Writing a covering email to accompany your CV

If your CV is attached to the email, then use the main body of the email as your covering letter. Tell the employer how you meet their key requirements so that you can immediately make a good impression and entice them to open the attachment and look at your CV in more detail.

• In the subject line of the email, list the vacancy title, reference number and where you saw or heard about the vacancy
• Use the body of the email to convince the recruiter in three to five bullet points that you are the right person for the job
• Send the CV as an attachment clearly labelled with your name
• Spell-check before sending the email

CV & Email Checklist

Remember, first impressions are very important. The following is a quick checklist before sending off those emails.

Your CV attachment if sending in Microsoft Word:

• Arial or Times New Roman size 10–12 for body of text and size 14 for headings
• Standard margin lengths
• Bold used sparingly, principally for headings
• No columns or boxes
• No graphics, photos or Jpegs
• No shading

CV attachment if sending as PDF:

In the subject line of the email, list the vacancy title, reference number and where you saw or heard about the vacancy. Use the body of the email to convince the recruiter in three to five bullet points that you are the right person for the job. Send the CV as an attachment clearly labelled with your name. Spell-check before sending the email