The way we apply for jobs is changing. More and more savvy Ghanaian employers are turning to the world wide web (www) these days to do their recruitment.

The benefits to these savvy recruiters who use the Internet to find candidates are enormous: it’s cheaper and sometimes even free for them, they can have shorter recruitment cycles, and online recruitment services like JobsInGhana.com give these employers great tools as well as access to a library of resumes to just pick from without even placing an ad.

But here is a pitfall I’ve observed many Ghanaians applying for jobs online fall into: because many people only use the Internet to surf the web, chat and have fun with friends, these people simply display the same laid-back attitude when applying for jobs online as they do when chatting with friends.

Even though I’m not an HR guy, I’ve been involved in recruitment drives for several small technology firms in Ghana — every single one of them through the Internet. And I’ve seen some potentially smart Ghanaian professionals do some really dumb things in their online job applications. On some occasions (when I’ve had too much chocolate and in the best of mood!) I would even call applicants and guide them to properly re-submit their applications.

If you’ve been sending online job applications but have never gotten any invitations for interviews, perhaps it’s time to sit back and ponder over what mistakes you’ve been making that may have been pissing off these recruiters, and how to void them to improve your chances of getting those needed invitations for job interviews.

Here are the top ten common pitfalls I’ve seen over the years, along with suggestions on how to avoid them.

1. First and foremost, get the mindset right and recognize that it’s the same old job application business. The Internet only facilitates communication, but it doesn’t change any of the established norms and protocols to follow when applying for jobs. Do your homework well, present a professional outlook to your prospective employer, and pray for Mr. & Mrs. Good Luck to drive by your street.
2. Know that the recruiting manager may not speak any of those cool lolspeak and jargons that you use with your friends. I’ve seen job application emails that go like… “PLZ C MY CV ATTACHED. THNX” — or something similar. I love these a lot, because they are so easy to process. A single click on the DELETE button, and I’m done.
3. Attach your CV – don’t just copy and paste! There are so many different email applications out there running on different computer systems with varying HTML rendering capabilities. Some email clients even only support plain text e-mails. What this means is that your carefully crafted CV, when pasted directly into the body of your email, may appear as gibberish at the recipient’s end. You can safely avoid this by sending your documents as file attachments.
4. And while we’re on file attachments, please for the love of God, submit your documents in the requested file format, or use standard document formats that most computers can open if no specific format was requested. I’ve had a graphic designer send me samples of his work in the native CorelDraw (.cdr) format! If you don’t follow this simple rule, your recipient may not be able to open your attachments. Of course you may argue that they can download some application to open the file… but remember you’re competing with hundreds of other applicants and it’s much easier for the HR manager to hit the DELETE button than to download and install an application just for your sake. If no file format was specified, for best results send your CV and cover letter in RTF or PDF format. RTF has the highest probability of opening on the recipient’s computer, while PDF will retain all your exquisite formatting.
5. In in addition to the attachment, add a carefully written teaser to the body of your e-mail. A recent ad I placed online for a Web Developer position for a friend’s small business received over 250 responses in just two days. This is certainly no big deal for a big company with a dedicated HR department. But for a small firm, my friend and I simply couldn’t print out all the 250 CVs and cover letters and sort them out. So we just picked out the few folks who wrote something interesting in the body of the e-mail itself. Bottomline, recruiters are busy — help them to help you. Write sometime convincing in the email itself, to attract the recruiter’s attention even before he/she downloads your attached documents. If you’re lazy like me, simply put a copy of your cover letter in the body of the email, in addition to (not instead of) the attachment.
6. Be available: With newspaper adverts, the adverts have to be submitted at least a week in advance of the publication date, and it’s going to take some time for applications to be received via post. Employers know this, so longer recruitment cycles are the norm. But online, there’s the luxury of immediacy, and it’s not unusual to be called for an Interview a day or two after submitting your applications. So if you’ve gone through the trouble of applying, make yourself available to be contacted for interview.
7. Check your email often. If for some reason you cannot check your mail everyday, indicate this in your application, and ask to be contacted by phone instead. Better still ask a trusted friend (if you have any) to check your mail for you. You don’t want to miss the great opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
8. If you don’t have a phone and you need to give someone else’s phone number, make sure the person knows you by the name you have on your CV and cover letter. If your friends call you Esi Jesus, but the name on your application is Sebastiana Ama Dede Wayo, let your friend who’s phone number you’re you’re putting on your CV and cover letter know this. And pick your contact person carefully — some people are such a bore on the phone!
9. At this time, most Ghanaian companies are simply using the Internet as a bulletin board to post their job adverts, and require candidates to send applications by regular mail. So it’s not always click-click-send. I wouldn’t bother with such jobs, but then I am not looking for a job. My attitude may be different if I were down to my last cedi and job-hunting. If you have to apply for such jobs, just make sure your application can get through before the deadline.
10. And finally, don’t overlook the print media. While we’d all love to sit behind our computers at home and click-click-click our way to our dream jobs, the reality is that most institutions, especially the bigger companies and public institutions, still do their recruitment offline, through the print media. The Daily Graphic, remains the best source of premium jobs in Ghana today. Don’t overlook the print media, baby.

The CediWISE bottom line: Creating wealth is all about earning more, spending less, and doing something smart with the difference. If you feel you’re not being paid what you’re worth, sitting back and complaining will not make a difference. Start today to find a job that will reward you for your true contribution. I hope you find these common sense tips useful in your next online job application.

Have you got any tips to add to this list? Please do share your thoughts using the comments form below. Don’t be shy!