How do you inquire about a job listing on craigslist?

[aleutsi]

There is no contact number or name of business. Only the craigslist email link that will send you a message through craigslist. Do I just use that and.. say.. what?

Dear ??,

I am interested in more information about your job availability.

Thank you,
my name, my email addy

or do I even need the Dear? Or is there some other way I should do this?

And what is AR? Here is the listing


Chiropractic Assistant needed Part Time (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)

Duties include:
Answering phones
Scheduling
AR
Checking Benefits

Employee must be a friendly, personable first point of contact for our office. We will train the right person. Insurance exp. a plus.

It's a long shot for me, I'm sure, as I have zero experience with almost all of the listed duties. But the worst they can do is turn me down, right?

[lizinpa]

There is no contact number or name of business. Only the craigslist email link that will send you a message through craigslist. Do I just use that and.. say.. what?

Dear ??,

I am interested in more information about your job availability.

Thank you,
my name, my email addy

or do I even need the Dear? Or is there some other way I should do this?

And what is AR? Here is the listing



It's a long shot for me, I'm sure, as I have zero experience with almost all of the listed duties. But the worst they can do is turn me down, right?

and that will automatically address a reply to the person in your email browser. the only thing I have found is that it seems to launch windows mail, and I don't use that, so just open the program you do use (for me it's yahoo mail -- web based) and reply that way.

Good luck! I've had several interviews from craigslist job postings.

[Jill]

and "AR" usually means "accounts receiveable" which is taking/posting payments of some sort/handling money coming in.
GOOD LUCK!

[davidah]

Your response to the e-mail should be the equivalent of a cover letter that sells yourself. They've already given you the job description.

I would write:

To whom it may concern,

I read your craigslist posting about the chiropractic assistant position with great interest. I am friendly, enthusiastic, and responsible and would love to be the first point of contact for your office. I have been under the care of a chiropractor for XX years and believe deeply in the benefits of chiropractic care for overall health. I would love to communicate my enthusiasm to your patients and make their experience with your office friendly, professional, and efficient.

I am very organized and have excellent phone manners. I have a great -- almost compulsive -- attention to detail. I am familiar with Quicken and could easily learn QuickBooks or another accounting program for your accounts receivable needs.

I am available for an interview at your convenience. Please contact me at:

XXX-XXXX

Yours,
XXX


************
The point of this letter is to sell yourself based solely on your great personal qualities. You need to get an interview because you can't sell yourself on work experience. They have to meet you and figure out how fabulous you would be.

Good Luck!
Davidah




There is no contact number or name of business. Only the craigslist email link that will send you a message through craigslist. Do I just use that and.. say.. what?

Dear ??,

I am interested in more information about your job availability.

Thank you,
my name, my email addy

or do I even need the Dear? Or is there some other way I should do this?

And what is AR? Here is the listing



It's a long shot for me, I'm sure, as I have zero experience with almost all of the listed duties. But the worst they can do is turn me down, right?

[aleutsi]

Your response to the e-mail should be the equivalent of a cover letter that sells yourself. They've already given you the job description.

I would write:

To whom it may concern,

I read your craigslist posting about the chiropractic assistant position with great interest. I am friendly, enthusiastic, and responsible and would love to be the first point of contact for your office. I have been under the care of a chiropractor for XX years and believe deeply in the benefits of chiropractic care for overall health. I would love to communicate my enthusiasm to your patients and make their experience with your office friendly, professional, and efficient.

I am very organized and have excellent phone manners. I have a great -- almost compulsive -- attention to detail. I am familiar with Quicken and could easily learn QuickBooks or another accounting program for your accounts receivable needs.

I am available for an interview at your convenience. Please contact me at:

XXX-XXXX

Yours,
XXX


************
The point of this letter is to sell yourself based solely on your great personal qualities. You need to get an interview because you can't sell yourself on work experience. They have to meet you and figure out how fabulous you would be.

Good Luck!
Davidah

Thank you so much! I'll update if I hear anything. :loveit:

[yellow]

Your response to the e-mail should be the equivalent of a cover letter that sells yourself. They've already given you the job description.

