You’ve found a job that looks promising. You’ve got the required skills and experience. You’ve crafted a cover letter and polished off your resume. Now all you need to do is to make a great impression and land that interview!
It’s time to send a professional, crisp and appealing email to the hiring manager. There are a number of factors that will determine the success of applying for a job by email application. We’ve got you covered with the five most crucial steps to getting it right.
1) Your email address: Making a good impression starts with the email address you are sending your job application from. This is not the time to use that inappropriate email address you’ve had since you were 13. If you don’t have one yet, now is the time to set yourself up with a professional sounding email address. A simple, yet good-looking option is to use a close variation of your full name. For example: sarahjones@emailprovider.com. If the most obvious ones are taken, try using full stops or underscores between the names, or putting your surname first.
It also important to have an email address that includes your full name when you apply for a job by email, for search purposes. If the hiring manager has an inbox overflowing with emails from potential applicants, it is important they can search for you with ease.
2) The email subject: The subject line of your email application is important to get right and another opportunity to appear organised and professional. You want to explain who you are and what you are applying for, all in one short line. Try something like this:
Sales Assistant Application – Sarah Jones: A second reason the subject line of this email job application is important is for searching purposes. A hiring manager might receive hundreds of applications for the same job. If the subject line of the email you send is obscure and does not include your name, how will the hiring manager find you when they conduct a search through their inbox?
3) The email body: You should never leave the body of an email empty when applying for a job by email. This is like a mini cover letter for the employer as it’s the first thing they will read. It should make them want to learn more about you. As a general rule, keep the message clear and concise. Leave the details for the cover letter and resume that you are going to attach to the email. Try something like this:
Dear Hiring Manager,
I would like to apply for the Sales Assistant position as advertised on adzuna.com.au. Please find a copy of my resume and cover letter attached, outlining my suitability for the role.
I have more than two years of experience in the industry and I feel that I would be a great fit for the position.
I look forward to hearing back from you regarding my application.
Kind regards,
Sarah Jones
4) The attachments: It is really important to give your attachments professional sounding names. Sure, you may be preparing a series of cover letters, but you don’t want to send something called ‘Cover Letter version 10’. To be safe, use your full name. For example: Sarah Jones Resume. Most employers prefer your cover letter and resume to be in Word format (.doc) or PDF. Check their instructions to be sure. If it is not mentioned, it is safest to stick with Word. Ensure that both documents are attached correctly before you hit send!
5) Your email signature: It’s important to include an email signature at the bottom of your email so that employers can quickly and easily find your contact details. Include your full name, phone number and email address so they can see how to contact you at a glance. It should look something like this:
Sarah Jones
Phone: 0412 345 678
Email: sarahjones@emailprovider.com
Pay attention to each of these steps and you will have the best chance of impressing the hiring manager and being asked for an interview. Happy job hunting!
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