A few notes for anyone applying for a job:
1. Yes, the department assistant is reading your application. Even at a company of <100 people, in a department with <10 people.
2. Goddamnit, if you don't even begin to qualify for the job, don't waste my time by sending your resume anyway. I'm looking at YOU, paralegal, and YOU, IT Specialist. (It's a copywriter job.)
3.
Write. A. Cover. Letter. An actual cover letter. 99% of the time, your flippant "Hey, Consider me for this job! thx, john applicant" is going to get your stupid email deleted, not read. I don't even look at the resume if your cover letter can't tell me anything. (This goes triply for a job
for which the main function is writing.)
4. Follow directions. The job posting says we need 3 writing samples. I'm lenient on those who link to online portfolios, because it's handy and web experience does happen to be something we look for, but a) we don't always have internet access; b) your website is godawful. To those people who refuse to even acknowledge the samples request? Guess who we're not hiring. (And no, I won't email you back asking you to submit them unless your cover letter is stellar. Guess what? The people with stellar cover letters also tend to be the ones that follow the directions.)
5. I really hate HotJobs/Monster/etc. What they send me is a link to your profile with a resume embedded. What this does for me is 1) makes it impossible to share your application with other members of the department without extra work; 2) make it impossible for me to see in a text-based environment.
6. Write the goddamned cover letter and spend at least 5 minutes writing it about the job post you're replying to. It is really annoying to read generic letters that miss the mark on what the job is looking for. All your laziness is doing is making me work harder to figure out why you're even applying and, believe me, with 60 other applicants? I'm not going to take the time.
Bottom line: make my work harder, and I won't give you work.
