FYI: Netiquette,
Short for network etiquette is the term used to describe the code of conduct regarding acceptable online behavior including e-mails, forums and chats .
Last week at the request of a client, I placed an ad in the “Help Wanted” section of a local newspapers in search of a receptionist/office clerk. Interested persons were requested to forward their resumes to me via e-mail.
One week later I had received over 100 resumes in response to the position, but unfortunately was only able to invite ten persons to interview, and here is why:
• Negative First Impression - We were extending an invitation to an interview not a booty call. So e-mails from addresses such as sexybutterfly69@hotmail.com and chocolatedelight@yahoo.com were considered SPAM or thought to be applying to the wrong ad and were automatically deleted.
• Lack of attention to detail - A few applicants instructed me to “please see attached”, but nothing was attached. E-mails were also sent with a blank subject line and read “NO SUBJECT”. As a result these e-mails were also deleted.
• We believe certain applicants were confused. They began their communications with:
o “hi, I hope u consider me 4 da job”. Some applicants didn’t even bother to extend a salutation, and opened their communication to me with “See resume attached”. Are we friends? Were you sending a text? I think not! These e-mails were also deleted.
• Some applicants committed a cardinal sin by asking-“So what will the salary be for this position?” Excuse me but have we even offered you the position? Here’s a better question – “Why are you the best candidate for this position, and what value will you bring to my client?”
• Apparently some applicants were never serious about finding a job. Invitations to interview were sent to certain applicants via e-mail, and when two days had passed and they hadn’t responded we tried to contact them via their cell phones that were out of minutes, and home phones that were never answered (not even by an answering machine). This led us to conclude that these applicants had already found another job or were just not interested in ours.
Advice to job seekers:
“You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression”.
Always remember that the interviewing process is not just one but a series of events. And whether you realize it or not, the evaluation process begins the minute a potential employers receives your resume, not when you actually sit down to the interview. If you want to be successful do everything in your power to ensure that your potential employer’s first impression of you is a positive one.
