Interview mistakes can be just as deadly for a telecommute job.

In a recent article, Anthony Balderrama outlines the 8 Worst Things To Say in an Interview. I’d have to say that there are waaaay more than 8, and especially when interviewing for a telecommute job.

I once posted a part-time telecommute job listing on my own site. You would not believe some of the responses I received. It was obvious to me that these people had no clue that their response to my listing was part of the interview process…and my first impression of them. Needless to say, the following applicants pretty much disqualified themselves with these gems (I’m not kidding….these are real responses I received):

“i don’t have a credit card to get this i have money orders led me know if that is ok”

What this person was talking about, I have no idea. It’s scary to think that she was willing to just throw money at me when this was a telecommute job and there was no mention of a fee of any kind. (Not to mention the spelling and capitalization errors.)

“I am on disability and receive a small check every month. I worked outside the home for years and even went back to school and graduated as an med asst in 2003 at 50yrs old. shortly after i was on ss disability. I really want as well as need to work from home”

One of the most common mistakes when applying for a work at home job is to tell the employer your sob story. Brace yourself: Employers don’t care why you want or need to work from home. They want to know how you are going to help them and why you are the most qualified person for the job.

“hello i am from kosovo i have to work from home do you have to give mi more information for this job.”

The listing specifically stated that applicants had to reside in the U.S. Not only that, but consider that an email response is something like a cover letter. It should be tailored to that company, that position and personally addressed to the hiring person. It should include highlights of the applicant’s skills and experience that match what the employer is looking for.

So, what is the right way to apply for a telecommute job?

There are three very important rules that you should follow when pursuing a telecommute job. If you do, your chances of getting hired will be much greater. If you break them, your chances are about as good as winning the lottery.

Don’t apply to positions that you arent qualified for.

As the owner of 2Work-At-Home.com, I spend a great deal of my time trying to convince employers to post their telecommute job openings on our site. That’s no easy feat either, and I’ll tell you why: Most of them have to be convinced that there are quality applicants visiting our site.

One of the most common reasons employers give for not posting their telecommute listings on the Internet is that people who are not at all qualified for the opening apply for them.

Put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. You need to hire a person that can translate a companys training manual into German. So, you post your listing for a German Translator and specify that you’re looking for someone who is fluent in English and German.

Your listing goes up and BAM! You’re immediately flooded with responses. As 237 messages are downloading, you marvel at the number of people who are fluent in German. As you start opening the messages, your excitement turns to annoyance when you see your first three responses:

“I can’t speak German, but I’m a fast learner.”

“Dear Recruiter,
A solid background in Widget Sales makes me the perfect candidate for your position.”

“Send Info”

Nobody likes to waste their time, and when a recruiter posts a listing and only gets 1 in 100 responses that are worth looking at, it’s counterproductive for them.

I know for a fact that some of our site visitors go through the job listings and methodically apply to every listing in the database, no matter what the position is.

This “throw your resume at every employer and hope one sticks” approach not only makes the applicant look desperate, but it gives the entire telecommute job-seeking community a bad name.

Follow the application instructions.

One company had posted a listing with us that contained specific application instructions. Recently, their listing expired. When she chose not to renew, I asked her why and this was her response:

“You really, really need to instruct these folks on how to follow directions, write cover letters, apply for jobs. They’re lost. So, please, don’t bring any more my way.”

Now, that’s unfortunate. Here is a company that has telecommute openings, but you won’t see them advertised because its easier for them to just hit the pavement and do their recruiting the old fashioned way.

If a listing has specific instructions on how to apply, follow them. If you don’t, then the first impression you are giving to your prospective employer is that you don’t follow directions.

Even if there are no specific instructions, you should always apply in a professional manner, which brings me to Rule #3…

Always behave in a professional, courteous manner.

Believe it or not, I recently had a complaint from both a company and an applicant when a correspondence over a job opening had escalated into threats and mud slinging.

It all started when the applicant sent an email to the employer that stated, “Send Info” and nothing more.

This is a common occurrence. While it may seem perfectly acceptable to ask for details, usually those “details” are in the job listing itself. A response to a listing should be an application. If you want to ask for more information, the interview would be the appropriate time. Chances are, if you can’t apply without getting more information it’s due to one of two scenarios:
-The listing is really, really vague (and so most likely a scam).
-You’re not qualified for this position (if you’re not sure if youre qualified, then you probably aren’t).

The cover letter should be tailored to the position, not a generic version. This may mean that you have to do a little digging, call the company, etc. but it really does make an impression. It shows that you are really interested in their company, that you’re resourceful and that you are professional.

Your resume should be up to date, thorough and professional. Have it done by a resume service if possible. It should not contain personal information such as height, weight or a health history. These things have nothing to do with your qualifications and don’t belong on a resume.

Another thing to leave out of a resume is an explanation of why you want to work at home. This is something I see in many of the resumes posted in our database. Not only is it unprofessional to include this type of information, but more importantly- employers don’t care.

What they do care about is whether or not you have the skills and experience needed to do the job and why they should hire you.

Home-based positions are rare indeed. Competition is very high, so you must present yourself as the best possible candidate right from the start. Following these basic rules will give you a much greater chance of snagging that much coveted telecommute position.

Tags: job searching, telecommute, telecommuting