April 18, 2018

How To Write An Email To A Potential Employer

If you want to find a job, you have to express interest in the job. One of the best ways to do this is to send a professional email to a potential employer. This sounds like a simple task, but it’s actually something that requires quite a bit of time and effort.

Closeup of hands typing on a laptop

Let’s take a quick look at how to write an email to a potential employer:

  • Start With A Professional Email Address This is rule #1. Always create a professional email address like [email protected] or [email protected].
  • Don’t Overlook The Subject Line The subject line is your first impression. Grab their attention and let them know that you mean business. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
  • Address It To The Right Person – Get on Google and scour LinkedIn to find the the name and email address of a real person who you can email. If you’re stumped, start with some like Dear Sir or Madam, or To Whom It May Concern,.
  • Express Interest In The Job – Tell the employer why you are emailing them.
  • Identify Why You Are An Asset To The Company – Without repeating your resume you need to sell yourself to the company by telling them why you will help the business achieve great things. Use specific numbers, skills, etc. to show that you’re the real-deal, stand-out, job candidate that you claim to be.
  • Finish Strong – Let the recipient know that you are happy to provide them with any additional information that they might need.
  • Say Thank You – Always say thank you. Tell them that you really appreciate their time and that you look forward to hearing back from them.
  • Use A Formal Sign Off Always use a pro sign off like Sincerely, Respectfully, Kind Regards, etc.
  • Is Your Email Signature Good To Go? At the bottom of every email you should have an email signature that gives the recipient your contact details, web presence, and other pertinent information.

These Email Mistakes Make You Look Wildly Unprofessional

Overall, writing an email to a potential employer is a pretty simple thing to do. Remember to customize your emails for every employer you contact. Before you hit send, always re-read your email to ensure that you’ve used full sentences with proper grammar. Double check there are no typos. A good thing to do is to read your email out loud. You’ll be surprised at how many mistakes this little trick will help you catch.

If your email can grab the recruiter’s attention, impress them, and leave them wanting to learn more about you, then job well done. With any luck a well written email to a potential employer will land you a job interview and hopefully a job too.

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