Should I type Cover Letter/Application Letter in email body or attach it with CV to the mail? - Job seeker Question.

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Here's yet another mail from a job seeker:

Good day Jobzilla Nigeria,
Please I need clarification on this. If one is asked to apply online through email, is it appropriate to type cover letter or application letter in the text box of the email or to attach it with CV?





My Response: 
There are two different approaches with submitting a resume and cover letter via email.

With the first approach, you can cut and paste your actual cover letter into the body of the email. This can be helpful to the interviewer since they will have to click and open fewer attachments.

However, some employers (especially more formal companies) will view this negatively.
A company may not consider this a "real" cover letter. Sometimes when your cover letter is embedded in the body of an email, the formatting is not ideal and then the printed version is less than attractive.

If you choose to cut and paste your cover letter in the body of the email, it should still be professionally written and free of errors.
 This approach is probably acceptable when applying for many positions, especially for smaller, entrepreneurial companies or when a company does not request a cover letter.


The other option is to attach both a cover letter and a resume as separate documents to your email. This requires a bit more work for the receiver but it fully complies with a company's request to submit both a resume and a cover letter.
If the receiver plans to print the documents, there will likely be fewer formatting problems and both documents will appear more polished in printed form.


The "two attachment" approach is probably best for senior-level positions or when applying to larger, more formal companies or when a company specifically requests a cover letter. In the body of the email, you can explain what documents are attached and also highlight any special qualifications or differentiators about your background. It is also a good idea to reiterate your contact information.

Finally, most importantly, endeavor to follow any instructions given in the job advert.

I hope this helps you and someone else out there.

Send in your career questions to info[at]jobzilla.ng

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