How to Send a Cover Letter by Email

A cover letter is an introduction to a resume. Cover letters often reiterate the strong points of a resume, as well as add additional information about the applicant such as how the applicant would be strong in the position being applied for, and other potential highlights of the applicant's background. Many employers today prefer that applicants email their cover letters. You can either attach a cover letter or send it in the body of your email.

Instructions

Send the Cover Letter as an Attachment

1. Save the cover letter in Microsoft Word, or another word editing software, as a .doc file unless otherwise specified by the recipient. Documents formatted as .doc can be opened by most recipients. (Windows Vista users have the option to save their documents as .docx, but your potential recipients may not be able to read documents saved as .docx.)

2. Log in to your email account.

3. Create a new message. For example, if using Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail you would select "New," Gmail users would select "Compose Mail."

4. Enter the email address of the recipient, and a subject heading such as "Cover Letter/Resume for X Position." You should also enter a message into the correspondence field. The message should detail more about the position the cover letter is referring to, including any job reference number, and end with your full name, address and phone number.

5. Select "Attach Files" (Yahoo! Mail), "Attach" > "File" (Hotmail), or "Attach a file" (Gmail). This will allow you to attach your full document to the email.

6. Browse your computer for your saved cover letter. In Gmail and Hotmail, a window will open up that lets you browse files on your computer. In Yahoo! Mail, you will need to select the "Browse" button and then locate the file on your computer. Then press the "Open" button in each of the email services to attach the cover letter to email.

7. Select "Send" to send your cover letter as an attachment to the specified recipient.

Paste Your Cover Letter Into the Email

1. Open your cover letter in Microsoft Word or another word editing software.

2. Select the "Edit" menu and then choose "Select All."

3. Press "Edit" again, and this time select "Copy." This will copy all text contained in your cover letter to the Windows clipboard.

4. Log in to your email account. Then formulate your message. Include the recipient name, the subject heading and type a personal message. Be sure to include that your cover letter is pasted into the body of the email.

5. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys simultaneously, with your cursor positioned below the message you just typed. This will paste the cover letter into the body of your email. Then press "Send" to email your cover letter.

References

• Microsoft: Attach Document in Hotmail
• Yahoo: Attach Photos & Files in Email