What to Write in an Email when Sending a Resume in 2023

Here’s a bad dream—

You find the perfect job offer. You carefully craft a killer resume. And... It never reaches the hiring manager. Someone else lands the gig.

This dream can turn to reality. Unless you learn how to email your resume the right way.

When emailing your resume, the body of your email should read a bit like your cover letter. But a resume email is not your cover letter all over again. In 7 minutes, I’ll teach you how to write one that gets you in pole position every time you apply for a job.

This guide will show you:

• Sample email to send with a resume.
• How to email a resume to get more job offers.
• How to find the hiring manager’s contact details and apply directly, instead of using job boards.
• Everything you need to know about resume email etiquette.

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Ready?

For starters, take a look at this sample resume email:

Sample Resume Email You Can Copy & Use

Do you need to write a regular cover letter? Learn how to format your cover letter like a pro and if you need some help with writing see this guide: How To Write a Cover Letter

1. How to Email a Resume to Get a Job [Resume Email Rules]

Here’s the deal—

Emailing a resume to the hiring manager rather than applying through online forms on job boards can put you in front of most of your competition.

There are two reasons for this:

• An email with a resume feels personal. Hiring managers are tired of reviewing those hundreds of identical online applications.
• It lets you escape the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) trap—instead of getting scanned by robots beforehand, your resume is delivered directly to a human being.

Follow these resume emailing steps:

1. Find the hiring manager’s contact details

First, you need to find out who to reach:

Emailing a Resume: How to Find the Hiring Manager’s Contact Details

1. Start with the company website to find the name and email of the hiring manager.
2. Google “[Company Name] [Team Name] Manager,” for example “Acme Company IT Manager.”
3. If all fails, call the company and directly ask for your hiring manager’s contact details.
4. That doesn’t work either? Go to LinkedIn to see if you can find their profile there. Send and invite saying you would like to apply for an open position with their team. They’ll most likely be happy to share their email address— and even if not, at least you’ll no longer be anonymous.

Once you get the right contact details, you have the gold opportunity.

Don’t. Waste. It.

2. Be straightforward in the subject line and opening

Writing an email to send with your resume is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor.

You’ll stand out from the crowd of other applicants if your message gets opened and read.

And guess what? Your subject line and the resume email opening have to take care of that.

How?

In a word: brevity. No fancy narratives, no attempts at jokes or creative puns. Be as straightforward as it gets. It's like the resume profile (professional summary, or resume objective) of your application. It has to make your resume stand out in just one glance.

Resume Email: Subject Line

• Say who you are.
• Name the position you’re applying for.
• Address the company by name.
• Include the job id.

The same goes for your resume email opening. Be short and sweet. (Emphasis on “short” is no coincidence.)

How to Email a Resume: Opening Lines

Get this:

The email you send with your resume might reach the hiring manager in a hurry. Be prepared for that. Make your point clear from the beginning.

The good example above? This one’s going to be saved for later reading. The bad one? Already deleted.

There’s personalized message and then there’s creepy oversharing. Targeting a resume follows similar rules. While on this subject, don't write a generic resume email. Nothing turns recruiters down like an obvious copy-paste.

Alright. You got their attention. Now...

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3. Present your best assets and make an offer in the main paragraph

Surprise, surprise—

Your resume email is not a copy-paste of your regular cover letter in email text editor.

How to Email a Resume: Proper Format

• Mention your proudest win (something that would look great as a resume bullet point).
• Support it with quantified data.
• Make an offer: show show you can help.

Take a look:

That’s an email format that will deliver: don’t undersell your professional work achievements but don’t be too elaborate either.

Now they kind of want to give you a shot already. Amplify that good impression you made with the below:

4. Finish off with a clear call to action

Give this a thought—

Your resume email message is basically a sales pitch: the product you’re selling is yourself.

So here’s an interesting online sales stat to guide you in the right direction:

Sales emails in which the call to action was clear and singular (one short sentence; appearing only once in the message) increased sales by, wait for it, 1617%.

People don’t mind being sold to as long as the sales message is concise. Take advantage.

Sample Calls to Action for an Email with a Resume

Good example? Succinct and powerful.

Bad example? Verbose and unconfident. They won’t email or call you back with good news (=job interview invitation).

Finally:

5. Include a professional sign-off and don’t forget your attachment(s)

Let’s go through key steps:

• Write “Sincerely,” or use a synonym.
• Sign the resume email with your full name.
• If you don’t have a pre-set footer, below the sign-off, include your contact details and, if necessary, basic social media handles.
• Attach your resume. Save it as .pdf and use a professional file name: FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf
• Add links to your portfolio or professional website.

Like this:

How to Email a Resume Example: Sign-Off and Footer

2. Additional Tips for Emailing Your Resume

Before you press the “Send” button when emailing your resume, check these additional important things.

First, make sure your email has it all:

Winning Resume Email Components

1. Strong subject line and on-topic opening
2. Main body based on benefits you bring to the table
3. Captivating call to action
4. Sign-off, footer, & attachment(s)

Second, stop worrying about this:

Cover Letter: Attachment or Body?

It doesn’t make that much of a difference and is mostly a matter of preference.

My take? In 2023, go with the email cover letter and attach a resume only unless a job ad explicitly demands candidates to enclose cover letters as separate attachments.

Third, press the “Send” button the right time:

When to Send Your Email Application?

There’s great research that has all the answers:

• Mondays are best (+46% success ratio boost vs average), Fridays and Saturdays are worst.
• Still, try to apply within 96 hours after a job gets posted: you’ll be 8x more likely to get an interview. After that, every day you wait reduces your chances by 28%.
• The best time? Between 6 and 10 am (89% boost!).

And, to reiterate:

What to Say In a Resume Email?

• Say your name, the position you're applying for.
• Start with a personalized opening line which addresses the recipient by name.
• Mention one of your most impressive, quantified achievements. Show the company how you can help them.
• Ask for an interview, and end with a professional sign-off.

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Key Points

Emailing a resume lets you reach the hiring manager directly, putting you ahead of other applicants. Do it right, and you can already start preparing for the big interview.

Keys to writing a resume email that gets you the job?

1. Find the hiring manager’s name and contact details through the company’s website or LinkedIn.
2. Get right to the point in your subject line and opening sentence.
3. Highlight your relevant work experience & strengths and make an offer in the main paragraph.
4. Use a clear and singular call to action.
5. Condense, condense, condense.

Questions? Concerns? I’m here to listen and assist. Share your thoughts in the comments and let me get back to you right away.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.