Herd Freed Hartz - Retained executive search firm in Seattle recruiting Technology and Life Science software new media biotech talent in the Northwest

Resume Writing
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How to get an Interview at Target Company

E-mailing Your Resume
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E-MAILING YOUR RESUME

More and more companies are expecting people to submit their resume via e-mail instead of "snail mail" or even fax. It saves companies time, money and it is much more convenient than faxed resumes which is why many have converted to a "paperless" resume database. What we may remember from our Career's class at school does not directly apply since many of the etiquette rules are different for e-mail So what is the proper way to e-mail a company your resume?

As professional recruiters, we see hundreds of resumes each week by e-mail and I have found that a properly e-mailed resume greatly increases your chances of getting noticed and interviewed!

Tips for E-mailing your Resume:
1) In the Subject line put your name and the position you are applying for. A descriptive Subject line helps a recruiter or manager locate your resume faster and with less effort. (Ex: "SUBJECT: Amy Curry - VP of Marketing")

2) Address your e-mail to one recruiter (or company) at a time. Being perceived as a resume "spammer" can sometimes reduce a recruiter's (and even a company's) interest. If you must e-mail to a large target group, then use "BCC:" as a way to not have everyone see your list of addresses.

3) Use the recruiter's name in the greeting if possible. Or, at the least make sure that your standard greeting of: "Dear recruiter or hiring manager" is going to the right person.

4) In place of a formal cover letter include a short, concise introduction (3-5 sentences).

Tell them what job you are interested in (what do you want?)
Include 5-8 "bullet points" suggesting how your skills and experience match up with the job requirements which clearly convey what sets you apart from the other candidates.
Avoid fluff words like "team oriented." (Hey, who would say they are not?)
Focus on specific skill/experience buzzwords that the job qualifications call out for
Make it clear why you are interested in the position and the company. Show them that you know about the company and it's presence within the industry.

5) It is better to appear overqualified than under-qualified. Being a perfect fit, or even a little overqualified for a position can get you in the door and noticed by internal recruiters. Applying for a position which you only meet the minimum requirements can get you too easily dismissed by the company in comparison to other candidates and you might not get a phone call.

6) Insert your resume as simple text below your salutation. This will allow the recruiter to immediately scan your resume without taking time to open an attached file. If your resume has bullets you should replace them in the e-mail with a standard text character (like a double dash "--") because often bullets do not get received correctly in e-mail.

7) Attach your resume in a standard format (Word or text) saved as your name (Ex: "John Klein resume"). DO NOT attach a resume in PDF, HTML or WordPerfect format.

8) Only include relevant website links. This can be helpful in providing the recruiter with samples of your web development work, technical writing samples, or further information on the companies where you have worked. Be sure only to include links that are relevant to the job. (You might look like a chump if you provide links to a personal website full of family or pet photos, or your last beer party.)

9) Make your e-mail "forward friendly." Remember that your e-mail will likely get passed on to other interested people within the company. By keeping your e-mail short, focused and professional it will speak to both audiences: the recruiter and the hiring manager.

10) Proofread Always run a spell check and send a sample to yourself to see how it will look upon delivery. You can even ask a buddy to look it over. E-mail needs to be just as error-free as any typed letter.

When should you follow-up? If you don't hear back from anyone after 1-2 weeks, forward the old e-mail again with an updated message to express your continued interest in this role. If this does not work...find some other connection into the company or maybe take a hint that they are not interested. Repeated e-mail and phone follow-ups can often do more harm than good for your future chances with the company.