Email is increasingly the preferred method of sending documents and it is perfectly possible that you will end up making the majority of your job applications by email.
You probably have a number of questions on your mind about emailing job applications and I will try to answer all of these here.
Generally speaking, there’s not too much difference between sending an application by post and sending an application by email:
- You still need to make an impact
- You’re still competing against countless others for the reader’s attention.
- You still need to give them a compelling reason to read your CV (except that in this case they won’t have it right there in front of them; they actually need to click to open it)
However, there are certain practicalities which you need to deal with:
Subject line: Never leave it blank! It’s extremely unprofessional to do so. But do keep it short and simple. You could specify the vacancy title and reference if applicable. If you’re making a speculative application, on the other hand, then you might need to be a little more inventive and make a greater effort to catch the recipient’s attention. Don’t go over the top though; you certainly don’t want to risk your email being labelled as spam and discarded.
Form of address: Just because this is an email is no reason to start with “Hi,” or suchlike. Start your email just as you would start a proper, professional letter. This isn’t an email to a pal; it’s an important job application.
Content: Whereas when faxing your CV and cover letter I would recommend sending the letter separately rather than including it on the fax cover sheet, I would definitely not recommend sending both your CV and cover letter as email attachments. The chances of either of them getting read will drop dramatically. I believe CVs should always be sent as attachments (because they normally look awful when copied and pasted into an email) but you should place the contents of your cover letter in the body of your email. (The exception to this is of course when a recruiter has specifically requested “no attachments”.) By including any kind of attachment with your email you do run the risk of falling foul of spam filters. However, anti-spam software is becoming increasingly sophisticated and people are consequently becoming less paranoid about attachments they receive; not so long ago many companies had a policy of deleting all emails with attachments!
Signature: Many people have an automated email ‘signature’ which goes out at the bottom of every email they send. Whatever yours says, remember that it will be seen by potential employers. You might decide a rewrite is in order!
Filenames: Don’t just call your CV ‘CV’. Make sure it contains your name, e.g. ‘Jane Bloggs – CV’. Organisations receive so many files simply called, ‘CV’. It’s easy for confusions to arise.
File format: Microsoft Word is the most universally accepted format for a document (apart from ‘plain text’ – which is really not very attractive). If you send your CV in a different format – PDF, Mac, etc. – then you’re immediately reducing the chances of the recipient being able to access it (unless you work in a creative field, e.g. a graphic designer). Do you think the recipient will write politely back and ask for your CV in a different format? Or do you think it’s more likely they’ll probably just delete your email?!
Cc & Bcc: In rare cases where your application needs to be sent to more than one individual then you might need to use the Cc function – and possibly even the Bcc function. However, it should go without saying that you shouldn’t use these functions to spam multiple employers with exactly the same email. Each application you make should be tailored for the organisation to which you are sending it.
