We’ve all encountered snafus with submitting our resumes online, on a job board, and via email. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to best handle each scenario. Before you send your resume to a hiring manager via email, read through these eight tips to make sure you put your best foot forward…
1 – First and foremost, make sure your email address is a professional one and is not suggestive or inappropriate. For instance, do not an email such as: hotshot@gmail.com or sweethang@yahoo.com. Preferably, create an email address that utilizes your name. If it is taken, try adding some numbers or switch your names and numbers around until you find something that is available.
2 – Indicate the position to which you are applying to in the subject heading.
3 – Try to find a specific person within the company to email your resume to and not just a general mailbox such as careerinfo@createyourcareerpath.com. Utilizing your network will help you greatly in this regard. Through your network and research, it is possible to find someone to address your email to. As a result, you will have a better chance of having your resume reviewed rather than it just sitting a general mailbox.
4 – Include your cover letter in the email body. However, do not make this a long one. Similar to your resume, recruiters and employers will only spend seconds reviewing your email before they open your document. Keep it short and sweet.
5 – Attach one document that includes both your cover letter and resume together. This will make it easier to ensure that the content in the email body is short and sweet.
6 – Name your attached document appropriately. Do not use a standard generic document title such as resume_2017.doc. Instead make sure the document title contains your name and even the position title so there is a clear indication who the document belongs to and what position you are applying for.
7 – Watch spelling and grammar. Make sure to check, check, and triple check before you send off your email. Any errors can be your doom. Similar to your resume and cover letter, employers and recruiters have an eye for the errors and they can mean instant disqualification.
8 – Attach a document that is readable. For most employers, Microsoft Word is the most common program that is used to open documents. If you send a document in a format that is unreadable, most likely you will not be contacted for a different document type and your email will simply be deleted. Don’t risk never be considered over an unreadable format.
Be diligent and practice patience when submitting your resume for any position. We know that can be difficult, especially when you are applying for multiple openings on a regular basis. Job searching is not necessarily anyone’s favorite pastime :) Keep these tips in mind each time you send an email. By following them carefully, you can make sure you are not disqualified for a job before you even start.
Thank you to our resume expert, Jasmine Marchong, for this article and the resume tips.
