Emailing your resume: Our tips

Why sending a good email with your resume is important

Emailing a resume is common, but there are a few key reasons why you need to craft a solid message to go with it. Sending a resume email is your first impression on your potential employer. Imagine if you were the hiring manager – would you get a good impression from a blank email with a single attachment?

An attractive, neat email signals a lot to recruiters.

First, a good subject line and tidy message incentivize the employer to open your message and read the attachment.

Second, it stops recruiters from thinking your email is spam. Some employers may even suspect your attachment is a virus if your message isn’t properly written.

How to email your resume

Knowing how to email a resume is an important skill and ensures future employers will read your resume and take you seriously. Here’s our step-by-step guide to crafting the perfect resume email.

Let’s jump right into it.

Subject line of your email

The subject line is one of the most important parts of your resume email. The majority of emails get sent to the trash based on their subject line alone.

Your subject line needs to grab attention, be easily identifiable, and maintain professionalism. It should also include your name and job title. Here’s an example: Robert Cade’s Resume: Assistant Manager

Addressing the hiring manager

Always address the hiring manager by name if you know it. A simple “Dear [First Name]” is fine, although you can use their last name if the company has a more formal culture.

If you don’t know their name, use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Hello to the hiring team at [Company Name]”.

Body of the email

When emailing a resume, the body of the email is important, but it needs to be quick and concise – it shouldn’t drone on and on. This isn’t your cover letter, it’s just a message to give important context to the recruiter:

• First, introduce yourself and tell the hiring manager why you’re writing the email. Ensure to mention which position you’re interested in and where you saw the job listing.
• When you mention the company, make sure to use the name of the company and not the words “your company.” This phrase makes your email look like a reused template, which can look like spam.
• Describe a few of your career achievements and some of your experience to incentivize them to open your resume. Only two to three accomplishments are necessary.
• Lastly, don’t forget to tell them that you’ve attached your resume for their consideration. Mention your cover letter, too, if you’ve attached it.

Ending the email

Don’t just like your resume email drop off – ensure to end it on a positive, energetic note:

• Provide a call-to-action, such as “Eager to speak further” or “Let’s set up a call to talk further.”
• Use a professional signature
• Sign off with something semi-formal, such as “Sincerely” or “Kind Regards”

“When emailing a resume, the body of the email is important, but it needs to be quick and concise – it shouldn’t drone on and on.”

Examples of an email for your resume

Emailing a resume is straightforward and simple if you follow the above best practices. But don’t take our word for it, let’s see these tips in action with a concrete example. Here’s a resume email sample:

Subject: Katie Reynolds’s Resume: Sales Development Representative

Dear Andrew,

I have attached my resume and cover letter for the Sales Development Representative position at True Force. I saw your job posting on LinkedIn and I'm very interested in applying.

For the past five years, I've worked as a Sales Representative at Sunrise Solutions. At this company, I identify prospects, talk with clients, and work extensively with CRM software daily. I exceed my monthly sales quota by 15% on average and work to maintain a 96% client retention rate.

My goal is to leverage my skills and experience to help True Force sell more products and retain its client base.

I'm looking forward to talking about this role in depth, either in person or over video conference if it's more convenient. Are you available sometime next week?

Sincerely,
Katie Reynolds
Sales Development Representative

This example follows our tips perfectly. It will be quick and easy for the hiring manager to read and provide them with valuable information.

Let’s quickly review what Katie did right:

• Starts with a clear, identifying subject line
• Greets the hiring manager by name
• States that her resume and cover letter are attached
• Mentions where she found the job posting
• Lists career achievements, but doesn’t go overboard
• Includes a call-to-action, asking to talk in-depth
• Signs off politely and professionally

Now let’s take a look at one more sample:

Subject: Project Manager role: Dion Williams’s Resume

Greetings to the hiring team at Marathon Inc.,

My name is Dion Williams, a project manager with seven years of experience. I saw the vacancy for a Project Manager role on your career page and I'm eager to apply for it.

Most recently, I delivered a $3m B2B software product that helps large companies screen more job candidates. This project exceeded expectations with deadlines – delivering the product two weeks early – and completed all goals satisfactorily. 

I'm excited to use my expertise to deliver superb projects to your client base. I'd love to talk personally to share my ideas on how to boost Marathon Inc.'s efficiency rates.

My resume is attached for your consideration.

Kind regards,
Dion Williams
Project Manager

Dion takes a slightly different approach, but he still knows how to send a resume email well. Here’s what he did right:

• Straightforward subject line
• Greets the hiring team as a whole because he wasn’t sure of the hiring manager’s name
• States his name, job title, and interest in the position in the first paragraph
• Lists important career achievements
• Includes a call-to-action, specifically stating that he has ideas he wants to discuss
• States that his resume is attached
• Signs off kindly

This variation shows you that you can be flexible when emailing a resume – it isn’t one rigid structure. As long as the right pieces are there, there are multiple ways to assemble them.

We encourage you to use these resume email samples as a template for your own use. Simply fill in the hiring manager’s name, company name, and your own personal details.

Using these in combination with CVwizard’s resume templates makes job hunting easier, alleviating some of the heavy lifting for you.

Frequently asked questions about emailing your resume

When should I email my resume?

Sending resume emails is best at the beginning of the week, Monday or Tuesday, any time between 6 AM to 12 PM. This strategy is best because Monday and Tuesday are the start of the hiring manager’s week. This means they’re less fatigued and more likely to engage with your message.

The time, 6 AM to 12 PM, is operating under the same tactic. This way, your email will be one of the first messages they open that day and they’ll do it before they’re watching the clock, ready to head home.

Should I write the cover letter in the email?

Writing your cover letter in your resume email is not recommended. Some professionals prefer to insert their cover letter straight into the body of the email, but most experts don’t recommend it. This practice can be overwhelming for hiring managers, who may skim-read your cover letter or just exit the message entirely. We recommend attaching it as a separate document.

What kind of email address should I use?

When emailing a resume, always ensure you use a professional email. It should include your first and last name and should always avoid slang. Avoid adding too many numbers. But if your name is taken, adding a few is okay. If you have a professional domain name attached to your personal brand, definitely use it. Otherwise, Gmail is fine.

Here are two example email addresses that are approved for sending a resume:

• jordankendall05@example.com
• george@example.com

How should I name the resume that I attach to the email?

Name your resume clearly so it’s easy for the hiring manager to find fast. It should follow this format: [Name] – Resume – [Position].

For example, a teacher named Anna Olson would have a resume named: Anna Olson – Resume – Elementary Teacher.

Hiring managers handle hundreds of applicants per week – sometimes hundreds per day. This format gives them the right information fast so your resume doesn’t slip through the cracks.

Conclusion

Emailing a resume isn’t difficult and when you take the time to do it right, you can stand out in the crowd. The right resume email provides recruiters with an easy way to review your qualifications and tells them that you’re eager for the next steps. Follow our steps, or simply use our resume email samples, to start reaping the benefits in your next email. If you need a professional resume to go along with your email, check out CVwizard’s Resume Builder to create a quick resume today.