A large proportion of applications are now sent in electronic form. Companies advertise their vacancies on the Internet and almost always require you to apply online. The two most common internet-based application methods are therefore the e-mail and the online application.
BLITZ-UMFRAGE
What is an online application?
Applying online means that you don’t send your application documents in the mail as a paper printout in a folder, as was the case in the past. Instead, send it by email or use an employer’s applicant portal. To do this, you upload documents to the applicant portal and enter the other details directly in the portal.
| What is needed? | – Cover letter – Resume with real photo – Attachments – Folder for the documents – Envelope – Stamp |
– Cover letter – Resume with digital photo – Scanned attachments – E-mail text |
– Cover letter – Resume with digital photo – Scanned attachments – If necessary. Additional documents or information are requested |
| Mailing | By mail | By e-mail | About the application portal |
| Cost/Effort | – Print out the documents – Buy a portfolio – Buy a stamp – Buy a large envelope – Take it to the post office |
– Everything must be merged into one PDF – The e-mail address must be serious |
– The e-mail address must be legitimate – You have to find your way around the application portal |
Tips for the job search
Online application cover letter
Of course, your online application hardly differs from a postal application. However, additional documents may also be required for an applicant portal.
Order of application documents
The following order makes sense for an assembled PDF:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Attachments (references, certificates, portfolio, work samples)
Note that when applying via an application portal, a cover sheet is usually not useful. For this reason it is missing in this list.
Special features of the cover letter
The cover letter for an online application is similar to the cover letter for a normal application. Here, too, there is a text in which you try to relate your professional experience and skills to the job and to convince people about you.
The differences are, however, that you can consider leaving out the letterhead. It is enough to put your contact details a little bit smaller in the header on each page. Your signature as a scan under the cover letter looks especially professional. If you have links to websites, profiles or samples of your work, you can include them – that’s what an online application is for!
Everything else – subject, date, salutation, text, farewell – should look like a normal cover letter. .
Resume for online applications
With an application portal, it is not uncommon for the tool to scan and examine your resume for data. If you want to be prepared for this, you should z. B. Avoid graphical information and use standard phrases such as basic knowledge, good knowledge, etc. for knowledge of specialist areas, tools or foreign languages. specify.
At the same time, many application portals do not allow you to upload your resume at all . Instead, you enter the data from the resume in fields. this forces you to be precise and allows the tool to scan, examine and compare your data.
This belongs in the attachment
Always keep in mind when applying online that there is a size limit. So do not submit all the documents you have. Provide the information from your resume – that’s all you need. If you need additional documents, you can submit them later.
5 advantages of the online application
As the table above has already shown, the effort and cost between a postal application and an online application are very different. Here are the most important advantages of applying online:
1. Less effort
Of course, everything is less complicated online than when you apply in the traditional way and send the application documents by mail. Many companies also offer very abbreviated application processes online, z. B. The one-click application or special functions that even allow you to apply from your smart phone.
2. Faster application process
E-mail applications make it easier for companies to select personnel, because it also costs them time to tear open hundreds of letters and copy or scan documents. Even accepting and rejecting applications and making appointments for interviews takes more time if the whole process has to be converted from paper to digital form first. All this time lengthens the application process – and is eliminated with online applications.
3. Transparent application process
Via an applicant portal and if you apply by e-mail, there are often automatic confirmations of receipt. How to know immediately whether your application has been submitted on time. In an applicant portal you can also see online what the status of the application process is.
4. One application – several chances for a job
There is a possibility that companies will add you to their applicant database (talent pool) and match your application with other open positions. In this way, you may receive a job offer in the future for a position that you did not apply for directly.
5. Online applications are cheaper.
For you as an applicant*, there are many costs associated with a postal application: The folder, the printing and the postage also cost money. The postal route then costs between seven and eight euros per application. That’s quite a lot if you have to write several applications.
If, on the other hand, you send your application by e-mail or submit it via an applicant portal, you have no costs at all!
Fortunately, you can deduct all the costs incurred in applying for a job – from professional application photos to stamps – from your taxes later!
