You will have seconds to make a good impression; a concise and relevant cover email is so important but often written in haste.
When applying for a role or sending a CV speculatively to a company, the first objective is to make it through the initial screening stage; the first sift. A fantastic resume needs an accompanying email that pitches you for the role and draws attention to your relevant experience.
So how do we get past a gatekeeper who is targeted on filling vacancies and getting the right candidates shortlisted but who may not necessarily have specialist knowledge in our skill set? Well, we have to tell them. How? By clearly and concisely describing why the relevant skills and experience we have are right for this role, remembering that the initial audience may not be experts in our field.
Research is the key to writing a good cover email. It’s important to spend time finding out as much as you can about the target company and reading the job description thoroughly to determine what skills and experience they are looking for. You need to present a solution to their need.
And when it comes to applying for remote jobs, if you have prior experience working in a virtual capacity, we recommend mentioning that in your email cover letter. This is something many employers look for when recruiting for remote jobs.
Another important tip is to avoid sending CVs with simply “Please find resume attached…Best Regards”. Unless you’re a rock star with a skill set so in demand that you can afford to be a diva, it pays to invest the time in observing normal recruitment etiquette.
