Online advertising for jobs has now over taken, in terms of expenditure, job advertising offline.  But are candidates responding appropriately to an online job advert?

Her are  6 tips to ensure you have the best chance of successfully applying for a job on line

1. Don’t read the job title only.  Project Manager/Accountant/Lawyer/IT Consultant – one of these titles may apply to you but the body of the job may not.  Read the job details carefully and only apply for those roles you feel you qualify for – or at least might qualify for.
2. Don’t attach a CV with spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.  Our own conversations with recruitment departments have demonstrated that if they see your CV and you haven’t been able to phrase your own experience with correct grammar or there are spelling mistakes contained within your CV it leaves them with limited confidence that you can operate at the level they need.  This is especially true if a part of your role is writing reports of some description.  This point may seem obvious but it is more then just a spell check.  Have you used the word “incite” instead of “insight” or other similar sounding words.  Take the time to get it write….(right!)
3. Don’t apply to the same recruiter for a variety of different jobs requiring diverse skills.  Are you really an expert in Supply Chain, Transaction Services and Merger Integration?  What are the requirements of the roles you are applying for?  If they clearly state you need to be a proven expert in a given area – show your focus and apply for the role that you can realistically perform well in.  As a recruiter, receiving several applications from the same candidate, for several distinctly different roles (that required a specific expertise) immediately leaves an impression that you are not focussed in any area. 
4. Don’t ignore the recruiter.  Even if you have a great CV and you are applying for the right role, add a courteous cover letter referring to your application. Ideally refer to a key element of the job requirements and how your skills and experience relate.
5. Don’t ignore the requirements.  Expanding on the previous point, if you read and liked the role, you read the requirements too but were short on one or two aspects – the cover letter is a good opportunity to highlight why your application is still relevant.  If you ignore the requirements and the recruiter has lots of applications the chances are s/he will not consider that you may have compensating skills and experience.
6. Don’t forget where you applied.  It’s easy to do; keep a track of what jobs you applied for and when.  If the recruiter calls you and you have no clue about the job and when or how you applied –it doesn’t leave the best first impression.

Most of the above is common sense, certainly for the seasoned professional.  However if I had £5 for every job application I have read – applying for relatively senior consulting roles or similar – that didn’t apply the basics as described above I would own a small private island right next to Richard Branson’s!”  Take a few extra minutes when applying online and ensure you give yourself the best chance of getting the job you want.