e-mail applications

dori2o

When making an e-mail application for a job, as is now very common, should the letter of application essentially be the main body of the email that is sent with the CV included as an attachment, OR, should the application letter be a separate attachment along with the CV.

Just asking as we have sent an application for my wife with the cover/application letter as an attachment along with an attachment for the CV.

The text of the email reads

Dear Mr **********

Please find attached my CV and written application for the vacant *************** position at your *********** store as advertised on the Directgov website.

Yours Sincerely,

*************

Any opinions?

LadyMissA

dori2o wrote: »

When making an e-mail application for a job, as is now very common, should the letter of application essentially be the main body of the email that is sent with the CV included as an attachment, OR, should the application letter be a separate attachment along with the CV.

Just asking as we have sent an application for my wife with the cover/application letter as an attachment along with an attachment for the CV.

The text of the email reads



Any opinions?

I write a cover letter in the main body of the email and attach the CV obviously as an attachement but I put a bit more in the cover letter other than what the job is and where it was advertised.

You have no guarantee of the CV being read so the less attachements they have to open the better I say.

scheming_gypsy

I'd attach them both as the email will be picked up and have the CV / attachments printed out and then passed to the relevant person. The email will often go to HR / recruitment / a PA etc rather than the person who'll be choosing who to interview.

InsideInsurance

The covering letter should be the email itself, in my opinion.

Certainly with how the HR departments with my last couple of clients worked the email went into the covering letter field of the system, the CV into the CV field and if there was an attached covering letter that just went into the "Other Notes" section. If you went into the system, brought up an application then the CV and Cover Letter field actually showed the content on screen in full, the fact it had anything in the Other Notes section was hard to spot as it was on a different page and it only had an icon link to the item rather than the content. Hitting the print button automatically formatted and printed the CV & Cover letter field but not the Other Notes.

You want to have a certain amount of "wow" factor with your first impression and

Please find attached my CV and written application for the vacant *************** position at your *********** store as advertised on the Directgov website.

really doesnt do it for me

dori2o

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The covering letter should be the email itself, in my opinion.

Certainly with how the HR departments with my last couple of clients worked the email went into the covering letter field of the system, the CV into the CV field and if there was an attached covering letter that just went into the "Other Notes" section. If you went into the system, brought up an application then the CV and Cover Letter field actually showed the content on screen in full, the fact it had anything in the Other Notes section was hard to spot as it was on a different page and it only had an icon link to the item rather than the content. Hitting the print button automatically formatted and printed the CV & Cover letter field but not the Other Notes.

You want to have a certain amount of "wow" factor with your first impression and really doesnt do it for me

But then the 'Wow' factor is contained in the cover letter, hence the reason for asking the question of whether the body of the email should be the actual cover letter, which to me seems tacky, or whether the letter should be an attachment alongside the CV, which to me seems much more professional.

InsideInsurance

I hit the print button on either of the last two systems, I dont get to see your other attachment and so your short email is all I see.

Typically I am getting around 30 applicants for each role I advertise and having to do my day job at the same time I can only scan read what you've written unless you get through my initial filtering. I must admit I scan read your email here too and also missed the comment about there being another attachment.

Even if I had spotted it I wouldn't necessarily be bothered to go back to the PC, log back in to the system, find you, find the attachment, chase HR if they havent attached it, load it, print it, walk back to the printer, walk back to the room I hide in to review CVs. I'm fortunate in only getting about 30 applicants, if you read the press there are people getting 100+. Make it simple, put it in the body of the email, if you want attach a second copy of it too.

dseventy

As an employer I like to see two attachments, one the covering letter, the other the CV/application form. The email just needs to contain the job ref/interest.

D70

westv

So basically employers have a preference to see either method so it's a 50/50 chance of getting it wrong whatever you do.

smileylondongal

It's mostly down the personal preference however if you're really unsure you can copy and paste the covering letter into the email and then attach this separately as well as the CV.

Personally, I've only ever put the covering letter into the email text and attached the CV as I see this as neater and also it's less trouble for the reader - if you think that every job gets XX amount of people applying, do I really want the recruiter having to go to the trouble of opening up two separate attachments?

Just my opinion but I used to be a recruiter and only speaking from experience.

Savvy_Sue

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

I'd attach them both as the email will be picked up and have the CV / attachments printed out and then passed to the relevant person. The email will often go to HR / recruitment / a PA etc rather than the person who'll be choosing who to interview.

But in our case the covering letter wouldn't be sent to the selectors, just the form, so make sure that there's nothing in the covering letter you'd want them to know that isn't also on the form!

westv

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

But in our case the covering letter wouldn't be sent to the selectors, just the form, so make sure that there's nothing in the covering letter you'd want them to know that isn't also on the form!

Form? Do you mean an application form rather than a CV?
Any reason covering letters aren't sent?