Before you write an application, it makes sense that you inform yourself about the job and the company. We have summarized interesting facts about the various professions, application tips and information about starting salaries for you in the following table.
| IT& Development | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Engineering& Technology | To the information | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Management& Advice | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Sales | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Business, Communication& Digitization | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Finance& Insurance Industry | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Human Resources | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Logistics, Transport& Transport | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Science | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Design, creation& Media | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Health | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Administration& Assistance | To the info | To the tips | To the jobs |
| Education& Social | To the information | To the tips | Go to jobs |
FAQ: Online applications as PDF
If you send your application online, you should make sure that you do not send your documents as open files and that you also bundle them. What does it mean?
Why not send open files?
Open files are files that you create and that can still be edited by others. If you have a file as .docx (Microsoft Word) or .odt (Libre Office and Open Office), the formatting may slip when another person opens the file. It is considered unprofessional to send open files . For some recruiters, this already takes you out of the application process. With many application portals, you can also not upload open files at all. Send your documents as PDF instead (portable document format). Converting Word documents to PDF is not difficult at all!
Why bundle files?
We have just explained that you should not send open files, but rather a PDF. Many people do not know that you should always send the application documents in one piece – as a PDF file. Then your documents can be easily processed, nothing can get lost and everything is always complete . Multiple PDF files are therefore always impractical for a human resources department.
Is there an online tool for merging documents into PDFs? ?
There are several tools that allow you to merge multiple PDFs into one PDF folder. It works z. B. with Adobe Acrobat. On the Internet you can also find tools that run in the browser and are free of charge . Here are some examples:
How big can the PDFs be??
The size of the PDF file you want to upload or send by e-mail is crucial! It should not be more than 5 MB. After all, if your attachment is larger, it may take a long time for a recruiter to load your email or download the file.
The email could also end up in the spam folder if it’s too big altogether . In addition, it may be that an application portal does not allow you to upload larger attachments. If you want to reduce the size of a PDF, the same tools you used to merge the individual PDFs will help.
What should be the naming of the PDF?
Keep in mind that your application is not the only one that will be received by a recruiter. In the worst case, there are hundreds of them. That’s why it’s helpful if you name your documents sensibly. For example like this:
- Application_Maria_Meier
- Application_Junior_Consultant_Maria_Meier
- Application_ID125689_MariaMeier
Social media profile and homepage
With an online application, you not only save time, money and effort, but you also have another big advantage: You have many more opportunities to provide information about yourself beyond the application through links. Social media profiles or application homepages are suitable for this purpose.
Social media for online applications
There are several ways to use social media to your advantage:
| Presentation | – resume – References |
– Personal video message – Application video – to show your own projects – to illustrate hobbies and interests from the resume |
– To show your own projects – to illustrate hobbies and interests from your resume |
| Advantages | – Provide more information – Show network |
– Opportunity to show more personality – in some professions as a work sample – Effort makes an impression |
– Possibility to show more personality – in some professions as a work sample |
| Caution! | – Gaps in the resume are even more noticeable here – the resume should not contradict the resume in the application |
– use only if video have a very good quality – own projects should be presentable – one gives u. U. reveal a lot of private information |
– use only if the visual quality is very good – you give u. U. reveal a lot of private information |
Application homepage for the online application
But some tech-savvy applicants use the Internet for more than just sending applications or filling out forms. Create their own homepage where they present qualifications, experience and projects or present something about their work and social skills to recruiters on an About Me page.
Especially in the IT industry or in the fields of graphics, media design and design, an application homepage is useful . The homepage is then a collection of references and shows at the same time also first work samples. But there are also platforms through which you can create your own profile. In the creative area one of them is z. B. Behance.
Online application by e-mail
Many companies like to receive applications by e-mail. The advantage for the employer is a good overview of the receipt of applications and the simple and space-saving archiving. However, applicants must pay attention to a few things when applying by e-mail . Here are a few points you should consider:
Find and contact person
For both the cover letter and the email, you should research who exactly is your contact person. It is not uncommon to see info@, bewerbung@, jobs@ or karriere@ as the e-mail address, followed by the company address. In order to address a specific person in your e-mail, you have to find out who you are dealing with .
Use a professional e-mail address
[email protected] should better not be your e-mail address when applying for a job! You can imagine that this doesn’t look very professional, right?? Take the time to create a new address for your adult life that you can use for applications. This should preferably only contain your first name and last name. If necessary, you can add your place of residence or a combination of numbers, if your name is already taken everywhere.
