Cover letter

paulymc

Just wondering,when e-mailing a CV should a cover letter be in the Email itself or an attachment like the CV itself ?

Also what exactly should be said in a cover letter?

Thanks

nlgbbbblth

I'd keep it in a separate attachment.

The email just to say

"I attach cover letter and curriculum vitae in respect of job vacancy ref_________"

Cover letter to be brief "I wish to apply for the position of __________ and enclose my curriculum vitae for your perusal / attention. I look forward to hearing from you."

I wouldn't be inclined to say much more - maybe others will have a different view.

Mr. Loverman

I always put the cover letter in the body of the e-mail as it saves the reader from having to open it separately.

I don't think it makes a huge difference which method you use though.

Eoin

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

I'd keep it in a separate attachment.

The email just to say

"I attach cover letter and curriculum vitae in respect of job vacancy ref_________"

Cover letter to be brief "I wish to apply for the position of __________ and enclose my curriculum vitae for your perusal / attention. I look forward to hearing from you."

I wouldn't be inclined to say much more - maybe others will have a different view.

I wouldn't think there's much point in having a cover letter that says little more than the email referencing it.

IMO, the cover letter should be very tailored to the job spec, and should demonstrate why you're interested in the position and why you're a good fit for the role.

If you can send the same cover letter in response to more than one vacancy, then you're not doing it right.

paulymc

Thanks for your help

KarlDrake

Cover letters can be a bit over thought out, they won't get anyone a job but a bad one will guarantee you don't get it.

Below is an example of a cover email covering the basics, i.e. to get the CV read and to ensure the hiring manager is already feeling positive about the application.

Most people hiring find it a chore and will approach applications with a "why not" attitude, trying to reduce the amount of CVs to be gone through.

Cover letters should have:
Why you're writing
Why you're great
Why you fit the role
Call to action

Your CV (in email) should be titled appropriately e.g.
PaulyMc - Senior Bottlewasher.rtf (or whatever) and the title of the email should be appropriate.


Hi X,

(find out name of hiring manager or HR Manager if on ad, otherwise just hi, not to whom it may concern!)

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing to you in respect to your advertisement (on irishjobs in The Irish Times etc) for a Job Title.

With over x years of experience within the Z sector working for X and y and also within the AB industry, I’m looking for a new challenge and I’d be interested in meeting with you to discuss this opportunity. In particular the line “quote from the ad” caught my eye as I have worked "insert specific relevancy here" as you can see from my CV attached.

I can meet with you at your convenience and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

NAME

MOBILE
Email address