Ultimate Guide To The Perfect Email Cover Letter

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
The Ultimate Guide to the
EMAIL COVER
LETTER
The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 1

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
COVER LETTERS ARE THE WORST

When you think about the process of applying for a
job, what stresses you out the most? For a lot of us,
the only part of the job search that is as intimidating
as the interview is...the cover letter.
Its common to spend hours pouring your soul into

the perfect cover letter, only to hear...crickets.
These days, when many job applications occur via

email, your time-consuming cover letter can languish
as an unopened email attachment for time untold.
According to engineering recruiter Ambra Benjamin,

When people attach a letter and a rsum to an
email, let me just say only one attachment is getting
opened, and its always the rsum. So dont even
bother. (Slate)
But the answer isnt to stop writing cover letters

entirely. Nope, no hiring manager wants to receive
a rsum with ZERO context about who you are and
why youre the perfect candidate.
IN THIS GUIDE, YOURE GOING TO LEARN:
Why you should start writing cover emails
EXACTLY what to include (and what NOT to include)

in your cover email
How to strike the perfect tone
How to use a cover email framework to speed up

your job search
PLUS, youll get a free cover email template.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
FORGET everything YOU KNOW

ABOUT COVER LETTERS

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
WHY COVER LETTERS DONT

WORK FOR YOU
Lets talk about the reasons the old standby cover
letter wont work anymore.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE YOU.

When cover letters first appeared in job listings
in the 1950s, that letter was often the only way to
convey your personality, experience, or personal
connections when applying for a job. (The Atlantic)
These days, your identity is all over the Internet,
from your Twitter profile, to your personal blog, to
your LinkedIn page. Now that you are searchable
online, you dont need 350 words to introduce
yourself in detail.
IT WAS A PAPER TRAIL FOR KEEPING TRACK

OF APPLICATIONS.
When telegrams, phone calls, and lunch dates were
the only ways to interact with potential employers,
a letter made sense. Hiring managers and recruiters
could keep a physical copy on file to keep track of
your application.
Today, you dont need to rely on the cover letter to
leave a paper trailyou have an Internet (email) trail!

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
THERE ARE SO MANY APPLICANTS NOW!

According to a recent Fortune article, for
most of the 20th century, the United States
was in a job market of candidate shortages
and skill shortages. In 2014, there were 3
unemployed Americans for every available
job. (PolitiFact.com)
Even if companies have trouble tracking
down highly qualified applicants, when
youre looking at an inbox with thousands
of applications waiting for you, reading each
cover letter just isnt practical.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
THE cover EMAIL

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
YOUR COVER LETTER SHOULD...

So what does all this historical context mean for you?
What should your cover letter look like TODAY?
... MAKE THE READERS LIFE EASIER.

Well dig into this in a sec, but the most important
thing to consider when writing a cover letter is
how easy you can make it for the hiring manager
or recruiter to find your information and decide if
youre an interesting candidate. Thats exactly why
attachments, which interrupt the readers workflow
with laborious downloads, are not ideal.
And that doesnt mean giving your reader ALL the
informationtheres an art to providing just the
right amount of background and context.
... BE A COVER EMAIL.

Unless youre applying for a job writing formal
correspondence, you probably dont need to
demonstrate your qualifications in a letter. Since
many hiring managers skip the attachments
anyway, the body of your email should replace the
cover letter.
That means youll use the email itself to
communicate who you are, what you can do for the
company, and what experience you have. But more
on that later!

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
... BE SHORT.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure your
reader wont have to scroll (much) to read your
whole email. Since there are so many devices out
there these daysfrom smartphones to jumbo
monitorsa good rule of thumb is to keep it down
to around 5-6 sentences. (Slate)
... BE VERY SPECIFIC.

