E-mailing Your Web Resume
Some job postings ask you to e-mail your resume directly to a contact person. The process here is very simple: Your e-mail message is your cover letter, and your resume gets included as a file attachment. An e-mail cover letter should be short and direct. The first line should state your purpose (“I am writing in response to your posting for an experienced Web Designer”). Any subsequent text should state your qualifications bluntly (“I have five years of freelance experience designing Web sites for independent movie studios, sometimes using GoLive and Adobe Design software but mostly writing my own code to incorporate movie clips and other complex elements”).
How much information should I include in my e-mail?
It's a good idea to say what made you respond to this posting (“I use links to your site to give our visitors access to real-time industry news, and I would love the opportunity to work for you”). E-mails are quick and informal by nature. You know from experience that an overwritten e-mail is hard to read. Be polite, but don't be stuffy. Be specific so that the recipient knows it is not generic.
E-mail Etiquette
In this case, the question of file formats is particularly important. Pay attention to the stated format requirements, and do not bother submitting a resume that doesn't meet them. You may think PDF is much better than Word, but if Word is what the contact person requests, he or she will not appreciate your substitution and it immediately signifies that you don't take direction well.
The common question with an e-mailed file of any kind is whether the recipient got it in a legible form. If your resume file is huge, with graphics or other special features, it will take a long time to transmit and to open. Nobody appreciates being made to wait, so for e-mailed resumes, it's a good idea to keep things very simple.
Regardless of your care, file attachments do sometimes get mangled.
That gives you an automatic excuse for a follow-up. Ask the recipient to let you know if your file did not come through. Take the opportunity to slip in another quick selling point. There's no harm in sending a follow-up, as long as it is very brief and not demanding in any way.
Addressing the E-mail
Job postings often ask you to reference a job number in your subject line. Be sure you include this information, as it is unlikely your e-mail (or resume) will reach its destination without it.
Most job postings include a link to the contact person's e-mail. All you have to do to address your e-mail properly is to click on the link. You must also use a personal address, however, in your cover e-mail. Online job postings are notorious for giving little to no information about the contact person. Sometimes all you have is an e-mail address and no name at all. Use whatever information you have. If you don't have a contact name, start the letter immediately after the address, using no salutation at all.
