10 Tips for Writing the Best Job Application Email in 2023

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When applying for a job, regardless of the industry, many companies will likely opt for an email job application rather than using an applicant tracking system as most do.

It’s one of the reasons why having a professional email is essential. With an unprofessional email address hindering a person’s chance of success, you don’t want to lose out on opportunities for job interviews on such minor details.

Not everyone is well-versed when it comes to writing a job application via email.

For example, you’ve grown up in a generation where handing out physical resumes was the norm. Perhaps you’ve been in a job for so long that it wasn’t necessary. Writing for job applications over email is something worth learning.

How do you write a job application email? This guide will explain the best tips for writing a show-stopping job application for jobs over email. By the end, you should have all the ingredients needed for the best chance of getting the all-important interview.

What Is a Job Application Email?

A job application email is often used by a variety of companies now for a number of reasons. It’s often quicker to accrue applications all in one place without having to hop from one job board to another online.

With a need for highly-skilled talent across many companies nowadays, like software engineers, doctors, and lawyers, it seems like a wasted opportunity not to utilise email applications. After all, email is one of the most popular communication formats to use. Recruiters will spend no more than 6-8 seconds looking at a resume and email applications are easy enough for the recruiter to skim through them.

The email should contain all the information for the job position you’re applying for, your qualifications, and how you could be the next valuable asset for the company.

What Attachments Should Be Included?

There are usually several attachments with an email application that includes the resume, references from previous employers, and a cover letter in some cases.

While a cover letter is often optional, you should always be looking to provide one to give you that extra opportunity to get your foot into the interview room. For example, a software engineer is a creative position so you want to be able to show that creativity in every way possible.

10 Tips for Writing the Best Job Application Email

Now comes the juicy part of the article that you’re after. What golden tips are we able to part to you, on how to write the best job application email? Of course, you’ll need to be qualified and experienced for the job to stand the best opportunity for an interview. However, these techniques should push you into the forefront of the recruiter’s mind and secure that interview.

Here are ten tips that we’d recommend for writing the best job application email - so get your pen and paper ready.

1. An email job application is similar to a cover letter.

It’s useful to look at an email application as being similar to a cover letter. For some email applications, they may request just a resume as they see the email content as the cover letter. Some recruiters might ask you to provide a cover letter too though so it’s worth making sure everything is attached accordingly.

With applications related to a specific industry or role, having a tailored cover letter helps you stand out. Rezi’s software engineer cover letters, for example, helps prospective software engineers to clearly showcase their experience and knowledge for the role. Having an optimised template such as this one is useful for making sure relevant qualifications have been outlined. It helps demonstrate the expertise and skillset that the recruiter is looking for in candidates.

2. Keep a separate email address for job applications.

To help improve your chances of getting through the first round of the purge, make sure you have an appropriate email address. Ideally, if your address isn’t appropriate for professional use, create a new one just for job applications.

If you’re applying for the role of a lawyer, or any serious position, using your full name will suffice.

It is better to have a separate one in order to keep everything more organised. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a job interview invite and it getting lost in the sea of daily, promotional emails that come through.

3. Be sure to read what’s expected of you for the email application.

When you’re applying for any job application, reading the job advertisement carefully is important. Firstly, you want to ensure you’re fully qualified for the job and that you have the relevant experience needed for the role.

For software engineer roles, there’s a lot more complexity from one job posting to another. Therefore, reading the job advertisements properly will help you find clarity in whether it’s the right role for you or not.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of people out there who will apply for a job without meeting the basic qualifications for said job. Recruiters report that over 50% of applicants for a typical job will be rejected for their lack of qualifications or experience.

When checking over the job advertisement, look for any information regarding what they need from your email application. Follow everything to the letter so they don’t reject you for not including everything requested.

4. Create a strong and direct subject line.

To help draw attention to your email, think of a strong and direct subject line. This is important because it helps catch the eyes of the recruiter who is likely scrolling through numerous applications within their inbox. Here’s an example below:

Job Candidate: John Bass, Award-winning software engineer at X

Use keywords and buzzwords related to your industry but be selective. You don’t want a subject line that’s too long but equally, you don’t want it so short that it misses the recruiter’s attention.

5. Be polite and complimentary.

Regardless if your role is customer-facing or not, it’s still important to be courteous and polite. When it comes to your email application, how you communicate influences the success you have. It’s not an in-person conversation, which means you need to word everything carefully so it’s not misconstrued.

Be polite in your approach and complementary at various points within the body of the email. These pleasantries will help get you one step closer to the interview stage of the process.

6. Keep your sentences punctual and the email concise.

To help avoid boring the recruiter to death as they navigate through the likely hundreds of applications they get, try to keep your sentences punctual.

Be concise in the points you’re trying to get across and review the content before shaving it down even further if possible. The more punctual and concise you are, the better.

7. Be clear on what and who your email is for.

Who are you writing to? Could you find out the name of the recruiter before you apply? The benefit of the internet is that you will probably be able to find the details of the employee responsible for the hiring on places like LinkedIn, for example.

You can even call up the company (or hospital) to ask for the name. It will be appreciated, I assure you.

Along with this personalisation to the email, make sure you also specify who the email is for if you don’t have a name. Be clear in the subject line and the first line of your email, that you’re applying for said position and that this is your email application. An example of this is shown above.

8. Grammar-check your email application before sending.

Have you grammar-checked your email application? It’s one of the bugbears that recruiters have when it comes to applications, with 59% of them rejecting a resume because of poor grammar.

As a software engineer, doctor or lawyer, an eye for detail is important and if the recruiter spots bad grammar or spelling mistakes, it shows a lack of focus.

You may want to use an app like Grammarly to help spot any mistakes you may have missed in the process of writing your application.

9. Conclude your email with a suitable remark.
To help conclude your email, finish it with a suitable remark. Try to avoid ending the email application abruptly and instead incorporate a conclusion. Summarise all of the key points you’ve mentioned in the email perhaps. You could highlight the reasons why you’re best suited for the role being advertised and end it with a pleasantry like ‘looking forward to hearing from you soon’.

While it’s not always possible for recruiters to get back to every applicant, the way you sign off the email may influence some sort of response whether it’s good or bad news.

10. Find a mentor to help secure a job.

It's frustrating but some people have a natural ability to secure themselves a job easily. They know what to write, and what the recruiter is looking for which helps to secure them an interview.

If you’ve found it challenging to secure a job interview or you’re navigating job application emails for the first time, it may be worth finding a mentor.

There are mentors in every sector nowadays, from retail management to psychology, including guidance for job applications and interviews. For example, a software engineer that’s just starting out, speaking to an engineer who is well-established in the industry would be helpful.

Utilise the Advantages of Job Applications via Email

Job applications submitted via email are a popular format that many businesses will use when recruiting for a new role. Whether you’re familiar with it or not, it’s important to get clued up on how to write a great job application over email so you’re not missing out on potential opportunities.

Use these tips when you find yourself in the position of applying for a new job via email and good luck with it!

Author Bio

Natalie is a freelance writer with two years of experience in web page copywriting for businesses across many industries. She’s also an owner of two blog websites and a Youtube content creator. Find her on LinkedIn.