How to apply for a web design position

I’ve recently been charged with finding a couple new hires for entry level positions at our company. We posted an ad on Craigslist and within a day had dozens of applicants. If you find yourself new to the area of web design and are applying for your first job, here are some things to keep in mind, in no particular order:

1. Read the whole ad, follow instructions!
2. Include a phone number, just because you’re applying to a web company, doesn’t mean we want to email a dozen people.
3. Include some sort of introduction in the body of your email and give it a proper subject line, do not just send an attachment.
4. Always have examples of your work online and include links to it in your email; describe what role you played in each project. There are plenty of great free online portfolio solutions out there. No excuses!
5. Resumes are great, always tailor them to the position you’re applying for, especially if it’s long. Include your full name in the resume filename! I don’t want to sort through a dozen “resume.pdf”s. (Which reminds me, no .doc files, please!)
6. Most web design positions require you to at least write html, so include coded versions of your portfolio items wherever possible.
7. If you’ve got some standout work, link them in the email prominently, I look at work examples first and foremost, the work examples speak volumes.
8. When you receive a call from me, sound at least a little eager to have an interview, even if you desperately need the job, playing it cool typically comes off as uninterested. Even if the job you’re applying for isn’t the best, employers want people who are excited about the position (fake it if you have to).
9. Be confident, the majority of applicants in this field are terrible, don’t be afraid to be different, like ending a list on #9.