Cover letters used to serve as introductions to you
and your accomplishments in the industry, often
in a general way. But in an email thats only a few
sentences long, you dont have the space to include
your memoirs.
Instead, focus on the most important aspects of
your experience and skillset that qualify you for the
job at hand. If youre applying for a job writing PHP,
your work on WordPress is relevant, but you can
save your story about transitioning out of finance
for the interview.
... INCLUDE RELEVANT LINKS.

I know it seems nitpicky to mention links, but
think about ityou already know that hiring
managers and recruiters hate clicking on multiple
attachments. Theyre too busy for downloads!
Instead, go through your rsum, portfolio, and
other relevant materials with a fine-tooth comb,
searching for the projects that have the most direct
connection to the job youre applying for. Then,
make sure to link specifically to those projects to
make it easier for the reader.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
... STRIKE AN APPROPRIATE TONE.

When many of us learned to write cover letters,
we were taught that its always better to be safe
than sorry when it comes to formality. Thats why
so many painful cover letters these days start with
Dear Sir or Madam, or To Whom It May Concern.
The best cover emails appropriately fit the tone of
the company rather than defaulting to the language
of the 19th century British aristocracy.
What if a job specifically requests a cover letter?

Plenty of times, applications request cover letters
because of tradition. That doesnt mean managers
want to read long, boring letters. Make it easier for
them if you can! Apply the same principles to your
letter as you would to your email.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
vs.
COVER LETTER COVER EMAIL
PRINT DIGITAL
LONG SHORT
FORMAL APPROPRIATE IN TONE
JUST WORDS LINKS
GENERAL PERSONALIZED
INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
COMPREHENSIVE TO THE POINT

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
SET the TONE!

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
DO YOUR RESEARCH
When youre applying for a new job, research is

your bread and butter. You have to read up on the
company's history, the specific job youll be doing,
etc., etc. But when it comes to cover emails, its
helpful to focus your research on figuring out exactly
what tone and voice its appropriate for you to use in
your email correspondence. Setting the perfect tone
can make or break your application.
Here are a few clues you can find to help you set the
tone in your email:
TYPE OF INDUSTRY
Traditional corporation: Try a more discrete (but not stuffy) tone.
Startup: Strike a more casual, yet competent tone.
COMPANY SIZE
Larger company: Expect your application to pass through several hands,
so make sure your tone works whether the hiring manager or your future
coworker is reading it.
Small company: Assume that the team youll be working with directly will
be fielding your application, so speak directly to them.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
COMPANY CULTURE
Formal: In a more formal office culture, where suits and muted pumps
walk the halls, lean towards a professional (but not boring!) tone. Think: Hi
Diana, rather than Hey Diana!
Casual: In a casual office filled with bean bags and sneakers, dropping a
Dear Sir or Madam can really kill the vibe. Make sure your tone matches
the atmosphere.
COMPANY VOICE
Straight-laced: If the companys website and other materials are reserved,

try to avoid overusing emojis and lols.
Conversational: If the companys voice comes off as more conversational in

their emails, website, or social media, match their easy, comfortable tone.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
WHO IS reading YOUR

COVER EMAIL?

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
WHO ARE YOU WRITING TO?
Your research doesnt stop after you know more

about the industry, company, and job. Just like
with any writing you do, the first step to success is
knowing who youre writing for so that you can make
sure that your message is the perfect fit.
Heres a profile of the target audience for your cover

email: the hiring manager. Take a good look at who
they are and what they want before sitting down to
do your first draft. Knowing what she has in mind will
make it that much easier to make sure you include
whats important and leave out whats not.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
HIRING MANAGER
TITLE: In a larger company - Hiring Manager or Human Resources rep. In a

smaller company - Could be anyone! Often the person interviewing you for a
position in a startup or small company will be the person youll be reporting
to if you get the job. So, personal chemistry is extra important then!
SITUATION: Tasked with reading and sorting through anywhere from

dozens to hundreds of applications in search of the perfect candidate
NEEDS: Information about your background, experience, skills, and traits

and how youll use them to get the job done for the company (NOTE: Does
NOT need your life story, a sob story, or an email the length of a short story)
Long, rambling, or random

Short, clear, and relevant cover messages - or no message at all!
email Any and all attachments, except
Resume attached as PDF for your resume as a PDF
Links to your portfolio/website Having to dig up links to your

and appropriate social media portfolio/website or social media
accounts accounts (She probably wont
bother!)
Questions or requests from

you for more information (The
company needs you to work for
them, not you to create work for
them before youre even hired!)

