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Employers and job candidates are meeting on the Internet
Centene Corp.’s announcement that it eventually will hire 250 people to work at a new claims processing center in Great Falls caught Kevin Scott’s attention.
The 25-year-old Electric City native has a business communications degree from the University of Montana-Western and wants to start a career in his hometown.
By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Staff Writer
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040906/localnews/1186627.html
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For these and other career opportunities in Montana, be sure to check out http://www.montana-jobs.net – Russ
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But he was a little flustered when he learned Centene initially is accepting resumÈs via e-mail. The company will begin accepting applications in other forms soon, officials say.
"I really don’t know what the proper etiquette is," Scott said. "What should you put in the subject line? Should resumÈs be pasted into the body of the e-mail message or sent as attachments? And should you send letters of reference as attachments?"
Applying for work online is becoming as common as personal home computers. Companies say sifting through electronic rÈsumÈs is more efficient than wading through piles of paper.
Benefis Healthcare converted to online applications three years ago. Job seekers scroll through a screen and fill out employment history, skill summaries and academic degrees. Benefis employs about 2,000 people.
"We aren’t getting fewer applications since we’ve switched," said Brandy Solyst, manager of community relations for Benefis. "It helps us make sure applicants meet the criteria of the job."
Generally, the guidelines for applying online are the same as other traditional methods, said Linda Tope, placement supervisor at Great Falls Job Service.
"Include your experience that pertains to the job, use bullets to describe your experience, and get right to the point," she said.
Cover letters can be included in the body of the e-mail, but rÈsumÈs should be sent as attachments, she said.
"Microsoft Word is the most universal software to use," Tope said.
Applicants who don’t have that software can save their rÈsumÈ as a "text only" document. That option is available under the "save as" button under the "edit" tab on most word processing software applications.
Before sending a "text only" document, check to be sure fonts haven’t changed, that bullets are still aligned or if other formatting needs to be cleaned up.
Never include personal information, such as Social Security numbers or bank account information on electronic resumÈs.
"But you shouldn’t be including that on a paper resumÈ either," Tope said. "You will need to include contact information, however: your e-mail, your telephone number. You also need to include contact information for your references."
Reference letters can be sent as attachments with an e-mailed application, but don’t send huge files with scanned versions in a PDF format. That could take a long time for your prospective employer to download.
Regarding the subject line, if the employer’s job announcement isn’t specific on how to fill it out, something such as "Application for vacancy" is appropriate.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. switched to online applications in June.
"This fits our needs better since we are interested in employment on a national scope," said Tammy Friedrich, human resource administrator for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Montana. Friedrich works in the Billings office.
Coca-Cola’s site allows applicants to paste a cover letter and resumÈ in designated fields.
"It’s working well for us. We just hired someone to fill a vacancy in Shelby," Friedrich said. "That person didn’t have to go to our Great Falls office to pick up an application. This system makes better sense for us."
Black can be reached by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (406) 791-6502 or (800) 438-6600.
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