Email Cover Letters

Cover letters should be cut and dry, right? Unfortunately, they are not. Just like resumes, cover letter have a lot of different formats, variances, rules, and protocols to be created by-and the penalty for not abiding by these general cover letter rules can easily delete you from a job candidacy. One of the prime examples of this is the email cover letter. Did you know that there is actually a specific set of protocol rules for submitting an emailed cover letter correctly? Most people do not-so do not fear. This said, you need to make sure you read up here and follow the right etiquette in all cover letters that you send by email-as it could mean the difference between the getting the interview and being deleted.

Subject Line: Though this may seem like a small and inconsequential part of an application to a job posting; it could very well affect your chances for getting a call for an interview or not. Make sure that you list exactly what the job posting asks you to list in the subject line of your email. If they do not specify, use the title of the position that you are applying for. Make sure that you get the exact terminology correct, because the last thing an employer wants is someone who doesn’t even know the title that they are applying for.

Cut and Paste: Though you have two options when it comes to the body of your cover letter in an email, cut and paste is probably the most common. This is because it is the easiest to simple cut and paste, and alters slightly according to the job title and specifics. This said, you have to be careful of two things: making the cover letter look too formulaic and having the format not adjust correctly. If you choose to cut and paste your cover letter, make sure to spend some time customizing the content and goals presented in it to ensure that it seems geared towards that particular job and company. Moreover, ensure that the format of your cut and paste cover letter is simple text format without too much styling or bolding etc. It could translate jumbled and unreadable, otherwise-and therefore, unprofessional.

Create in the Body: The other option that you may have when applying for a job by email is to create a cover letter in the body of the email. Though this can prove to make the cover letter more customized to the position and company; it can also leave open a lot of room for formatting error. This said, if you choose this route, make sure to double check the vitals of an effective cover letter in your own, prior to sending it-and make sure that it is simple in format and styling.

Incorporating the Resume: Though most often an employer will expect that a resume be attached to your email application; there are still others that prefer that a resume be included in the body of an email. This means that they want the whole process to be that much easier to read and review-and so you have to know how to draft your cover letter, and sync it with your resume. The best way to address this issue is to create the cover letter-either through cut and paste or in the email-and then, offer a number of line breaks to make a clear distinction after the body of your cover letter and before the resume.