Online is now the current standard for applications and job search. Online applications make a lot of things easier. In the blink of an eye, you can respond to an ad as an applicant and submit your documents. In addition, the annoying copying of certificates, curriculum vitae is omitted and the application portfolio is guaranteed not to arrive bent at the personnel manager.
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Types of online application:
There are two different ways to apply online – by email or by application form:
- Job ads that run directly through a company’s website. Here are often forms to fill out, which are supplemented by a cover letter by e-mail. Send the complete application to the employer by e-mail. This is a digitalized version of a classic job application.
- You can submit an applicant profile to online job exchanges. Here recruiters can search for potential applicants. In addition, you can send your profile to the company whose job ad you are interested in.
education doc tip. If you see a job ad in the newspaper, call to find out if the position is still available and if you are allowed to apply by e-mail. Note that an online application requires just as much care as a written application.
2. Tips for cover letter, resume and references when applying online
Cover letter: The cover letter is a self-assessment, no longer than one page plus attachments with resume, references. In the cover letter, briefly explain why you are the right person for the advertised position. Here you pick up on the individual points from the job advertisement and make connections to your previous experience and knowledge. The structure is short, concise and to the point. You can shine if you sign the cover letter and the resume. Send the cover letter as a PDF file as an attachment.
Resume: Do not use a cover page, because an extra page in an online application is not much use. Nevertheless, you should include a photo (max.100 KB) on your resume. Each station in the resume with two to three activity details. This applies to internships as well as student jobs. Get as much as possible out of your individual stations in life. The maximum length is two pages.
Testimonials: Certificates of professional qualifications are required, i.e. skilled worker’s certificates, diploma or bachelor’s degree. The hiring manager also wants to see your high school diploma, so that he or she can get an impression of the development of your grades. If you do not yet have a degree, attach your undergraduate diploma. All other certificates and diplomas are only of interest if they are related to your future occupation.
3. Online application portfolio: creation, structure, examples
Content also plays a major role in an online application. Since you can’t score points with an online application by making a first impression with a particularly smart application portfolio, the content is all the more important here.
You must respond precisely to the requirements of the job as stated in the job advertisement. Make it clear to the company why exactly YOU are the right candidate for the advertised position. Your resume should also be clearly laid out in table form and include all the relevant qualifications and skills for the job posting.
Information about the online application portfolio (creation, structure, examples) can be found here.
education doc tip. Send yourself a sample email and check if everything is correct. Be aware that companies print online applications. After completing your online application, it’s worth printing everything out and proofreading it on paper. Then you can also see where you need to improve or redesign your application! Correct your texts online with the Duden spell checker. Remember that an electronic application can always be in direct competition with the classic letter application.
4. How to apply online to company portals?
If you apply via the company portal, then use the application mask, as the entire application process is coordinated with it. The recruiter can quickly match incoming applications with the job profile. The entire process is accelerated and the waiting time is reduced. If a personnel manager is advertising a new position, he or she is automatically informed if there are already suitable applicants in the system.
More and more companies offer their applicants the possibility to apply online via the company’s own internet portal. You should name the attachments according to the content, i.e. ‘cover letter’, ‘curriculum vitae’, ‘reference’, etc., so that it is clear at a glance what is in the attachment. On the career page of the companies you will find i.d.R. Tips on how to apply online. Therefore read absolutely.
education doc -hint. Often, companies that you can apply to through the company portal will simply return incoming paper and email applications to the applicant, as they find it too much of a hassle to integrate the application into the application screen. Only if a candidate’s paper application is very promising, it will be digitized for further use in the electronic process. But it is then less appealing than a ‘real’ application on the company portal.
5. How to design a job application homepage?
Ask the company in which you want to apply, which kind of application is desired and whether the application homepage is a possibility. Don’t overload your own application homepage with references, pictures and animations when building it up. Few, concise pages, incl. Cover letter, two to three colors and a meaningful text is quite enough, no anglicisms, jargon and box sentences. Structure your short texts coherently. Tailor your own strengths to the position you are aiming for. Ask yourself what the company expects from you as an applicant. Hiring managers look at hundreds of application homepages every week. That’s why your website must be inviting, clear and concise. Creation of a job application homepage
education doc -summarize. You will be successful if you are different from the crowd. Always do a little more than what others expect of you! Often you can only get an exceptional job with an exceptional (online) application.