Resume Tips: Sending a Resume Via Email

It is becoming increasingly popular with employers for applicants to send resumes and/or cover letters via email. Below you will find some suggestions on best practices for delivering a professional document to the employer.

Unless specifically directed otherwise, it is best to research the employer or find out what is its preferred way to receive these materials. (For some employers, e-mail is the only method to submit a resume.) If in doubt, you can always follow up an email with a hard copy sent through the mail.

When you email your employment materials,

• Make the subject simple and direct (e.g., “Capital University Law Student Seeking Clerk Position”), unless the application instructions indicate a specific subject that should be used (such as one that references a job reference number.)
• Write a short paragraph explaining why you are applying (a paragraph similar to the first paragraph in your cover letter).
• Attach all of the documents to the email. Do not put them in the body of the email. At some point all of your attachments will probably be printed and it is important that they look like a professional document.
• Name the document something professional that easily identifies the document as being associated with your application (e.g., Jane Doe Resume, Jane Doe Cover Letter).
• Converting word processing documents to PDF before sending creates a clean document that is easily read by all computers and ensures that your formatting and content remain unchanged once sent.
• If your computer software does not include a PDF converter for your documents, consider a free service such as  http://www.cutepdf.com/