How to Format Emailed Cover Letters
Your cover letter is the first contact you have with a potential employer. Many employers do the first round of applicant eliminations based on the cover letter alone. If your cover letter is inadequate, it is unlikely that employer even going to look at your resume. Although some employers place specific directions for emailed cover letters in the job ad, most do not. For these applications, you must know proper business etiquette and have well-developed business writing skills to be taken seriously as a candidate.
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Instructions
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Type the name of the position and the words "position" or "job," followed by "inquiry" in the subject line. For example, if you are applying for a customer service job, the subject line should read, "Customer Service Representative Position Inquiry" or "Customer Service Representative Job Inquiry." This ensures the reader knows exactly why you are contacting him. If the job ad specified a subject line, you must use it, or the employer will think you can't follow simple directions.
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Put "Good Morning/Afternoon" and the name of the person in charge of hiring on the top line of the email body. If you do not know the receiver's name, look for it on the company's website, or simply call the company and ask for the name of the hiring manager. If you still cannot find the name, addressing the reader as "Hiring Manager" will suffice.
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Tell the employer why you are a good candidate for the job in a few sentences. Do not rehash your resume; just state how your experience and skills prepared you for the job to which you are applying. If you have a contact in the company, mention her by name, so the employer knows you are somewhat familiar with the company.
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End the cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you or the position. Put your name and phone number at the bottom.
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Attach your resume to the email, unless the job ad specifically requests your resume in the body of the email. In that case, copy and paste your resume below the cover letter portion of the email. Go through it to make sure the formatting is readable. Make adjustments as necessary.
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