applying for a position online

[Anonymous]

After 14 years with the same company I now find myself looking for another job and obviously things have changed a lot since my last job search.

I've found several possible job opportunities though Craigslist but have a few questions about applying for the jobs. What is the proper format to send my resume and cover letter? I have my resume in a PDF format which I can attach to a reply email but do I put my full cover letter in the body of the email or attach that to my reply email as well?

Any advice you can share is greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Couple things about applying to CL. Be wary of applying to anonymous CL job postings in case it is your current company posting and they find out about you trying to leave. Also, the anonymous listings could be put out by anyone, and they would then have your info (name, address, phone, where you currently work, etc). The postings could even be put out there by unscrupulous "head hunters" who are building their data base in case they find a job description matching your background.

[Anonymous]

bump

[Anonymous]

There are tons of good jobs on Craigslist. Most ads make clear who's doing the hiring, though it's not always possible to check their bona fides. (It wasn't in the newspaper classified ad days either.)

The format varies from job to job. Some are via email. There, I send two attachments, my cover letter and my resume. Others direct you to a firm's online application. There, you follow the instructions. Good luck. After looking for three years, I may have something ... I find out this week.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks for all the comments.

It looks like the majority of, if not most of, the job listings on Craigslist in my field include no company name or contact information. Just a basic description of the company and the position they are looking to fill and a city and state.

I think the anonymity is because they don't want to be contacted outside of Craigslist (?), but it makes it frustrating not to know who you are sending your resume and personal information to and have an opportunity to do some research on the company they are applying to. And, as a pp mentioned, some of these could be head hunters.

So - I am no longer at my previous company. I have found a few good prospects on Craigslist that list the same city as my prior employer with a similar description of type of services they provide. Other than contacting a coworker at my previous employer, I guess there is no way of knowing whether one of these Craigslist postings is my previous employer or not, is there?

thanks.

[Anonymous]

I guess you could try to out them with a fake resume. But that doesn't seem right and if it turns out to be another legitimate company, you would have reapply with your real resume anyway. Are there other job sites where the companies actually post their information where you could look? Have you tried networking or target specific employers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess you could try to out them with a fake resume. But that doesn't seem right and if it turns out to be another legitimate company, you would have reapply with your real resume anyway. Are there other job sites where the companies actually post their information where you could look? Have you tried networking or target specific employers?

OP here. Thanks - I am also targeting specific employers - trying to cover all my bases! Right now Craigslist seems to have the most job postings in my field. The more I think about it the more I find it odd and annoying that so many don't give out any company information. Some also are asking for work samples which I also find disconcerting since they are pretty much asking that you send what could be copyrighted material to an unknown entity. So - perhaps for me Craigslist is not the way to go unless I respond with an email telling them that once I know who they are I will gladly send them work samples.

[Anonymous]

try indeed.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess you could try to out them with a fake resume. But that doesn't seem right and if it turns out to be another legitimate company, you would have reapply with your real resume anyway. Are there other job sites where the companies actually post their information where you could look? Have you tried networking or target specific employers?

OP here. Thanks - I am also targeting specific employers - trying to cover all my bases! Right now Craigslist seems to have the most job postings in my field. The more I think about it the more I find it odd and annoying that so many don't give out any company information. Some also are asking for work samples which I also find disconcerting since they are pretty much asking that you send what could be copyrighted material to an unknown entity. So - perhaps for me Craigslist is not the way to go unless I respond with an email telling them that once I know who they are I will gladly send them work samples.

That usually doesn't work either because they have many other job seekers more than willing to apply to their anonymous postings and don't have the time or inclination to respond to a request for their contact info. Or they aren't 100% legit so they won't bother replying. If you have a unique skill set in high demand, you could try posting your own anonymous ad in the Services offered section and see if anyone from a reputable company contacts you.

[AroundTheBlock]

If you are applying for jobs listed on Craigslist beware of the following:

1. Never send a resume that has personal information. This means it should not have your home address or phone number.

2. If you receive a response ask for a phone or direct email address (to the company). If the person hiring is using a Gmail or Yahoo account as their "company" email, see if they have a web site or a company phone.

Many people scam folks for personal information by posting job ads. Beware.

[Anonymous]

AroundTheBlock wrote:If you are applying for jobs listed on Craigslist beware of the following:

1. Never send a resume that has personal information. This means it should not have your home address or phone number.

2. If you receive a response ask for a phone or direct email address (to the company). If the person hiring is using a Gmail or Yahoo account as their "company" email, see if they have a web site or a company phone.

Many people scam folks for personal information by posting job ads. Beware.

I've been having this very discussion with DH. He says it doesn't matter if you only include your name with no phone number or home address because any scammer can find your address through a google search so why not just include it. My take on it is that if the ad is some type of scammer you are just making things easier for them.