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 LetterBUILDER, 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!
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! :)
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.
@ 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.
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?
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!
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.