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
THE ANATOMY OF AN
EMAIL cover LETTER

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
PIECE by PIECE
Now that youve done your research and you know
who youre writing to and what tone to strike, its time
to actually write this thing. Heres a breakdown of
each component of the email:
New Message
To
SUBJECT LINE Subject
GREETING Hi Gummi!
Gummies cookie marzipan toffee cake dessert jelly-o. Tart jelly beans
jujubes pastry dessert lemon drops sweet pie sugar plum.
Carrot cake drage cheesecake tart gingerbread fruitcake marzipan

candy dessert. Pudding ice cream liquorice topping. Tiramisu wafer
lollipop sweet roll marzipan. Sweet donut wafer cake marshmallow ice
cream. Sweet roll biscuit bear claw sweet roll dessert drage cotton
candy.
BODY
Donut tiramisu danish cake tootsie roll gummi bears. Fruitcake carrot
cake dessert drage donut. Chocolate jelly-o danish brownie. Cotton
candy marzipan chocolate icing dessert apple pie halvah cake. Gummi
bears pastry candy cookie apple pie cake jelly beans gingerbread.
Powder lemon drops chocolate jelly-o fruitcake caramels sesame snaps.

Muffin jelly bear claw lollipop marshmallow pastry gummi bears.
Tart jelly beans jujubes!

CLOSING
SIGNATURE Donut Tiramisu
Sans Serif
ATTACHMENTS Send

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
SUBJECT LINE
The subject line of the email is the first barrier to

getting noticed because it determines whether or not
anyone even opens your email.
Many job ads will tell you exactly what to put as the
subject line of your application email. Be grateful
that they make it so easy for you and, for the love of
all thats good and worthy in the job search process,
make your subject line EXACTLY that.
This is not the time to show your amazing creativity.

In fact, if there is explicit information about what
the email subject should be and you ignore it, youll
be seen as someone who cant follow directions
(#kindergartenskill), and, even worse, your email will
probably get filtered out of the batch and never be
considered. Womp womp.
If there isnt any specific request for the subject,

follow good email practices and make it something
clear and relevant. A good rule of thumb is:
Application for [job title] [your full name]
If youre applying informally, or youre not responding

to a job ad, use your intution to think of something
appropriate but eye-catching, like Do you need a
web designer?
But please dont go cutesy here either. You might

think that a subject like Read me! or Im the one.
will win over a hiring manager or make you at least
stand out. But its more likely to be sent to the spam
folder or, if its not, irritate the person who has to
open the message just to find out what its about.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
GREETING
Now for the hellos and howdy-dos.
Start by doing everything you can to find out the

name of the person youre emailing. You know how
impersonal it feels to get an email that starts Dear
Customer.
You might get lucky, and the name (or the email
address that includes the name) will be listed right
there in the job ad. But what if its not? Here are some
tips and tricks to try:
FORGET TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AND

ESPECIALLY DEAR SIR / MADAM.
Just throw them in the trash. An opening like this
immediately shows that you couldnt be bothered
to look for a name or come up with an appropriate
greeting not to mention that youre not aware of
the more casual tone used in emails nowadays.
LEAVE OFF TITLES LIKE MR. OR MRS.