I would write:

To whom it may concern,

I read your craigslist posting about the chiropractic assistant position with great interest. I am friendly, enthusiastic, and responsible and would love to be the first point of contact for your office. I have been under the care of a chiropractor for XX years and believe deeply in the benefits of chiropractic care for overall health. I would love to communicate my enthusiasm to your patients and make their experience with your office friendly, professional, and efficient.

I am very organized and have excellent phone manners. I have a great -- almost compulsive -- attention to detail. I am familiar with Quicken and could easily learn QuickBooks or another accounting program for your accounts receivable needs.

I am available for an interview at your convenience. Please contact me at:

XXX-XXXX

Yours,
XXX


************
The point of this letter is to sell yourself based solely on your great personal qualities. You need to get an interview because you can't sell yourself on work experience. They have to meet you and figure out how fabulous you would be.

Good Luck!
Davidah


Yes this. I'd attach my resume too.

[davidah]

In general, I would agree, but not for Aleutsi. Her resume isn't strong because of being out of the work force for so long. Her personal qualities are excellent. Ideally, she will get an interview, they'll fall in love with her, and the whole resume thing can be glossed over.

Davidah



Yes this. I'd attach my resume too.

[Debra]

Your response to the e-mail should be the equivalent of a cover letter that sells yourself. They've already given you the job description.

I would write:

To whom it may concern,

I read your craigslist posting about the chiropractic assistant position with great interest. I am friendly, enthusiastic, and responsible and would love to be the first point of contact for your office. I have been under the care of a chiropractor for XX years and believe deeply in the benefits of chiropractic care for overall health. I would love to communicate my enthusiasm to your patients and make their experience with your office friendly, professional, and efficient.

I am very organized and have excellent phone manners. I have a great -- almost compulsive -- attention to detail. I am familiar with Quicken and could easily learn QuickBooks or another accounting program for your accounts receivable needs.

I am available for an interview at your convenience. Please contact me at:

XXX-XXXX

Yours,
XXX


************
The point of this letter is to sell yourself based solely on your great personal qualities. You need to get an interview because you can't sell yourself on work experience. They have to meet you and figure out how fabulous you would be.

Good Luck!
Davidah

That's exactly what I was going to suggest. Good luck, Annie! :-)

[candeo]

Your response to the e-mail should be the equivalent of a cover letter that sells yourself. They've already given you the job description.

I would write:

To whom it may concern,

I read your craigslist posting about the chiropractic assistant position with great interest. I am friendly, enthusiastic, and responsible and would love to be the first point of contact for your office. I have been under the care of a chiropractor for XX years and believe deeply in the benefits of chiropractic care for overall health. I would love to communicate my enthusiasm to your patients and make their experience with your office friendly, professional, and efficient.

I am very organized and have excellent phone manners. I have a great -- almost compulsive -- attention to detail. I am familiar with Quicken and could easily learn QuickBooks or another accounting program for your accounts receivable needs.

I am available for an interview at your convenience. Please contact me at:

XXX-XXXX

Yours,
XXX


************
The point of this letter is to sell yourself based solely on your great personal qualities. You need to get an interview because you can't sell yourself on work experience. They have to meet you and figure out how fabulous you would be.

Good Luck!
Davidah

Lots and lots of craigslist employment ads are scams, and you don't want to give them your phone number or resume or anything else personal or identifying beyond your email until you know for sure that they're legit.

If an ad includes the name of the business and instructions for applying (send cover letter and resume to such and such address, etc.) then I would follow those directions, but otherwise I would just send the very brief, impersonal kind of email that you suggested in your initial post. Or you could send an email like Davidah suggested, but without your phone number.

If the place is legit, they will respond to you with application instructions.

This place looks like they probably are legit, but I'd still be cautious just because it's craigslist.

[davidah]

Wow -- good point. Sorry if I led you astray. The ad didn't have the ring of "scam" to me, but you're right that replying with a generic e-mail address and no phone number is the cautious approach.

