Making your application stand out

Employers can get hundreds of job applications for each vacancy.

So how do you get noticed amongst the masses?

Here are a few ways to stand out in the employer’s inbox.

Follow directives

If the employer gives directions in the job ad, be sure to follow them. If they ask you to send your application to a specific email address or to include a certain subject line, it’s important to do so.

This demonstrates that you can follow instructions. Employers will notice those who complete a task correctly and you may stand out against those who haven’t.

Send it on a Tuesday or Wednesday

While it’s a good thing to send your job application as soon as possible, it's more likely to be noticed if you send it on a Tuesday or Wednesday – recruiters typically receive a large amount of emails over the weekend and spend Friday preparing for the following week. So mid-week is the time to get noticed.

Use a professional email address

Your first email introduces you to a potential employer and will give them a first impression about you. Make sure you are using an email address that is professional and appropriate – for instance, use one that combines your first and last name e.g. john.smith10@gmail.com.

Sell yourself in the subject box

It’s important to grab the employer’s attention quickly to get your job application opened. Along with the job title and the job posting number, include some selling points about yourself in the subject line of the email.

Tailor your resume and cover letter

Each email you send needs to be tailored specifically to the requirements of the job you’re applying for. If you just send a standard email, it’s likely to get deleted by the employer.

Use keywords

To save time, most employers will put resumes through a keyword scanner and delete those that don’t meet the job requirements. Read the job ad carefully – this will give you hints as to what keywords to use.

With a little thought and effort, you can send an application that the employer simply can’t resist. Following the steps above will help you to get noticed and score that interview.