Nevertheless, you must maintain the same professional manner that you would in applying for a job in the traditional work world. You can avoid getting a rejection letter by following the rules and etiquette of applying to jobs that have endured since the invention of the resume.

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Leslie Truex is the author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible (2009 Adams Media). She has been telecommuting and running home businesses for over 15 years and helping others to work at home in jobs or home businesses since 1998. Get work-at-home jobs and other resources with her free newsletter at www.WorkAtHomeSuccess.com