What to write in the email when you send your CV
Put the job title, reference number and your name in the subject line, write three or four sentences naming the role and the attachments, and name each PDF after yourself. The advert's own instructions come first.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Before you write: read the advert for instructions
Everything below is a default for when the advert says nothing. Northeastern Illinois University's career office (NEIU) tells students to read the whole posting before sending a file, because an employer may want the CV emailed straight to the hiring manager even when the listing shows an Apply button, and may prescribe its own subject line. Five minutes with the advert saves the most common mistake: a tidy email that ignores what was asked.
- The address to send to, copied from the advert rather than typed from memory.
- A required subject line or reference number. NEIU says to follow any format the posting gives, because employers use that wording to sort applications.
- The documents asked for: CV only, CV and cover letter, certificates, a portfolio link.
- A file type or size limit. If the advert asks for Word, send Word.
- A closing date, which you will need later to time a follow-up.
The subject line
The subject line is how your email gets found again, in a shared inbox or a search a week later. The career centre of Saarland University in Germany says it must let the reader identify the application at once, with the job title exactly as the advert writes it and the reference number if there is one. NEIU adds your name. Kariyer.net, the Turkish job site, tells applicants never to leave the field empty and to quote the advert's reference number, since one recruiter often handles several adverts.
Job title, reference, your name
| Situation | Subject line | Why this shape |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised job with a reference number | Application: Operations Coordinator, ref. OC-1142, Leyla Demir | Title as written, reference for their filing, name for search (Saarland; NEIU) |
| Advertised job, no reference | Application for Operations Coordinator: Leyla Demir | NEIU's pattern: position title plus your name |
| Internship or placement | Summer 2027 internship, supply chain team: Leyla Demir | Names the scheme and the area, as Saarland's placement example does |
| A recruiter asked for your CV | Reply in their thread, keeping their subject | The conversation stays in one place |
| The advert sets a format | That format, character for character | NEIU warns that ignoring it can affect whether materials are reviewed |
Subjects that tell the reader nothing
- 'CV' or 'Job application' on its own. Neither says which job, so it cannot be filed against an advert.
- An empty subject line, which the Kariyer.net guide names as the first thing to avoid.
- Capitals, 'urgent' or a string of punctuation. The creative industries office at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) simply asks for a formal subject line.
The body: a short note, or the letter itself
This is where the sources split. Knowing the split lets you choose on purpose instead of by habit.
| Source | What goes in the email body | Where the cover letter goes |
|---|---|---|
| Prospects, UK graduate careers site (May 2025) | The cover letter text | In the body rather than attached, so spam filters do not catch it |
| Saarland University career centre (PDF from July 2023) | A few lines pointing to the attachment | In the attached PDF; it says never to copy the letter into the email |
| NEIU Office of Career Development | A brief introduction, 'not a full cover letter' | Attached as its own PDF |
| Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German employment agency) checklist | The post you apply for, where you found it, and an attachments note | Inside one merged PDF |
Choosing between them
Our reading of the sources: for UK graduate employers, Prospects' advice to paste the letter into the body is the local norm. For employers in Germany, the Saarland and Bundesagentur pattern applies, and the German application documents guide covers the order inside the PDF. Where you cannot tell, a short note in the body with the letter attached is a reasonable middle course: the note carries the essentials even if nobody opens the file.
What the short note says
- A greeting to a named person if you can find one. TMU asks you to look for a contact name rather than write 'To Whom It May Concern'.
- One sentence naming the role and where you saw it.
- One or two sentences on your strongest match with the advert, in plain words.
- One sentence listing what is attached.
- Thanks, a sign-off, and a signature with your full name, phone number and email. Saarland and the Bundesagentur both ask for full contact details under your name.
Attachments: format, number and file names
PDF unless the advert says otherwise
Prospects says to save documents as PDF unless the job advert states differently, so they open and read the same on any machine. NEIU prefers PDF and TMU asks for PDF files. When the file will go into an applicant tracking system instead of an inbox, the guide to PDF or Word for ATS explains what changes.
One file or several
Saarland asks for every document merged into one PDF of no more than 2 to 3 MB, ordered cover letter, cover sheet if used, CV, references, and says several separate attachments look careless. The Bundesagentur checklist also wants one PDF, at most 5 MB. NEIU shows the opposite: two files, one for the resume and one for the cover letter. Without an instruction, one merged PDF suits German-speaking employers, and two clearly named files match the US campus advice.