In the same way a misspelled name can set the
wrong tone, a wrongly-guessed gender / marital
status wont score you any points. Plus, in many
companies now, the culture isnt too formal. So, if
you use a title and last name when theyre all calling
each other by first names, youll immediately show
that you arent a fit for their style.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
SCOUR THE COMPANYS WEBSITE FOR A

NAME.
With a bit of research, theres a chance you
can find the name of the person or at least
some personin the company who is either
in charge of or involved in the hiring process.
Look for titles like hiring manager, recruiting,
or human resources. Sometimes its better to
address the wrong person (and get redirected)
than to send an impersonal email.
IF IN DOUBT, KEEP IT NEUTRAL AND

ANONYMOUS.
If you cant find a clue out there as to who youll
be emailing, its best to leave it a bit open by
using a greeting like Hello or Good Afternoon.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
BODY
Heres where youll include the information that you

want the hiring manager to notice and remember about
you. You still need to keep it short and simple, but be
sure to include these 5 crucial points:
WHO YOU ARE

Go back to basics and start by introducing yourself
by name. Your goal is for them to remember you and
associate the amazing things youre going to tell them
about with you. So, give them the name of their next
amaze-o new employee right up front!
Then finish up your introductory sentence by telling
what you dothat is, what job or field do you work
in. If it doesnt take up too much space, squeeze in
your specialty. Details like that make you much more
memorable.
And dont get too crazy here with job titles. The work
you do is more important than what you call yourself.
WHY YOURE INTERESTED IN THE JOB

Every company loves enthusiastic and devoted
employees so show them from the start that you
have a genuine interest in doing this work. Besides
saying directly that you want to be a candidate for
the job, include a reason or two why you admire the
company. For example, maybe youve used their
products for years or love their ads. Or you might
be especially excited about a new project they just
announced or an admirer of their CEO. The more
specific you can be, the better.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
WHAT YOUVE DONE THATS RELEVANT

TO THE JOB
Bring out the parts of your education, work
experience, or skills that are most important
and applicable for the job. But dont rehash your
entire resume! Itll be included as an attachment
anyhow, and you should use the email to guide
the reader to the best parts of it by linking to
relevant work.
This section will be particularly important if
youre new to the job or industry or dont fill all
the requirements listed in the job ad. By coming
up with the connection between what youve
done and what the company needs, you can turn
not right for the job into got the job.
HOW YOURE THE BEST ONE TO GET

THE JOB DONE
Nows your chance to really shine by explaining
how YOU are especially qualified for this job.
Note: For all parts of the job Rather than blandly listing adjectives describing
search process, you should be
yourself, make it memorable by using an
emphasizing what you can do
for the company, not what the
anecdote to show how youre a unique fit. Or
company can do for you. explain how a certain project youve done or goal
youve achieved will make the company crazy not
So, the fact that youve been to hire you.
unemployed for a year or hate
your old job or are desperate to Again, the more specific, the better. Keep it
move to a new city are not what short, but include interesting and memorable
you should mention at any point. details, and especially any numbers or stats as
Instead, show and tell how you concrete proof that you make results happen.
will solve the problems that the
company has and improve their
business in the process.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
WHERE THEY CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU

Finish up by referring to your resume, which
youll attach as a pdf and ONLY as a pdf. And also
include the link to your online portfolio here. Just
make sure to format the text for each as a link so
it can be easily clicked directly from your email.
Expecting them to copy and paste a link in their
browser will just result in tears for everyone.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
CLOSING
Guess what? You can keep this one simple!
Round things out by thanking the reader for their

time and expressing your enthusiasm again. Its not
necessary to say that youll provide references on
request (In fact, its pretty old fashioned.) or that
youre happy to answer any questions they have.
(Theyll get back to you if theyre interested.)
An easy Cheers, Best, or Looking forward to

hearing from you, will do.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
SIGNATURE
You can avoid the eternal debate about how to sign
off by just including your full name one more time.
(If you only put your first name, youre risking them
confusing you with other similarly named candidates.)
And, if you want to include relevant social media

accounts, try adding them after your signature.
Remember to make them clickable too.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
ATTACHMENTS
First off, in most situations (and unless otherwise
requested in the job listing), there should be ONE
lonely attachment, max, and it should probably be
your rsum.
Just say no to Word docs, text files, or anything other

than a PDF. Its the standard!

