How to write effective email cover letters for a job application

Increasingly, prospective job hunters are expected to write email cover letters when submitting a job application.

The popular format shares many similarities with conventional cover letters with a few key exceptions.

Email correspondence is all about catching the reader’s eye before their attention moves on to the next item in their inbox.

Your job is to grab their attention enough to read your resume, grant you an interview and hopefully give you a job.

Below is Cover letter format template you can adapt for your purposes as well as an example of a email cover letter.

SUBJECT HEADING
Either write job description or position number

GREETING
Dear [name of contact]

First paragraph:
• Briefly explain who you are and why you are writing to them
• Name position you are applying for and where the position was advertised



Second paragraph:

• Emphasise how your work experience and skills make you an ideal candidate
• Mention most important qualifications and what you would bring to the company



Third paragraph:

• Explain why you would like to work for this particular company, showing that you have done research regarding the position
• You may be applying for hundreds of different jobs but you need to make each prospective employer think that their job is the only one you want.



Last paragraph:
Politely request they consider your application and convey your appreciation for their time.

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
If you have the technology to do so, scan your signature and insert it into the document.

Email Cover letter sample

Subject heading
Job position at (organisation’s name)

Greeting
Dear (insert name),

I would like to apply for the (job position) at (organisation name) as advertised on-line at www.seek.com this week.

I worked as a career journalist for ten years in WA which included multiple stints on small rural and regional publications before graduating to the big league, namely The West Australian newspaper where I was employed as a senior court reporter.

I began tutoring a vast range of media units including news writing, feature writing, research skills, sub-editing and design as well as media law and ethics to undergraduate students as a sessional tutor in 2004 and have never looked back.

I currently work as a sessional media tutor at Deakin University at Burwood where my hands-on approach earns me strong praise from my students year after year who value my industry expertise and practical knowledge.

I also work as a professional copywriter and business writing consultant under my own steam but am interested in broadening my scope within the tertiary sphere.

Please find attached my resume. I would welcome an opportunity to meet with you to introduce myself and learn more about future directions you plan to pursue with your new course.

Warm regards,

Anne Gleeson


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