How to Write the Perfect Job Application Email

While many employers require job seekers to apply for a position via their applicant tracking software, sending a job application email is still fairly common. In today’s technology-driven job market, where the application process is often automated, it remains one of the most vital tools to communicate your interest in the job and make a good first impression. Thus, it is important to ensure that your pitch is as good as possible to get your foot in the door.

In addition, recruiters and hiring managers are typically bombarded with emails, so applicants who fail to grab their attention instantly are more likely to fail to advance to the next stage of the job application process. To help you ensure your job application email gets a response, we’ve listed some dos and don’ts, along with some templates you can use as a guide in writing one. So, make sure to read this till the end.

Things to Do Before Writing a Job Application Email

Before you start writing your job application email, we recommend shortlisting information and things you need to make sure you get it right. To do this effectively, you can follow the following steps:

• Check for open vacancies or find companies that you might be interested in making speculative applications via email
• Research your target company to determine whether their mission, values, and culture align with your passion and career goals
• Find the right contact person, including their first specific name to address your job application email
• Prepare the attachments needed, such as your best-practice CV and portfolio
• Make sure to have a professional-sounding email address you can reply from in future

These five points will help you set out the necessary information so that you can put together the different parts of your email from the metadata (sender’s and recipient’s email address) to the content of the email itself (cover letter) and the attachments.

Key Elements of a Job Application Email

Here are the important elements of a good job application email. Having a good understanding of these can help you make sure that your email is properly formatted.

• Subject line
• Salutation or greeting
• Introductory paragraph
• Demonstration of experience and successes
• Closing statement and call-to-action
• Complimentary closing
• Your full name/email signature

Tips for Writing a Job Application Email

The next step? Writing a job application email that impresses hiring managers and recruiters. To help you accomplish this, here are some effective tips.

Subject Line

1) Do write a great subject line. Many emails are read on smartphones, which may show only about 30 characters in the subject line. For this reason, it is important to make it as concise and on point as possible while ensuring all relevant information that will help you get noticed is included in it. This includes your name, the job title you’re targeting, and the vacancy ID if there’s any. Adding specific qualifications can also be beneficial, and if you can market yourself briefly, do it. Lastly, don’t forget to add the word ‘application’ to your subject line. Here are a few examples:

Linda Whitney, Application: Account Manager (33441)

Peter Davies BSc: Application, Pharmacist (4425)

Application: Mary Evans, Experienced Occupational Therapist, Vacancy 4431

2) Don’t be vague. Hiring managers and recruiters typically use job titles and vacancy ID numbers as their search keywords to filter through a lot of application emails and easily find the right candidate for a certain role. So, using vague subject lines such as  ‘job application’ or ‘response to advertisement’ won’t work in your favour as you’ll run the risk of not being found.

3) Do include the name of your referee or any mutual contact. Having someone refer you for the position you’re interested in applying for can help increase your credibility as a potential employee. Thus, boosting your chances of advancing to the next stage of the application. So, if a mutual contact has referred you, make sure to include their name in your subject line. For example, Janice Smith Referral: Peter Golightly for Data Analyst job (4432).

Email Introduction

1) Do address the recipient properly. The salutation is the first thing hiring managers will see after opening your email. This is your first chance to make a good impression, and doing it right is key to grabbing their attention. So, to do this effectively, start it with “Dear” followed by their name if you’re able to find it out successfully. Otherwise, you can always take a more generic approach like “Dear Hiring Manager”.

2) Don’t be overly casual. Keep in mind that your email is not for a friend. So don’t make the mistake of being over-familiar. This means you should avoid using greetings such as “Hey Guys,” or “Hi All,”.

3) Do explain your purpose briefly. The first paragraph of your email should state the reason why you’re writing. While you may think that your purpose is already obvious, it is important to be clear about what position you’re applying for, how you found the job, what motivated you to apply, and what makes you a great hire. Also, if you are referred by a mutual contact, make sure to mention their name and briefly describe your connection with them.

On the other hand, if you’re making a speculative application, explain your reasons why the company is your target employer. It is also important to mention what level of expertise you offer and what type of job function you’re looking for. Doing this can help them determine whether your skills and experience can be beneficial to them.

Body of the Job Application Email

1) Do market yourself. The next two to three paragraphs of your email should highlight the value you can bring to the table. Describe your industry experience and skill sets that are most relevant to the position you’re targeting. Back them up with specific numbers and figures to market yourself better and prove your ability to bring results. In addition, demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role and the company. This will allow hiring managers to better assess your team and cultural fit.

2) Don’t reiterate your whole CV. While it is critical to demonstrate that you’re the perfect match for the role, repeating entirely what’s already written in your resume is a big no. We suggest selecting only the experience, skills, and accomplishments that add the most value to your application.

Closing

1) Do include a call-to-action. The last paragraph of the email should serve as your call to action. State that you are looking forward to meeting them whenever it’s convenient for them to further discuss how you can make an impact. Then, add your phone number or email address so they can instantly know where to contact you.

2) Don’t forget to thank the recipient. Showing gratitude may seem like just a little gesture, but it can go a long way to showcasing your good personality traits, which can also be beneficial to your application. So, make sure to thank the recipient for spending the time to read your email.

