Page 2 - Applying for a Job

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How you apply is determined by the type of job you're looking for:

1. Hourly Wage Positions
   (Administrative, Clerical, Manual, Trades, Personal Service and Technical)
   You will most likely apply online to the employer, online through a job posting board, or in person. Even in person, they may sit you down at a computer to complete the application. When applying online directly through the employer, be prepared to complete an online application form. This can be time consuming and does require a level of comfort with online form completion. Take your time and be thorough. Increasingly employers do not accept paper applications - in part because they want to determine your comfort with a computer and electronic communication.
2. Salaried Positions
   (Professional, Senior Technical, Sales, Supervisory, Managerial)
   You can generally expect to apply online or through an employment agency or recruiting firm. Regardless, you resume is vital. In some cases, the employer may also ask you to complete an application to which you can attach your resume.
3. Higher Paid Salaried Positions
   (Senior Professional, Upper Management Executive)
   Once again, you can expect to apply online but at higher pay levels, you may be required to deal with a recruiting firm or a firm (headhunter) retained for a specific job search. In many cases, the recruiter or search firm will locate you through networks and referrals. You can also reach out to recruiting and search firms to let them know of your job search.

Understand the Job Requirements
If you're applying for a specific job, get any information you can about the job, particularly the duties and qualifications. Tailor your resume, application information and particularly any cover letter you are able to send to reflect the job information, even using exact words and phrases from the job description. Too often people apply for jobs they are clearly not qualified for and then are disgruntled when they hear nothing or are rejected - don't waste time by applying for jobs on nothing but hope.

The other time waster is to apply to an employer when they aren't actively hiring. Sure it can be helpful to submit an application they can "keep on file" but don't get your hopes up. The best candidates are "fresh candidates". If it's been more than a few months since you submitted an application, do it again.

One step that could make the difference is to post your resume at an employer's online career site. They are more apt to search their resume database for keywords and those keywords might be in your resume.