Subject
In the subject line, you should include two important pieces of information: that you are applying and for which position or position you are applying for. for which job. In smaller companies it is enough to indicate the job title. In larger companies, a reference number is often given in the job advertisement to help identify the position in question. If there is such a reference number, you should also include it. Here are three examples of how you could do it:
- Subject: Application – Junior Consultant
- Subject: Application – Junior Consultant ID125689
- Subject: Application, ID125689
E-mail text
Of course, the e-mail for your application must also contain a small text. However, this can be short and really only needs to contain the most important information and formalities:
- Address with a specific contact person
- Information about which position you are applying for
- Note that you are sending attachments
- if necessary. Note that you can be reached at any time for follow-up questions
- if necessary. Request for confirmation of receipt
- Goodbye
E-mail text for application: Example 1
Dear Ms. Blume,
herewith I apply for the advertised position as Junior Consultant. I am sending you my application documents as an attachment. If you have any questions about my application, please let me know. I would be very pleased to receive an acknowledgement of receipt of my application.
With kind regards
E-mail text for application: Example 2
Dear Ms. Blume,
Enclosed you will find my application documents for the position of Junior Consultant. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my application.
Yours sincerely
E-mail text for application: Example 3
In both examples, the contact person is on a first-name basis. In a very young company, it may suit the culture to write less formally and more warmly. As a rule of thumb: If you are called by your first name in the job ad, you can also use your first name back . Then the following text could also work:
Hello dear team of Rhein-Consultants,
enclosed you will find my application for the position of Junior Consultant. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to contact me at any time.
The application form in an applicant portal
Online applications in the applicant management system are preferred, especially by large companies, due to the large number of applications received. In the forms, applicants can upload their documents . The advantage of standardized templates for companies is that they can compare the applications much better and much faster.
This is what you will get
In an applicant portal, there are usually input masks for data like
- Contact information
- Subject semester
- Study
- Study focus
- Final grade
- Graduation
- Language skills
- Other knowledge
In addition to the rather rigid input fields, there are often also free text fields where the motivation letter can be inserted, or where the applicants are asked to answer certain questions. These could be the topics:
- Hobbies
- professional goals
- Career
You also have to upload files. This can include the following documents:
- Cover letter
- Letter of motivation
- Resume
- Testimonials
- Work samples/portfolio
- Final work
5 tips for online applications
1. Get an overview In some application portals it is difficult to foresee what will be asked for. So try to get an overview so that you don’t get any surprises in the middle of filling in the fields.
2. Beware – artificial intelligence!
It feels strange, but if you apply via an application portal, it is possible that your application is not even read by a human being at first. In many cases, the tool uses artificial intelligence to sort out the applicants who come into question according to certain criteria. Spelling mistakes can be a problem with application portals z. B. already make sure that your application is sorted out. Missing information (empty fields) can also lead to exclusion.
3. Good preparation
Get your data and documents together on your computer beforehand and make sure that everything is in the right format and file size.
4. Save but do not send
You have entered all the information and uploaded all the files and want to send the application immediately? Better to save all the data and let a few hours go by. Then take a fresh look at your data – and if necessary you can check the correctness of your data. Change something else.
5. Checking the process
Once you have submitted your application via an application portal, you should not log out immediately and never look at the tool again. Rather check once or twice a day if there are any news already to know where you stand.
What to do if no feedback is received?
If you don’t get any feedback, it doesn’t have to mean something bad. Ask yourself the questions below to better assess if everything is okay, or you should take action.
| Maybe the application is still stuck in your outbox? | Especially if your attachment was too big in an e-mail application, it may be that your e-mail could not be sent at all – and is still stuck in the outbox. |
| Are you sure that the application was sent off? | In an application portal, you should receive an automatic confirmation of receipt immediately. If you did not get it, you have to check what could have gone wrong. |
| Have you checked your spam folder yet?? | Perhaps the confirmation of receipt has landed in your spam folder? Always look there, too, if you are waiting for an answer. |
| Have you considered that on the other side there is a person with little time?? | Keep in mind that there might not be an automatic confirmation of receipt. Maybe the person who received your application hasn’t gotten around to writing back yet. |
| Did you apply more than a week ago? | If you are sure that your application has been received, you should ask for a confirmation of receipt. |
| The job you applied for was very very attractive? | Some companies get more than 100 applications for one position. There it may take longer to get an answer. |
Where do you want to work?
Free download application templates
Are you applying for the traditional family business, the groundbreaking technology company, or the hipster startup? Here you can find application samples for every industry and every type – whether engineer, computer scientist or marketing manager.