Also, if they do call you for an interview, you would want to get the name of the office first and drive by when they're open and check if they're legitimate.

Davidah


Lots and lots of craigslist employment ads are scams, and you don't want to give them your phone number or resume or anything else personal or identifying beyond your email until you know for sure that they're legit.

If an ad includes the name of the business and instructions for applying (send cover letter and resume to such and such address, etc.) then I would follow those directions, but otherwise I would just send the very brief, impersonal kind of email that you suggested in your initial post. Or you could send an email like Davidah suggested, but without your phone number.

If the place is legit, they will respond to you with application instructions.

This place looks like they probably are legit, but I'd still be cautious just because it's craigslist.

[aleutsi]

Wow -- good point. Sorry if I led you astray. The ad didn't have the ring of "scam" to me, but you're right that replying with a generic e-mail address and no phone number is the cautious approach.

Also, if they do call you for an interview, you would want to get the name of the office first and drive by when they're open and check if they're legitimate.

Davidah

I actually haven't sent the email yet because I had to talk with my mom and my big kids about childcare.. I'm not going to have anyone for my youngest if these are full 8 hour days they are talking about. It's part time for sure.. but how part time?

Ugh.. whatever happened to seeing a "we are hiring" sign in the window of a business and going in to ask about the job? LOL I guess they don't do that with grown up jobs.

[serialmom]

Annie, you can state your interest, the great skills you'd bring to this kind of setting, and finish with how you'd welcome the chance to talk further. You're flying blind. While not all anony ads are scams, I wouldn't send a resume or personal info until I knew who I was dealing with.

Good luck on this. It sounds like a great fit for you.

[aleutsi]

Annie, you can state your interest, the great skills you'd bring to this kind of setting, and finish with how you'd welcome the chance to talk further. You're flying blind. While not all anony ads are scams, I wouldn't send a resume or personal info until I knew who I was dealing with.

Good luck on this. It sounds like a great fit for you.

Thanks - I will send something very similar to Davidah's example, but I'll give them my spam email and not my cell or personal email.

I really need to know the exact hours due to child care issues, though, I hate to waste their time if I end up not taking the job. But I guess schedule will be covered in an interview and people turning THEM down is to be expected. I guess I feel like I'm obligated to take the job if I contact them... and I probably shouldn't feel that way.

Job hunting sucks when you don't really know your schedule and you are flexible, but not that flexible. Nothing I'm qualified for pays enough to PAY for childcare, so it all depends on other people and if they are willing to take on the schedule I sign up for.

Blech... I hate this. I feel like such a child to say to a prospective employer "Well, I'll let you know, I need to ask my mommy"

[Storymama]

I guess I feel like I'm obligated to take the job if I contact them... and I probably shouldn't feel that way.
That's right, you shouldn't. If they wanted more commitment from a mere listing, they would offer more details. They are fully aware that a great deal of information is missing, and you should go in with the attitude that you cannot give a firm commitment to anything, until they divulge those details.

Also, what serialmom said about fraud on CL.

[saffron]

That's right, you shouldn't. If they wanted more commitment from a mere listing, they would offer more details. They are fully aware that a great deal of information is missing, and you should go in with the attitude that you cannot give a firm commitment to anything, until they divulge those details.

Also, what serialmom said about fraud on CL.

Yes, but also I would suggest replying ASAP. People get high volumes of responses from CL ads (may depend on where you live though), so the sooner you respond the better. They may stop looking at people's info once they receive a certain number of responses. You don't have to have all of your details worked out (childcare, etc) before responding and gathering more information. They will be able to handle you later telling them you aren't interested (if it comes to that).

[aleutsi]

Yes, but also I would suggest replying ASAP. People get high volumes of responses from CL ads (may depend on where you live though), so the sooner you respond the better. They may stop looking at people's info once they receive a certain number of responses. You don't have to have all of your details worked out (childcare, etc) before responding and gathering more information. They will be able to handle you later telling them you aren't interested (if it comes to that).

Thanks! Message sent. Now the wait.