Good email habits

As a job seeker, you need to constantly be aware of your target audience and seeking ways to make it easier for them to contact you. Let's face it, we all know there are about a million reasons for them NOT to contact you!

1. Always include your contact information in the body of an email, even with replies. Don't make anyone hesitate to contact you. It's a good habit and is one of those details that might make the difference to get you a callback.

2. Stay away from those goofy backgrounds. I got an email the other day from a man with some floral design background.

3. Be a replier. Even in personal circles, so many people do not respond to emails even when begged to do so. Respond...promptly.

4. When attaching a resume, stick with .doc formats. A recruiter might want to delete something in your resume before sending it to a client (to help both of you!) but they can't with a .pdf. Also, .docx isn't common enough yet. In case you get a .docx file (which is just from the MS Word 2007 version) and need to open it, you can download Open Office at www.openoffice.org for free.

5. Use a cover letter unless directed specifically not to do that. Pick out something from the job description and speak to how you specifically fit that.

6. Avoid telling someone you are a good communicator...BE a good communicator! I've seen poor sentences and strange statements on resumes where someone claims to be a good communicator. Better to not say it and let your words (you know.)