3) Do sign off politely and professionally. To properly sign off your email, use a professional complimentary close, such as “Yours sincerely”. Refrain from using “Best wishes” or “Cheers” as these are considered to be informal.

Adding Attachments

1) Do label your attachments properly. Before sending your attachments, make sure they’re all properly labelled. For example, for your CV, you can go with your full name and add what kind of document it is. It should look like this: Jane Doe_CV.

2) Don’t send your attachments as a Word file. For all your attachments, we suggest sending a PDF format, as most systems can open these. This way, you can ensure that hiring managers can receive your documents without any issues in terms of compatibility. However, it is also important to check what formats your target employer prefers or their system supports before sending your attachments.

Job Application Email Templates

It helps to have a general structure for job application emails in mind. We’ll avoid going into specific details in these job application email templates, as these will depend on the role you’re applying for. However, we’ll look at some tips on how you can demonstrate your candidate value proposition when applying for different types of jobs.

Internships, Graduates, and Entry-level Professionals

Applying for internships and entry-level roles can be a little bit more challenging due to a lack of hands-on experience in the field. Nonetheless, you can still prove that you have what it takes to do the job well by showcasing the knowledge and skills you’ve gained through your education. Also, academic projects, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities can be considered relevant experiences as long as you can relate them to the qualifications and requirements of your target job. This can be done by highlighting your transferable skills. Let’s give you an example of how you can do this.

Subject Line: John Smith BSc: Application, IT Developer (12345)

Dear IT Department Hiring Team,

I came across a job vacancy on your career portal that I believe matches my expertise perfectly. I am interested in applying for the IT Developer position at ABC Company. With my hands-on experience in managing IT projects, from start to finish, I know that I would be a valuable asset to your company.

I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from the well-known and highly-competitive XYZ University. Through this, I have gained the required knowledge and skill sets to conceptualise, design, and deploy software applications that can help solve real-life business challenges. During this time, I also had the opportunity to work on a project for my thesis with a seasoned IT professional that was later deployed throughout the university. I believe the experiences and expertise I’ve gained during my studies would allow me to contribute to your company’s ongoing success.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my job application email. You can find more information about my candidate profile in the attached CV and portfolio. I am looking forward to speaking with you about my qualifications further at your convenience. Please don’t hesitate to reach me at (123) 456-7890 or johnsmith@email.com.

Sincerely,

John Smith

Experienced Professionals

If you’re a mid to executive-level professional, you probably already have a wide-ranging experience in the field. However, you don’t have to list all of your accomplishments in your email to prove the value you can offer. It is highly suggested to pick only those that are most recent and relatable to the target jobs. So, it is important to have a good understanding of the job requirements and qualifications as well as the company goals so you can determine which one of your great successes to include. Here’s an example of a good application email for experienced professionals like you.

Subject Line: Application: John Smith, Senior Marketing Manager, Vacancy 12345

Dear James,

As a results-driven Senior Marketing Manager with 8 years of experience in digital marketing, I would like to apply for the position of Marketing Director I saw advertised on your website. I am confident that my success in generating consistent revenue growth makes me a great ally to have on your team. 

Working for Company XYZ for 8 years, I’ve managed all the digital marketing aspects of the business, including content marketing, SEO, and affiliate marketing. Throughout my career, I am proud to have helped the company expand its market reach on a global scale. This subsequently resulted in acquiring new partnerships with 4 Fortune 100 companies and generating up to £1.5M additional revenue for the business.

Company ABC is renowned as one of the leading providers of innovative product solutions in the healthcare sector. I am excited at the prospect of leveraging my expertise in building engaging digital marketing strategies to help you reach a wider audience and deliver on your mission to make a positive impact on the community and the world.

Thank you for taking a moment to read my job application email. I have attached my CV and portfolio for your further consideration. I am looking forward to talking to you in more detail regarding this amazing opportunity at your company. You can contact me at (123) 456-7890 or johnsmith@email.com.

Sincerely,

John Smith

Professionals with an Internal Contact

Regardless of your career level, we cannot deny the advantage of having a referral can bring to your application. So, make sure not to waste this opportunity. As mentioned above, you can start by including the name of the person who has referred you to the job and your relationship with them in the opening paragraph of your email. Then prove to the employer that considering you for the role would be in their best interest by highlighting your most notable achievements. Here’s how you can do this in practice.

Subject Line: John Smith, Application: Customer Success Manager (12345)

Dear Hiring Team,

My colleague John Doe, who is currently a Senior Account Director at your company, recommended me to apply for the position of Senior Customer Success Manager. As a customer-centric professional with 4+ years of experience advocating for customer success, I am confident I would be a valuable asset to your company.

After graduating with a degree in Business Management, I started working at ABC Company as a Customer Service Representative. Through my consistent contribution to achieving high customer satisfaction, which resulted in a 60% increase in the client base, I was promoted to the Customer Success Manager position in just 2 years. In my current role, I have been instrumental in building a strategic sales process, which boosted our conversion by 34%. If hired as a Senior Customer Success Manager, I am confident I can bring the same level of commitment and results along with me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my job application email. I have attached my CV and portfolio for your further consideration. I look forward to speaking with you more about this amazing opportunity at your company. You can contact me at (123) 456-7890 or johnsmith@email.com.

Sincerely,

John Smith