Zoom Email Marketing Blog

Like it or not, e-mail is the universal language of 21st century job searches. While a hand-written thank-you is still an important exception, most of the time, you’ll be communicating with potential employers by e-mail — folks who get just as much e-mail as you do!

So how do you make your e-mail stand out from the crowd without wasting your reader’s time?
A while back, we came up with these eight easy tips for making your e-mail practically beg to be opened:

1) Your subject line should say why you are sending the email.
“Over-achieving Sales Executive – Terry Smith” is much more effective than “Responding to job post”. Putting your name in your subject line will help the hiring manager, who’s already strapped for time, stay organized. And providing a theme – with just a tiny bit of self-promotion, will remind them why it’s important to read your email.

2) Cut to the chase. Quickly.
“I’m writing to apply for the Senior Manager, Logistics position as my 20 years in logistics with Wal-Mart and Target make me a great fit for your company”… is the right way to start off your e-mail. Put all the details into later paragraphs. This is super-helpful in this “Age of Blackberry” so that your recipient doesn’t need to scroll down or select “more” to get the full message. (As a side note, I frankly personally prefer the simple present tense “I write to apply…” versus the present progressive tense “I am writing to apply…” but most people find that a bit quirky and formal, so use at your discretion!)

Read the next version in a few days