Apply with an Online Résumé and Cover Letter

Overview

Using your online résumé to apply for jobs offers several powerful advantages—you don't have to retype your work history for every application, you avoid problems with file formats (like Word or PDF documents losing their formatting), and your résumé stays consistent across all jobs you apply for.

This application option applies only to internal jobs with Preferred employers.

Different Location Examples of Where to Apply for a Job

Where to Find This Feature

Top menu bar > Résumé icon > Résumé thumbnail icon > Suggested Jobs Based on Your Résumé (at the bottom) > Apply
Left navigation menu > Quick Menu > Job Search > Apply
Left navigation menu > Quick Menu > Job Search > Job Details > Apply
My Dashboard > Personalized Job Matches > Apply link
My Dashboard > Widgets > Job Seeker Services widget > Job Search link > Apply
Directory of Services tab > Quick Menu > Job Search > Apply

Steps to Apply for a Job with Preferred Employers Using Your Online Résumé

Preferred employers are those registered in the system. They are marked with gold stars in the upper-right corner of their job card. Jobs without this icon are gathered (or "spidered") from other sources such as company career pages, job boards, or staffing agency listings. These positions require a different application process, explained below.

Your site may display different options from those shown here.

Search for and identify the position you would like to apply to. See Find a Job for details.
Select the Apply button.
If the job application includes Applicant Screening Questions, answer them and select the Next button.
On the How to Apply page, there may be an alternate procedure, depending on whether the employer posted the job as "suppressed," meaning the employer requested that all applicants are pre-screened prior to releasing the employer’s name.
1. If the job is suppressed, choose your résumé from the drop-down list and then select the Please have a staff person contact me button. You are referred to your local one-stop office for immediate information or staff contacts you within 72 hours. See Apply for Suppressed Jobs for details.
Select the Apply via Résumé button. The How to Apply page redisplays with different fields.
Select the résumé you wish to use from the drop-down list in the Apply Using an Online Résumé section.
1. To preview or change information on your selected résumé before sending it to the employer, click the Edit a Résumé link. See Edit a Résumé for details.
2. If you do not have a résumé in the system, click the Create a Résumé link to begin the process of creating a résumé. See Manage Your Résumés for additional information.
Review any job applicant information items the employer may have specified in the Job Applicant Information Needed section, such as education and employment history, contact information, certifications, etc.

If the employer did not specify application requirements, this section does not display.
1. Select the Edit link for any items needing attention (marked with a red X) to display a page for adding or editing the item as required. Only when all requirements are complete and display a green checkmark can the application proceed.

To include a personal introduction, select a cover letter from the drop-down list in the Attachment Options section.

To include a cover letter:

To create a cover letter if none are available, select the Create Cover Letter link. The Letter Builder page displays.

Employer contact information prefills from the job order in the Letter Recipient section. Modify the information, if required.
In the Letter section, enter a Letter Name for the cover letter.
Enter the text of your letter in the Letter Body text box. You can use the formatting tools at the top to bold, italicize, create bullet lists, adjust colors, include images, and more—adding clarity, emphasis, and visual appeal.
To use cover letter templates that you created, select the Text Templates link and select one from the list on the Templates tab.
- The templates are filtered for cover letters by default. To use a different kind of template, expand Show Filter Options, change the Letter Type in the drop-down list, and select the Filter link to display other template options.

Text Templates Window Functions
To...	Do This:
View the contents of the template	Select the magnifying glass icon in the Preview column.
Apply the template to the text field	Select the link in the Description column on the Saved Text tab. See Manage Your Saved Text Templates for details.
Use a variable to automatically enter specific text	Select a link in the Description column on the Variables tab. The finished letter replaces the code you see with the specified information from the job order.
View a list of impactful terms that convey initiative and achievement	Select the Action Words tab. A filterable list of verbs, divided by category, displays—select the words you want to add to your text.

To customize your cover letter or save as a new one, select the Edit Cover Letter link and repeat the above steps.

To include any additional documents you saved to the system, select the link in the Additional Documents section to attach or upload it.
Select the check box to acknowledge that you are providing your contact information to the employer posting the job in addition to any other information you specified in your résumé.
Select the Submit Application button to complete your application for the job. The Job Application Successful page confirms your application. Good luck!

Tips for Success

Keep track of which résumé you used for which application. That way, when a recruiter calls, you know exactly which version they have.
Use variables in your cover letters to make them reusable for multiple positions. Variables (also called placeholders or merge fields) let you automatically insert unique details for each recipient without manually rewriting each letter.