by Becky Cole

The job market has flipped things upside down in many ways. It has changed the number of jobs that are available. It has changed the types of jobs that are available. The job descriptions have certainly changed. The next wave that is to come is the way you will apply for jobs. More and more employers are going toward online applications. However, no two online applications are created equal.

This kind of application can make it easy for employers to weed out potential employees, but they can be very frustrating for an applicant to fill out.

Starting at the end of October, I started seeing several ads for seasonal help. Almost all of the ones I saw said, "no experience necessary." Many wanted nights and weekends, too. That worked great for me, so I found a few that I was especially interested in because they were close to home. They all required me to fill out an application online.

One of the applications required me to have an account before I could even get to the application. I never quite understood the logic in this. It would seem to make more sense if you were applying for multiple types of jobs at the same employer, but there aren’t that many people who would qualify for multiple types of jobs at the same employer. Typically, when you apply for a job, it is for a specific type of job with specific skills.

Another website said when you fill out an application, it would be seen by multiple recruiters. Since I wanted to apply for a specific job at a specific location, I wasn’t interested in "being seen by multiple recruiters," so I sent an email to the "contact us" address that was provided in very tiny, faded print at the bottom of the screen. I asked if there was another way to apply for the job because I was interested in only the one job. The anonymous, unsigned email that I got in response to that inquiry said there wasn’t.

A third one was long and complicated. Since I do a great deal of consulting and project work, it was difficult to explain that in this application. This one, also, did not offer any fields long enough to add much text to the job descriptions.

So what do you do?

1) Have your resume in front of you. Do not try to fill out an online application from memory. They are often timed, and sometimes it can appear that the form is still available to you, when it is no longer accepting the information.

2) Use the words that are used in the job description in your application. Online systems will screen for specific words, and those who match the most of what they are looking for will be given priority in the list. You may very well have the best qualifications of the group, but if you don’t use the words they have in the job description, chances are slim that you will even get noticed.

3) If you have multiple jobs that are similar in nature, but are short in duration, group them together, and put them in one listing. For the employer name, put something like "multiple employers" or "consulting/contract employers" in the field name.

4) Treat online applications the same as if you had submitted a resume. Follow up to make sure they got it, and find out about their process for calling someone to an interview.

Do you have any of your own stories about filling out online applications? Send me an email and let me know about your experience.

Becky Cole is a consultant for non-profit organizations specializing in capacity building for both individuals and corporations throughout the Twin Cities.  She has an Education Specialist Degree from Indiana University. Becky Cole can be reached at: bcole@employmentnewsmn.com