elegantlion Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 It's been eons since I applied for a job. All of my former jobs were either temp-to-permanent positions or hired through in person interview. I'm cleaning up my resume today. There is an opening I'll be forwarding it to tomorrow via e-mail. What should I send in the body of the e-mail, a cover letter attachment? This is a small town entry level position, so I want it to look professional but it needn't be overly done. How personal do you get? Should you make any remarks about the position, the hours and pay are listed in the ad and would be perfect for my needs. The job itself seems suitable as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 It's been eons since I applied for a job. All of my former jobs were either temp-to-permanent positions or hired through in person interview. I'm cleaning up my resume today. There is an opening I'll be forwarding it to tomorrow via e-mail. What should I send in the body of the e-mail, a cover letter attachment? This is a small town entry level position, so I want it to look professional but it needn't be overly done. How personal do you get? Should you make any remarks about the position, the hours and pay are listed in the ad and would be perfect for my needs. The job itself seems suitable as well. The general idea is that your resume is the same for all the jobs you apply for, the cover letter is that part that you customize for a particular job. These days, the email body is the cover letter, and the attached resume is, well, the resume. What employers want to see is that you aren't just shotgunning out resumes, that you've spent the time to research their business a bit, and your cover letter should reflect that. It should mention where you saw the posting, why you think you are a good candidate, perhaps echo'ing back some keywords in the posting, and highlight parts of your resume that are particularly relevant. I wouldn't comment about hours or pay, but I would make it seem like you are a great "fit" for the position. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 The general idea is that your resume is the same for all the jobs you apply for, the cover letter is that part that you customize for a particular job. These days, the email body is the cover letter, and the attached resume is, well, the resume. What employers want to see is that you aren't just shotgunning out resumes, that you've spent the time to research their business a bit, and your cover letter should reflect that. It should mention where you saw the posting, why you think you are a good candidate, perhaps echo'ing back some keywords in the posting, and highlight parts of your resume that are particularly relevant. I wouldn't comment about hours or pay, but I would make it seem like you are a great "fit" for the position. Good Luck! Wonderful, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 The general idea is that your resume is the same for all the jobs you apply for, the cover letter is that part that you customize for a particular job. These days, the email body is the cover letter, and the attached resume is, well, the resume. What employers want to see is that you aren't just shotgunning out resumes, that you've spent the time to research their business a bit, and your cover letter should reflect that. It should mention where you saw the posting, why you think you are a good candidate, perhaps echo'ing back some keywords in the posting, and highlight parts of your resume that are particularly relevant. I wouldn't comment about hours or pay, but I would make it seem like you are a great "fit" for the position. Good Luck! Yes and no. In this very competitive market, certainly in the UK, it's normal to tailor the resume/CV too. In my last job search I mentioned in the cover letter/email the areas of my experience that would be particularly valuable to the company, then changed the CV to make it relevant to the company too. So, for example, when I applied to the company where I finally was hired, the job advert asked for: - attention to detail - multitasking - computer skills So my cover letter/email mentioned very briefly how I fulfilled these requirements. Then I went through my CV, turning my experience to stress these aspects. Good luck! Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I have a generic CV that I can make minor alterations to to highlight different areas. I send both the CV (we have them instead of a resume) and the cover letter as attachments. The email itself is a very brief polite note. The person receiving the application will often be an assistant who will print out and staple together the CV and the letter and acknowledge and delete or file the email. If you put the letter in the email itself it will often print in a strange format and look dreadful. