Once you identify a job in which you are interested, you will need to apply by submitting your resume and a cover letter stating your interest. For more information, see the section on Resumes & Cover Letters elsewhere on this site. There are three basic ways of submitting these documents to employers: In hardcopy by mail By email, as attachments Through the company’s website (Note: a fourth way is to apply through BU CareerLink.) If you apply through the company’s website, they might or might not have a section into which you can cut and paste your resume. You might just be asked to complete an on-line form. If there is a section for “candidate remarks,” this is where you would type (or copy/paste) your cover letter. If you apply by email, include your resume and cover letter as a single attachment with both documents included. Be sure your email subject line clearly identifies the message. For example, “application for Job # C-132-R, Accountant II.” If you apply by mail, be sure you manually sign your cover letter. Make sure that the envelope is clearly addressed and legible. Use good quality paper, and be sure that the paper used for your resume and your cover letter is the same. You might be asked to state your salary requirements. We recommend that you simply state “negotiable” without naming a figure. If you name too high a figure, you might be eliminated immediately. If you name too low a figure, you might end up being hired for less that you could have gotten. Some job postings will state an end date: “Applications will be accepted through August 31” or “Job closing date: February 10.” When you see this, you can anticipate that the employer might wait until the closing date to begin calling candidates for interviews. If you do not see a closing date, the employer might be working on a rolling basis: calling applicants as the resumes appear. In either case, you might hear from an employer within days, or you might hear from them six weeks or more later. In general, you will probably hear back within about two weeks. If there is a way for you to contact the employer, follow up with an email or even a phone call, to reiterate your continued interest in the position, and say that you look forward to hearing from them. Employers will generally select a group of candidates from the applicant pool to call in for first round interviews. A smaller number of those will be called back to continue the process until the candidate is selected to whom the company will make an offer of employment. For more information, see the section on Interviewing elsewhere on this site. Formal offers will almost always be extended by the Human Resources department. This might be done through a phone call with a follow-up letter, or you might be called in and given an offer and a letter in a meeting with HR. It will then be up to you to accept the offer, decline, or negotiate. Once an agreement has been reached, you and the employer will mutually agree on a start date, and you can plan to go buy that new wardrobe! When most people receive a job offer, their first reaction might be excitement or even relief. It is certainly validating to know that you have been chosen from a group of other qualified candidates. The next thing most people think about is the salary, and they evaluate the desirability of the offer based on how much it will pay. While this is certainly a key factor, there are other things to consider as well. These other factors are particularly important when you are weighing two or more job offers and you have to make a decision about which one you will accept. Some things to think about include: How much do you think you will actually enjoy the job? Remember that you will be going to this workplace or doing this job everyday, day after day, for the foreseeable future. Do you like the atmosphere, the people, the nature of the job duties? How much will the job help you grow and develop as a professional? What kind of time commitment outside of the normal work week does the employer expect? Will you be on-call on weekends? Will you be expected to put in frequent over-time? If so, is this compensated? Is the commute manageable for you? How will you get there? Would you be willing to move to be closer? What are the chances for advancement in the company? What kinds of professional development opportunities might be available? How stable is the company? Is it new? Is it growing? Does it have a reliable track record? Is it in a shaky industry? What benefits are offered in terms of healthcare, vacation, sick time, tuition remission, retirement planning, etc? Are there other things about the company that you really like, or really don’t like? If you decide to choose one company over another, get back to the company you have chosen as soon as possible. Work out the details of your start date, etc. Once you have a mutual agreement, notify the other employers that you have accepted another offer, and thank them for their time, their offer and for considering you. It’s nice to do this by phone rather than by email, if you have the phone number of the hiring manager or of the HR representative with whom you have been dealing. Preparing for the Job Search Job Search Strategies Career Fairs and Events Researching Companies The Mechanics On-Campus Recruiting Job Search Strategies Guide Book Suggestions Websites BU CareerLink

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