I get the occasional web design for my website. I wanted to find a company that I could pass these on to. So I put an ad on a freelance site. It specified the necessary programming qualifications, stated that the successful candidate had to have good English, and was only for companies.
The responses I received were enlightening. So much so that I made a list of things applicants did wrong. Here it is.
I should note that I was initially prepared to give everyone a fair chance. After the first twenty-something emails, my attitude changed. I was looking for reasons to eliminate candidates. I just needed a successful one; with 100+ responses it was becoming a pain in the ass so I decided a brutal approach was needed.
1. Could not read the specification.
Many applicants could not write English correctly. Many were just individuals. Result: instant deletion.
2. The specification criteria were not met.
Applicants bragged about how good they were. Many copy and paste standard marketing nonsense about ‘solutions’ and ‘partnerships’ into their emails.
To get anyone interested in a proposal, you need to talk less about yourself and more about the benefits to *them* of using it. One of the first things I learned about applying for a job is that you need to show how you meet the criteria in the job description; see if you can find the wavelength of the employer.
3. Lots of jargon.
You quickly unplug this. Anyone who works with web companies will probably get a lot out of this. Applicants should talk to the client about the *client’s* site and *their* needs, and avoid technical jargon.
Write a request letter. Leave it for a while, then edit it. Brutally. Short and forceful sentences, no nonsense. Talking convincingly about how you can make the client money would get attention.
4a. Customer List Pages ‘Coming Soon’.
You say you’ve worked for many clients and then you put a “coming soon” banner on the web page where your client list is supposed to be. Hmmmm.
4b. Pages ‘under construction’ on your company website.
This looks bad; something you would see on a hobbyist site. Another reason to scrap your app.
4c. Only post images of sites you have visited, rather than links to the actual sites.
I would have liked to see some working example sites. Images can be faked and do not show background programming.
4th. The URL of its main website is not mentioned.
Let us guess where your own site is (if you have one). It’s more fun! I tried to guess by the email address. After a while I didn’t bother.
4f. There are no hyperlinks at all.
Just a short email spiel saying “I’m a great designer, hire me.” Next!
5. Use Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com as your email address.
A professional designer should not use a free email address service. Basic web hosting is $5 a month these days.
I can conceive of a web designer using a free account for some special purpose, but your own domain name is a basic advertisement that appears in every email you send.
6. Bad spelling and grammar.
Western civilization is doomed if the use of SMS jargon becomes the standard way of writing to people. Doesn’t impress old frts like me, fr strtrs 🙁 Especially if you’re looking for a job where good spelling and grammar are important.
7. Front Loading Flash Designs.
I admit it, I don’t like Flash. I especially don’t like it when it loads slowly on my broadband connection. I suppose it might impress an ignorant customer, who doesn’t know the financial consequences of having a Flash-heavy site.
8. Don’t call the employer.
Unless they say ‘probing will disqualify’, ‘phoning the employer is a good idea. Because? Because geeks are famous for being introverted and mute, supposedly. So if a website designer can communicate clearly over the phone, that, coupled with a good app, puts them well ahead of the email-only applicant.
There is no need to poke. A polite question to establish contact will suffice. “I’m just checking you have my CV”, that kind of thing.
9. Stay mysterious.
Emails are impersonal. Anything that can establish you as a human being, a person, a potential ally and a friend, is good. It will make you more memorable. No need to jump out of a giant cake though!
However, it must also meet all other criteria. As good as you are, if you’re a Unix guy and they want Windows, forget it.
10. Leaving unclear phone messages.
One guy left a phone message mentioning your site twice, but not his “phone number.” His pronunciation was bad, so I guess I’ll never know how good he was.
11. Too far.
Most of the responses came from India, Ukraine, Romania, etc. Whichever was closer to home (the UK) stood out. I mention it simply as a winning criteria.
Also, I needed someone who could get contracts from UK residents; good English, written and spoken, was important.
12. Give your hourly rates.
Forget it. You are not a lawyer. Web design jobs can be clearly defined, in terms of time, labor, and software required. A defined price can be agreed in advance. It’s called a contract. Otherwise, you leave the client exposed to ever-increasing bills and yourself to mission slowness.
13. Delay in application.
The first applications were more analyzed. After that, the tiredness began. After one hundred, only one applicant who looks like a real prospect will receive scrutiny of more than five seconds.
