Monday, November 30, 2015

Example Job Cover Emails


Sure, you’ve read page after page about how to write good cover letters to enhance your job hunt…but in this day and age, it often happens that mail-order job applications are a thing of the past for many companies. Filling jobs through the internet makes the entire process faster and easier and can be a boon to both employers and potential employees, but when the opportunity comes to apply through e-mail, how should you proceed?
People often don’t know how to handle e-mail job enquiries. As a result, they often overlook what can be one of the best job-hunting tools in their possession. Job hunting through e-mail is quick and effective, and it can allow you to increase your chances of finding a job sooner as it’s not at all difficult to send 10 or more application e-mails a day!
It’s easy enough to attach a CV as a .doc file when one is requested, but should you send a page-long, traditional cover letter as well? Should you send it as an attachment? If so, what do you write in the body of the letter?
Generally, it’s not advisable to attach or copy-and-paste a full, professional, cover letter, unless it is specifically requested (though it often is). E-mails are expected to be short and to the point, and cover e-mails are no exception. It’s expected that the message accompanying your attached resume will be a miniature version of a cover, one that gets the job done and nothing extra.
So what should this short message include? Well, one thing it doesn’t necessarily have to include is the usual salutation. As with most e-mails, you can start by getting right to the point. (Needless to say, you don’t have to include a header, either). Your first sentence should be a brief statement about why you’re writing the e-mail (you’re applying for the job) and how you found out about the position.
Next, you write the body of your message. So what gets left out? Usually, it’s the self-promoting paragraphs about previous job experience. Not that you won’t be doing self promoting, but you have to do it a bit more succinctly in an e-mail. And you have to summarise your previous job experience in just a paragraph.
Here’s a good format to use:
Quick introduction: just one sentence where you tell them how you found out about the position in question and say you’d like to be considered for it.
Paragraph 1: Tell them you’ve attached your resume and summarise the qualifications that your work experience has given you. This can largely be a list of the skills and experience you have, followed by a sentence about what you enjoy and are seeking in a professional experience.
Paragraph 2: Talk about your current (or most recent) job experience and why you are leaving/have left to seek new employment.
Closing: Ask to be contacted for an interview and include your phone number and contact details.
End salutation: Thank them for considering you and “sign” with your full name.
For example:
Dear (Name Withheld),
I saw your posting on Monster and am interested in applying for the temporary admin assistant position.
Attached is my CV. As you can see, I am a recent university graduate with experience in office administration. I have a wide range of experience in administrative assistance and am skilled in the use of Word, Excel, QuickBooks, and Outlook. I thrive in busy environments where I am expected to learn new skills quickly and take direction while taking initiative. I type with high accuracy at 85 WPM, am proficient in 10-key typing, and enjoy customer contact both via phone and in person. Though I’d be new to work in the medical profession, I would work diligently to make sure that I learned what I needed to as efficiently as possible.
Recently, I worked as a receptionist and bookkeeping assistant for (a Company) here in London, but was unfortunately let go due to the business experiencing financial hardship. Since then I have been working to make the move to supporting myself as a freelance writer, but I miss having a regular daily occupation and am seeking supplementary work.
I hope you will consider me for an interview. Please feel free to contact me at (e-mail address) or my mobile phone number: (number).
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Jane Doe

Piece of cake. So what do you do if you’ve been asked to include a cover letter as an attachment? Then your e-mail will simply look something like this:
Dear (Name),
I saw your posting on Monster and am interested in applying for the temporary admin assistant position. As per instructions, attached is my CV and cover letter for your consideration.
Thank you,
Jane Doe

So there you have it. Now you can job search through e-mail to your heart’s content. You won’t find many faster ways to find work!

How to Email a CV the Smart Way!

Email
With the massive technological boom over the past decade we have dramatically seen the rise in Email CVs. Sending an email is free, it doesn’t require a stamp, visit to the post office or a trip to the company you’re applying for.  It all happens within seconds and with just one click of a button.
So how do you email your CV? We will outline some guidelines that you can use which will increase your chances of having your CV read.
When we’re talking about emailing CVs, we have to consider three major areas:
  1. What the subject should be of your email
  2. Which files to attach with your email
  3. How to write the body of the email

What to write as the subject of the email

The subject of your email should be the job position followed by the job ID or job reference number:
  • IT Manager (ID: W124)
  • Receptionist (Job Ref. A2014)
  • Cleaner (Job ID: AFT2421)

What to include as attachments

There are two files that you need to include with your email:
  1. Your CV
  2. Your Cover Letter
Your Cover Letter is very important.
Some applicants tend to write their Cover Letter inside the body of the email but that isn’t the most effective way of doing it. The best method is to include your Cover Letter and your CV as separate files attached to the email.

What to write in the Email body

The content of your email body should be short, informative and to the point:
Dear Mrs Sarah Kettle,
Please find attached my CV and Cover Letter for the position of Senior Research Fellow.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Kind regards,
Michael Harper.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake #1: Forget to attach your CV and Cover Letter into your email!

The email will read ‘Please find attached my CV and Cover Letter’ but when looking for the files they are nowhere to be found. Do not make this mistake; it can ruin your chances of making a good first impression.

Mistake #2: Writing the title in capital letters

Some applicants, in a desperate attempt to make their email stand out from the rest and have the most chances of being read, write the title in capital letters: ‘MARKETING ASSISTANT (REF. A92134)’
This is not the best practice, first of all because it is awful to read and secondly (most importantly) you come over as either too desperate or too aggressive (shouting/spamming). In worst case scenario, you come over as both.

Mistake #3: Not appropriately greeting the potential employer

Do not start your email with any of the following opening greetings:
  • Hello,
  • Hey,
  • Hi,
  • What sup?
Keep it professional; always use ‘Dear’ when addressing the employer.
Also, do not end your email with the following closing greetings:
  • Bye,
  • Bye bye,
  • Cya
  • Goodbye
  • Thanks
  • Cheers
  • {Simply writing your first name without any closing greeting!}
The best practise is as follows: since you’ve said ‘Dear’ at the start of your email you should close the email  appropriately as well:
  • ‘Yours Faithfully’ when you don’t know the recipient’s name, e.g. ‘Dear Sir/Madam’
  • ‘Yours sincerely’ when you do know the recipient’s name, e.g. ‘Dear Mrs Sarah Kettle’
Or alternatively, is it is generally acceptable to close the email with:
Best regards,
{Your name here}
Kind regards,
{Your name here}
Best wishes,
{Your name here}

Mistake #4: Sending out a generic Email

Sending the same email to dozens or hundreds of potential employers will do you no good at all; in fact, you can be sued for spamming. The best emails are the targeted emails, where the recipient is addressed by name and where the email contains direct information regarding a job vacancy and some relevance to the company.

source :  cvplaza.com