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
OTHER things TO
KEEP IN MIND

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
KEEP THESE POINTS IN MINDE AS YOU CRAFT YOUR EMAIL COVER LETTER.
TIMING
Now! Right this second! Dont delay! Havent you sent it already?!?
Seriously though. The hiring process can take weeks or hours depending
on the situation. So, why take a chance? Nobody will think youre TOO
eager if youre the first one to apply. But, if you snooze, you may very well
losethe job of your dreams, that is!
LENGTH
The shorter, the better, within reason. Dont be insulting by just sending
a blank email with your resume attached. They definitely wont bother
to look at it if you didnt bother to introduce yourself. But, otherwise,
follow the framework outlined earlier and keep it as concise as possible.
An email as short as 5-6 sentences is just fine. Recruiters dont enjoy
reading emails any more than you do!
GRAMMAR
Listen to your high school English teacher. She was right that good
grammar always makes a good impression. And, in todays digital world,
written communication is especially important. So, be sure to show that
youll be a good representative of the company once you get the job.
Hint: It never hurts to have someone else read your cover email. Or at
least try reading it backwards yourself. By changing things up, youll
catch mistakes and typos that you wouldnt have otherwise.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
FONT AND STYLING
Your cover email is NOT the place to show off your love of display fonts
or your colorful personality. In other words, stick to classic fonts like
Helvetica or Arial. (In fact, if youve never changed the default font in
your email program, youre in good shape.) And, although, some people
encourage bold text or italics to make an email easier to read, its better
to just keep the message short and well-written. Thats the best kind of
readable.
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
You might not think anyone notices the From field. But, if your email
comes from hotstuff15@yahoo.com, its a bit like wearing your old Lisa
Frank rainbow unicorn sweatshirt from the 90s over your new J. Crew
blazer in camel pinstripe.
It might not matter how great your cover email is if the hiring manager
has already decided that youre unprofessional, out-of-date, or just plain
clueless based on your email address.
Best bet? Use either a Gmail address with your first name and last name
(for example, grace.hopper@gmail.com) or an email address from your
own domain (i.e. where you have your online portfolio or website) like
grace@gracehopper.com.
EMOTICONS
Little smiling and winking faces can be found in texts of all kinds today
even in business settings. Whether or not to include them in your cover
email depends entirely on the company culture and the job. Take a look
at the companys website for some hints. If you find humor, slang, orof
courseemoticons themselves there, you can feel more confident using
them. But, if in doubt, leave them out and use your words instead.

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
SETTING UP A
framework

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
WRITE. SEND. REPEAT.

Now that you have the info you need to write the
perfect cover email, what are you waiting for? Even
if you havent found a job to apply for yet, its worth
working on it now. That way, you can take your time
and craft some incredible text. And, more importantly,
that way youll be ready to fire it off immediately
when you do find the position of your dreams.
What you need to have ready at all times:
COVER EMAIL YOU CAN QUICKLY CUSTOMIZE

TO LAND YOU THE JOB
Save it as a draft in your email, and also as a

document.
ONLINE PORTFOLIO OR WEBSITE WITH:
Up-to-date contact information
Examples of your best and most recent work
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS THAT ARE:
Relevant to your job search
Free of any embarrassing or unprofessional content
EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF

(and will remember to check!)

