You spent hours perfecting your resume — and then you have to send it in an email that takes most people about ninety seconds to write. That email is the first thing a recruiter reads, before they ever open the attachment. A sloppy one (no subject, a wall of text, the wrong file attached) can sink a strong candidate. A clean one gets your resume opened. Here's how to write it.
Get these right every time:
Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf. Not resume_final_v3.pdf.The subject line should make it obvious who you are and what you're applying for, so it survives a crowded inbox and a later search. A reliable formula:
Application: [Job Title] — [Your Name] (Req #[ID] if there is one)
Examples:
That last one matters: if someone referred you, put it in the subject line. It's the single biggest thing that gets an email opened.
Keep it short. Three to four sentences. The recruiter wants to get to the resume, not read an essay. Cover: who you are, the role, one reason you're a fit, and a pointer to the attachment.
Template — cold application:
Hi [Name],
I'm applying for the [Job Title] role at [Company]. I'm a [your title] with [X years] of experience in [relevant area], and I was drawn to this role because [one specific, genuine reason].
My resume is attached. I'd welcome the chance to talk about how I could contribute to [team/goal]. Thank you for your time.
Best, [Your Name] [Phone] · [LinkedIn]
Template — with a referral:
Hi [Name],
[Referrer's name] suggested I reach out about the [Job Title] role. I'm a [your title] with experience in [area], and [Referrer] thought my background in [specific] would be a strong fit.
Resume attached — I'd love to connect. Thanks so much.
Template — replying to a recruiter who contacted you:
Hi [Name],
Thanks for reaching out about the [Job Title] role — I'm interested. I've attached my resume; in short, I bring [one-line summary of relevant experience]. Happy to find a time to talk this week.
Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf.Three to four sentences: who you are, the role you're applying for, one specific reason you're a good fit, and a note that your resume is attached. Keep it short and let the resume do the heavy lifting.
PDF by default — it keeps your formatting intact everywhere. Send a .docx only if the job posting or applicant tracking system specifically asks for one.
"Application: [Job Title] — [Your Name]," adding a requisition number if there is one. If you were referred, lead with that: "Referred by [Name]: [Job Title] — [Your Name]."
The email body acts as a short cover note. Send a full cover letter only if the posting requests one — then attach it as a separate, clearly named PDF or combine it with your resume.
Once the email gets your resume opened, everything rides on the document itself being clean, ATS-readable, and exported properly. PrismResume helps you build and export a polished, correctly-formatted PDF — named and sized right — so the file a recruiter opens lives up to the email that got them to click.
Not sure how your resume reads? Check it for free on PrismResume to spot missing keywords and formatting issues.
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