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I am job hunting right now too. I definitely tailor my resume for each job. I look at the job requirements in the job posting, and make sure my work experience reflects those requirements (if applicable). I even change my terminology to use the specific terminology from the job posting. For example, if the job posting says they want someone who can "train and mentor" others, I highlight my experience as a manager and I will use the specific term "train." If they want someone to create management reporting, I highlight that experience. If they want someone to reconcile balance sheet accounts, well, I down play my training experience and highlight my accounting background. My job field is accounting and finance. I have great experience in both areas. If a job posting is asking for a "financial analyst," I describe my experience in the "finance and accounting" field. if they are looking for an "accountant," I describe my experience in the field of "accounting and finance.". It's all semantics, but I need all the help I can get. My cover letter is tailored as well. My first paragraph introduces me and why I'm writing to them. The second paragraph highlights my relevant experience - summary from my resume but not a regurgitation. My last paragraph is a simple closing, but I do have a sentence "explaining" my years out of the workforce. Lastly, do you have anyone who can give you a personnel recommendation before you apply? Do you know anyone with links to this particular company? Who you know does/can make a big difference. Good luck to you! I am interviewing next week. I hate that this is happening, but I guess we all have seasons in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 It's been eons since I applied for a job. All of my former jobs were either temp-to-permanent positions or hired through in person interview. I'm cleaning up my resume today. There is an opening I'll be forwarding it to tomorrow via e-mail. What should I send in the body of the e-mail, a cover letter attachment? This is a small town entry level position, so I want it to look professional but it needn't be overly done. How personal do you get? Should you make any remarks about the position, the hours and pay are listed in the ad and would be perfect for my needs. The job itself seems suitable as well. In general, I would avoid focusing on how the job is a good fit for your needs and instead focus on how you are a good fit for the company's needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Yes and no. In this very competitive market, certainly in the UK, it's normal to tailor the resume/CV too. In my last job search I mentioned in the cover letter/email the areas of my experience that would be particularly valuable to the company, then changed the CV to make it relevant to the company too. So, for example, when I applied to the company where I finally was hired, the job advert asked for: - attention to detail - multitasking - computer skills So my cover letter/email mentioned very briefly how I fulfilled these requirements. Then I went through my CV, turning my experience to stress these aspects. Good luck! Laura Thank you. Of course, I can't find my old resume now, so I'm having to completely redo one. I have a generic CV that I can make minor alterations to to highlight different areas. I send both the CV (we have them instead of a resume) and the cover letter as attachments. The email itself is a very brief polite note. The person receiving the application will often be an assistant who will print out and staple together the CV and the letter and acknowledge and delete or file the email. If you put the letter in the email itself it will often print in a strange format and look dreadful. Good luck. Thanks, I'll probably send to myself first and see how it formats. I am job hunting right now too. I definitely tailor my resume for each job. I look at the job requirements in the job posting, and make sure my work experience reflects those requirements (if applicable). I even change my terminology to use the specific terminology from the job posting. For example, if the job posting says they want someone who can "train and mentor" others, I highlight my experience as a manager and I will use the specific term "train." If they want someone to create management reporting, I highlight that experience. If they want someone to reconcile balance sheet accounts, well, I down play my training experience and highlight my accounting background. My job field is accounting and finance. I have great experience in both areas. If a job posting is asking for a "financial analyst," I describe my experience in the "finance and accounting" field. if they are looking for an "accountant," I describe my experience in the field of "accounting and finance.". It's all semantics, but I need all the help I can get. My cover letter is tailored as well. My first paragraph introduces me and why I'm writing to them. The second paragraph highlights my relevant experience - summary from my resume but not a regurgitation. My last paragraph is a simple closing, but I do have a sentence "explaining" my years out of the workforce. Lastly, do you have anyone who can give you a personnel recommendation before you apply? Do you know anyone with links to this particular company? Who you know does/can make a big difference. Good luck to you! I am interviewing next week. I hate that this is happening, but I guess we all have seasons in life. No, don't know anyone in the company. When they mention good spelling and reading skills in the ad, I'm sure they're not going too far up the corporate ladder to hire on this one. In general, I would avoid focusing on how the job is a good fit for your needs and instead focus on how you are a good fit for the company's needs. Oh definitely. I've been looking at ads for weeks. This was the first one that matched my needs, hours and pay-wise. It surprised me, hence my comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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