The Pongo Blog


How to E-Mail Your Cover Letter the Right Way

July 10, 2008 (1:00PM) by Brianna Raymond, CPRW

I always say the best post topics come straight from real job seekers (like you). And this week, my idea came from a former co-worker who recently went through the whole job-search process. She had two questions: "What's the best subject line for an e-mail in response to a job ad?" and "Should you attach the cover letter to the e-mail, or copy and paste it into the body of the e-mail?" I always wondered this myself, so I did some research and here's the consensus:

Best E-Mail Subject Line:

Jane Johnson resume for sales service position

It's straightforward and informative. It tells the recipient who you are, what you're sending, and why you're sending it.

This isn't a concrete formula, however. Since some job ads require you mention a job posting ID number when you apply, you should substitute the name of the position with the number. Example: Jane Johnson resume for Job #5527.

Best Way to Include Your Cover Letter:

Copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the e-mail.

Why is this the preferred method? Three reasons: 1) It gives the recipient one less attachment to open, 2) It gets to the point faster than writing the awkward "here is my resume and cover letter" mumbo jumbo, and 3) It gives you the ability to make an impact as soon as the recipient opens your e-mail. However, if you send your cover letter out using Pongo's Letter BUILDER, the application will paste a copy of your letter in the e-mail and add one as an attachment. This way, employers can see your value up front and have the option to save the attachment too.

In this case, some of the typical cover letter rules would not apply. While a regular cover letter would include "To" and "From" addresses, e-mail requires a different format. Skip the "To" and "From" but include the date, reference line, greeting, body, professional closing, and signature. Here's an example of what an e-mail cover letter would look like:

Be sure to attach your resume to your e-mail. And as always, refer to the company's job posting and apply, using whatever guidelines they specify. Adhering to the employer's guidelines will not only ensure your documents get to the right place at the right time, it will prove that you pay attention to details and follow instructions!

Do you have any other questions we haven't covered in this post about applying for jobs? Ask them here!

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Comments (13)

Thanks for this blog, Brianna!

Now, I fully understand how to send a proper email without having too many attachments. It's especially important for my career (graphic design), because companies sometimes ask me for design examples to attach as well. The less work they have to do, the better! :)

Posted by: Kathryn | July 10, 2008 at 2:58 PM | Quote This Comment
Thank you Brianna Raymond in showing me a sample of Jane Johnson's cover letter. This cover letter gives me some idea to what contents or wordings I have to put on my cover letter and the sequences. I have a clear idea now after reading your sample.

Posted by: SenWing | July 22, 2008 at 9:30 AM | Quote This Comment
@ Kat: You're very welcome! It certainly is easier for both parties to limit the number of attachments.

@ SenWing: Thanks for the kudos. I'm glad I could help! You can find more sample sentences in our LetterBUILDER when you login to write your own cover letter, too.

Posted by: Brianna | July 24, 2008 at 11:43 AM | Quote This Comment
This is a great guide to me

Posted by: Bruce Coleman | August 22, 2008 at 2:07 PM | Quote This Comment
Still a fabulous article... however, I couldn't help but notice just now how many times the word "opportunity" is used in this cover letter. Isn't it a bad idea to use one word repeatedly throughout?

Posted by: Kathryn | October 26, 2008 at 6:47 PM | Quote This Comment
Nice pickup, Kathryn! Simple mistake. Just proves no matter how much you proof your own writing or how many other sets of eyes look over it with you, errors like this can still happen. Thanks for pointing it out - the letter is better now!

Posted by: Brianna | October 27, 2008 at 10:04 AM | Quote This Comment
How do I explain the gap in employment? For example, I took time off to raise my kids, run a home based day care and return to college to learn new skills.

Posted by: MC | November 14, 2008 at 6:44 PM | Quote This Comment
Hi Brianna,

What subject line would you use when emailing speculative applications?

Posted by: TV | November 29, 2008 at 12:43 PM | Quote This Comment
TV: I'm assuming you're referring to a cold contact cover letter (one you'd send to a company that's not currently hiring). My suggestion for a subject line would be: Employment Opportunities for [ Desired Position ].

Example: Employment Opportunities for Graphic Designer.

Does that answer your question?

Posted by: Brianna | December 01, 2008 at 9:50 AM | Quote This Comment
Once again I've had my employer close. Between 2 employers closing and a relocation, how do I prevent my resume from looking like I'm a job-hopper?

Posted by: J. B. | December 17, 2008 at 5:00 PM | Quote This Comment
If you are applying to an online job posting which does not include specific contact info, who's name should you use in the greeting of your E-Cover Letter?

Posted by: Melissa | February 12, 2009 at 12:26 PM | Quote This Comment
Hi Melissa - Sorry for the delayed response! If the online job posting doesn't include specific contact info, you should research the company and try to find a name to address the cover letter to. You might find it on the company's web site or you might have to call HR and find out who you can contact in regards to the position you're applying for. It's a little extra work, but it's MUCH better than using "To Whom It May Concern."

In fact, Julie's post on cover letter greetings might help you even more: http://www.pongoresume.com/blogPosts/118/5-ways-to-screw-up-your-cover-letter-greeting.cfm

Posted by: Brianna | February 20, 2009 at 12:05 PM | Quote This Comment
great job.

Posted by: Nikhil Ramakrishna | August 29, 2009 at 3:42 PM | Quote This Comment

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