What to Write in an Email When Sending a Resume [+ Examples & Tips]

In today’s world, there are many ways to submit a job application: in-person, job-search platforms such as LinkedIn, and Glassdoor, and the company's official website. Despite that, sending resumes by email is still relevant as many recruiters require job-seekers to email their applications and documents.

As you send your resume by email, the mail content is exceptionally important for it is the first thing the recruiter will see. Whether your resume is actually reviewed can depend on that. So what to write in an email when sending a resume is still a question worth considering for you want everything to be perfect: the subject line, greetings, the email body, sign-offs, and of course your resume.

As stressful as it sounds, writing a perfect email to apply for a job isn't that difficult. With guides, tips, suggested mail formats, and sample emails, we walk you through how to send resumes to the HR in this article. You will learn to easily get your mail format right when sending resumes.

When consider what to write in an email when sending a resume, think of the elements that need to be included in it. Each element plays a role and conveys important message. We compile the following list for you to format your mail properly as you submit your resume.

🖋 A Clear Subject Line

The subject line is one of the first things recruiters will look at, and whether they will open your message or not. So you might be wondering, what to write in the subject line while sending a resume? It should clearly define the email content’s subject and the purpose of the email. When sending your resume by mail, the format of your subject line can be [Job Position - Your Name].

Here are some quick examples.

Feeling confident to stand out of the crowd? If you want to be creative and blunt, you can tweak the mail format of your resume application to a headline.

Although two examples have been provided on what to write in the subject line while sending a resume, some job vacancies ask applicants to use specific guidelines. If that’s the case, make sure to follow them.

🖋 Greetings

There are various ways to greet and you may ask yourself: “what’s something good to say in the greeting when emailing a resume?”. Before tackling that question, you need to know to whom and in what department you are sending your email.

Once you know the name of the person, the resume greeting format when sending a mail is:

 If you cannot find out to who you are sending your resume via mail to, stick to the format:

🖋 Self Introduction and Objectives

Start your first paragraph stating who you are, and more importantly what you are seeking. Sample emails to send a resume to a recruiter will be shown in the next section, but to summarize, the opening statement(s) of your email should be a brief presentation of your application. Here are some examples of how to format this part for sending a resume by mail:

As provided above, the first section/paragraph on what to say when emailing a resume should not be more than three sentences.

🖋 Reasons for Applying and Your Strengths

After the greeting and the introduction, your next paragraph should talk about your qualifications and why you are interested in working for them, as well as what made this company stand out above all the others in your job search.

What aspects should I write in an email when sending a resume?

• Accomplishments
• Relevant work experience
• Qualifications directly related to job description’s requirements

What are some qualifications to write in an email when sending a resume for freshers?

• Relevant internships
• Achievements during student life
• Relevant modules or courses
  

However, don’t go in-depth! Unlike your cover letter or resume, what you need to write here should be brief. Save words while you can before sending that email. Be wise in what accomplishments are relevant and catch the attention of recruiters. This will help format your mail when you send your resume to the HR.

🖋 Proposal to Meet in Person

This part is the last section before closing and signing your name. State that you are willing to meet to further talk about the position and your qualifications. This part can also be where you state you welcome any questions and you are looking forward to hearing from them.

🖋 Resume

Employers usually require you to send your resume in either a word or pdf format via mail. If they don't specify their preference for the format of your resume files, send your resume to the HR in pdf format to avoid technical issues.

🖋 Professional Signature with Contact Details

Simply follow the standard email format for this part when sending your resume to the HR. Finish your email by putting an e-signature, name, and contact details, such as phone number and email. This gives a personal and professional touch to your email to which your resume is attached to.

Now that we've covered the key components that you need to include when sending a resume and cover letter, you might be wondering what to write for the content in your email. Here we provide 3 sample emails for your reference when you want to send your resumes for job applications. You can not only take a look at the format of the mail but also get an idea of sentences you can write in your email when you send out your resume.

💭 Sample email when mailing a resume #1

💭 Sample email when mailing a resume #2

💭 Sample email when mailing a resume #3

💡 Put your cover letter in your email when sending your resume.

If you decide to only attach your resume to the email when you apply for a job, consider writing a shorter version of your cover letter for the body of the email. The recruiter can therefore take a quick look at your strengths and qualifications and potentially become more inclined to review the resume attached in the email carefully.

💡 Use a professional-looking email address.

While what to write in the mail while sending a resume is important, so is the “who”, and that is your email address. Using your first and last name as an email address is a safe practice. If you need to include numbers, try to use a few digits and make sure these don’t have inappropriate associations (e.g. 666).

💡 Address the hiring manager by their name.

For better results, it is best to write the recruiter’s name in the greeting while sending your resume. If you can’t find their name, stick to writing “Hiring manager”. 

💡 Be to-the-point and concise.

As shown with each example of an email resume before, your body should be concise and clear. Remember that what you say when emailing a resume is to introduce yourself and briefly state your motivation and qualifications.

💡 Use the correct resume file format.

Before you attach your resume to the email and send it out to the HR, make sure your resume is in the correct format. Some companies specify what file format they want, but when there is no such requirement/instruction, send in your resume in the PDF format is the safest option. 

💡 Proofread.

Thoroughly check your mail, including the subject line, the email body, and your sign-offs, as well as its format for any mistakes when you are about to send out your resume for job applications.

💡 Send a test email message to yourself.

An excellent practice is to have a preview of how your email looks to the receiver, so send a test email to yourself to see if your resume mail and its format are on-point.

💡 Add a LinkedIn URL, personal website, or portfolio link.

Add a link to showcase your skills and work. Knowing what to say when emailing a resume is important, but if you have a presentable and eye-catching portfolio, recruiters will surely review your application.