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
COVER EMAIL template

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
SAMPLE cover EMAIL.
New Message
To
Subject
Hello!
Im [your first and last name], and Im a [your job].
I was excited to see that [the company] has an opening for a [the job],
and I would love to join your team in this position. [One or two specific
reasons why you like the company.]
My education in [your area of study], [number of years] years in [the

relevant field], and skills in [your skill areas] will let me get right to work
[doing the tasks required for the job].
[Anecdote that shows the aspects of your personality or working style

that make you perfect for the job]. / [Project or achievement that
proves you have what it takes, including numbers or stats from it].
You can read more about my qualifications and experience from my

attached resume, and you can see examples of my work at [link to your
portfolio / website].
Thank you in advance for your time. I look forward to talking with you about
how I can help [the company] as your new [the position].
[Your first and last name]

[links to your social media accounts]
Sans Serif
Send

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
HERE'S A MORE real-life EXAMPLE FOR

YOU TO WORK FROM.
New Message
To
Subject
Hi Rashmi!
My name is Randle Browning and Im the director of content at Skillcrush, where

I manage the blog and grow our subscriber base.
Im writing to apply for the Head of Content Marketing position at Wam-Bam.

Ive been on your newsletter list since the early days of Wam-Bam, and I would
love an opportunity to grow a brand I already follow and love. I still laugh about
that email with the tiny dinosaur from 2013!
I can help you gain more subscribers who are poised to buy because of my
experience building the Skillcrush subscriber base from X to X, all while zooming
in on our target market. I am a bit of an optimization junky, and love testing
tools like headlines and webinars to gain traction with specific, niche audiences
like Wam-Bams.
You can read more about my experience and find my rsum on my personal
site, here, but Ive pulled out some relevant projects for you:
- An email campaign that increased our CTRs by 30%.
- The Skillcrush Blog page, which I worked with the design and dev team to
optimize for social sharing.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Randle Browning
Sans Serif
Send

THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
NEED more SKILLS?

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THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
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THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
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THE EMAIL
COVER LETTER
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Ultimate Guide To The Perfect Email Cover Letter

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THE EMAIL

The Ultimate Guide to the

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 1

COVER LETTERS ARE THE WORST

Its common to spend hours pouring your soul into

These days, when many job applications occur via

According to engineering recruiter Ambra Benjamin,

But the answer isnt to stop writing cover letters

IN THIS GUIDE, YOURE GOING TO LEARN:

Why you should start writing cover emails

EXACTLY what to include (and what NOT to include)

How to strike the perfect tone

How to use a cover email framework to speed up

PLUS, youll get a free cover email template.

FORGET everything YOU KNOW

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 3

WHY COVER LETTERS DONT

IT WAS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE YOU.

IT WAS A PAPER TRAIL FOR KEEPING TRACK

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 4

THERE ARE SO MANY APPLICANTS NOW!

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 5

THE cover EMAIL

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 6

YOUR COVER LETTER SHOULD...

... MAKE THE READERS LIFE EASIER.

... BE A COVER EMAIL.

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 7

... BE VERY SPECIFIC.

... INCLUDE RELEVANT LINKS.

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 8

... STRIKE AN APPROPRIATE TONE.

What if a job specifically requests a cover letter?

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 9

FORMAL APPROPRIATE IN TONE

JUST WORDS LINKS

COMPREHENSIVE TO THE POINT

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 10

SET the TONE!

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 11

When youre applying for a new job, research is

Traditional corporation: Try a more discrete (but not stuffy) tone.

Startup: Strike a more casual, yet competent tone.

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 12

Straight-laced: If the companys website and other materials are reserved,

Conversational: If the companys voice comes off as more conversational in

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 13

WHO IS reading YOUR

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 14

WHO ARE YOU WRITING TO?

Your research doesnt stop after you know more

Heres a profile of the target audience for your cover

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 15

TITLE: In a larger company - Hiring Manager or Human Resources rep. In a

SITUATION: Tasked with reading and sorting through anywhere from

NEEDS: Information about your background, experience, skills, and traits

Long, rambling, or random

Links to your portfolio/website Having to dig up links to your

Questions or requests from

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 16

The Ultimate Guide To The Email Cover Letter 17

SUBJECT LINE Subject

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