Just as with a covering letter, the covering emails for job applications will be the first thing a potential employer finds out about you so it is important to make a good first impression.
Last year I shared an extract from my 2009 book Winning Cover Letters for First-Time Job Hunters and included a cover letter template to get people started – but with so many job application taking place digitally nowadays the covering letter is just as likely to be a covering email.
So here’s another extract from my book along with a useful template to get you started!
How to prepare your covering Email
Although a covering email may be shorter than a covering letter it must contain most of the same elements.
It does of course not need to contain an address as you use the email address but it should be just as professional.
It should be courteous and most of all informative so that the person receiving it knows that you are taking this just as seriously as if you wrote a letter. They will be getting many emails a day so it has got to make sense to them and count for them to even bother with it.
This is particularly important if you are sent the email with your CV. Whilst your CV may be excellent and you have spent time on it, you do not want you email to look quickly dashed off and shoddy as this will lead to the recruiter just not bothering to even look at the CV.
Details are very important. If you were given the email address by someone else in the company or you phoned up to get it make sure you take down the name of the person who referred, you. Detail like this is the difference between getting your CV seen or not or getting an application or not. Most people don’t bother and that is why if you do – it will stand out.
Example of an Email covering letter
From: ann@ascareers.co.uk (your email address)
Date: 20/11/2018 (The date you are sending this)
To: Karenbrown@tbcompany.com (the address you are sending it to)
Subject: Job 2337
Dear Karen,
I recently saw a job advertised on your website www.btcompany.com for an administrator job reference no: 2337. I unfortunately missed the deadline date for this. I was keen to see if there was anything I could do, so I rang up and spoke to your administrator Mrs Young who said I was to email and ask for another form and send alongside my CV.
I have attached my CV as requested. I want to just draw your attention to my previous five years administration experience with a similar setting to your own. I can specifically offer:
- 5 years of direct administration experience
- Knowledge of the industry
- Excellent customer service and communication skills
- Training within administration including an NVQ 3 in administration
- Additional training in book keeping and finance
I am really keen to work for you company because I feel that the opportunities you could offer me at this time would really help me progress and I am aware of the company’s local reputation which I feel I could contribute to.
I will leave you with my details. Should you feel I may be appropriate for the post please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone on 0777 283 467. I will of course fill in the application form as soon as I receive it should this be possible.
Yours sincerely
Ann Starkie
Attach: x 1
