Applying for a freelance or permanent web designer role?
A client recently placed an advertisement requesting a Junior Web Designer. We got over a thousand CV’s. There is no way anyone is going to go through a thousand CV’s.
Some simple rules that people use to weed out applicants who are probably not worth pursuing. If you want to just go straight through to our jobs visit us at www.wasro.com
Here are a few vital tips.
1. Email address:
Make sure your email address contains your name. This is very easy. If you’re using Gmail or Outlook you can easily enter your full name in the Options sections.
Why?
This is the first point of contact. It looks unprofessional and if you’ve got any technical expertise you should be able to set up your email application. And as a web designer you should definitely be able to configure this.
2a. Use good English
Using sentences like:
• Having seen details of vacancy Junior web designer
• im looking 4 ajob:)
are not good English and will automatically get you deleted from a recruiter’s Inbox.
2b. Use positive copy
Don’t say “Unfortunately couldn’t get any chance to work professionally after that.”.
One, the grammar is poor and, more importantly, it doesn’t create the right impression and is a sure-fire way to get your email dumped without any further consideration
3. Read the advert
If the advert says “Only apply if you are able to work in London” then do NOT apply if you’re from India, Romania, Russia or are an out-sourcing company
If the job asks for a Web Designer then odds on they want someone creative as well as technically proficient. So if you put programming experience in your CV make sure you balance it out with plenty of good quality design samples.
4. Put a link to your website in the body of your email text
And make sure that your portfolio is up to date and has at least three great sites you’ve personally worked on.
Any fewer and people will think you don’t have any experience.
If you have more then make sure there rest are up to the same standard as your top three. You don’t want to run the risk of making the recruiter worry about your skill sets.
Don’t say “My portfolio is 600MB on a CD and so I can’t put it on the web“! You’re going for a Web design job. You should be able to think up a creative way of showing some of your Web Design experience on the web!
5. Irrelevant experience
OK, you’ve got a few years where you weren’t doing anything productive. So what, we all have. But just don’t mention it.
For example, if you have this on your portfolio:
1996-2002 Hairdressing jobs
it does not look good in any shape or form.
Better would be to restrict your past experience to the last five years where you do have relevant experience.
Here’s another entry we sometimes see:
Microsoft Certification
Is there a Microsoft Certification for Design and Creativity? I don’t think so. Don’t make it a feature if you’re just going for a Design related job.
6. How should you do it?
OK, after knocking numerous ways of phrasing your application, here are some positive approaches to a covering note, letter or email. One example might go:
“To whom it may concern,
Having seen details of a position for a Junior Web Designer, I would like to apply for this position.
I am a recent graduate who would like to develop a strong portfolio of commercial work. I have a great eye for detail and I am passionate about the creative work I do. I thrive in a busy environment and am able to juggle several jobs at the same time. As a team player with a positive attitude, I am organized, and able to work to tight deadlines whilst maintaining a high degree of accuracy, initiative and enthusiasm. I am always up for a challenge and eager to learn as much as I can in the industry. I’m a very fast learner and have no problem communicating on a commercial level.
This is the link to my website: http://your.website.here
Thank you for your time,
Your name here”
Having said that, please don’t just copy and paste. After all this is a web designer job. It’s supposed to be creative and if you just use the same text you’re certainly not demonstrating it!
From www.wasro.com
Posted by kenjun 
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