File names
| Instead of | Write | Where the pattern comes from |
|---|---|---|
| cv.pdf | Leyla-Demir-CV.pdf | NEIU (JordanLee_Resume.pdf) and TMU: your name in the file name |
| Resume_final_v3.docx | Leyla-Demir-CV.pdf | Our suggestion: a version number tells the employer about your drafts, not about you |
| scan001.pdf for the whole bundle | Application-Operations-Coordinator-Leyla-Demir.pdf | Saarland: name the file like the subject line; the Bundesagentur example is Bewerbung_Max_Mustermann |
| Leyla Demir Özgeçmiş.pdf | Leyla-Demir-CV.pdf | Our suggestion, not a source rule: plain letters and hyphens are the most portable file name |
Keep the cover letter parallel to the CV: Leyla-Demir-Cover-Letter.pdf next to Leyla-Demir-CV.pdf.
The address you send from
Saarland says a student address is fine for an internship, a placement or a working-student job, but recommends a new address built from your full name for a first graduate job. The Bundesagentur checklist asks you to send from your own, serious address.
Three complete emails to adapt
The sender is invented: Leyla Demir, a logistics coordinator applying for an operations role at a fictional distributor. Keep the shape and replace the sentences; the middle line has to come from your own record.
Email 1: applying to an advertised job, line by line
| Line | Text | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Application: Operations Coordinator, ref. OC-1142, Leyla Demir | Title, reference and name (Saarland; NEIU) |
| Greeting | Dear Ms Carter, | The contact named in the advert (TMU: find a name) |
| Role and source | I am applying for the Operations Coordinator role (ref. OC-1142) advertised on your careers page. | The job and where you saw it |
| Match | For three years I have scheduled inbound freight for a regional distributor, including the carrier bookings your advert lists as the main duty. | One fact from your record tied to one line of the advert |
| Attachments | My CV and cover letter are attached as PDFs. | Points to the files (Saarland; NEIU) |
| Close | Thank you for your time. Kind regards, | Polite close (Bundesagentur checklist) |
| Signature | Leyla Demir, +44 7700 900123, leyla.demir@example.com | Full contact details under the name (Saarland; Bundesagentur) |
Email 2: the follow-up after two weeks
Prospects suggests a brief email to the hiring manager if two weeks pass with no response, to check that the application arrived, and says it should not act as a second cover letter. Send it as a reply in the same thread, so the original sits underneath.
Subject: Re: Application: Operations Coordinator, ref. OC-1142, Leyla Demir. Dear Ms Carter, I applied for the Operations Coordinator role on 3 November and wanted to check that my application reached you. I am still very interested and can send anything else you need. Kind regards, Leyla Demir
Email 3: replying when a recruiter asks for your CV
Subject: Re: Operations roles in Manchester. Dear Tom, Thank you for the call this morning. As agreed, my CV is attached as a PDF. The two points you asked about are on it: the carrier booking work sits under my current role, and my notice period is one month. Best regards, Leyla Demir, +44 7700 900123
The reply keeps the recruiter's subject and answers the questions from the call, so the recruiter does not have to search the CV for them.
What each source says, read 13 October 2026
| Source | Date | Subject line | Files | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEIU Office of Career Development | No date on the worksheet | Position title and your name; any format the posting sets | PDF preferred; separate, clearly named files | Not covered |
| Saarland University career centre | PDF created July 2023 | Job title as advertised plus reference number | One PDF, 2 to 3 MB at most, named like the subject | Not covered |
| Prospects | May 2025 | Not covered | PDF unless the advert says otherwise; letter in the email body | A brief email after two weeks with no response |
| Bundesagentur für Arbeit checklist | No date on the file | The post you are applying for | One PDF, at most 5 MB, named like Bewerbung_Max_Mustermann | Not covered |
| TMU Creative Industries | No date shown | A formal subject line | PDFs with your name in the file name | Not covered |
| Kariyer.net career guide | Updated 13 June 2025 | Never empty; quote the reference number | File name says who you are and the position | Not covered |
Before you press send
- The address is copied from the advert.
- The subject has the title as written, the reference and your name.
- Every attachment is there and opens. If you are unsure, send the email to yourself first.
- File names carry your name, not 'final' or a version number.
- The signature has your phone number and email address.
- Job titles and dates in the email match the CV exactly.
- TMU suggests sending during business hours, 9 am to 6 pm, and leaving out emoticons.
Where this page stops
- Online forms and applicant tracking systems: there is no email to write, and the file is parsed. The guide to a resume that is not parsing covers that route.
- Writing the cover letter itself: the guide to what a cover letter is covers its parts and length.
- German applications, where the Anschreiben and the order inside the PDF follow their own rules: see the German application documents guide.
- Anything after an interview: the thank-you email has its own guide.
Next steps
- Log each application: date sent, subject line, attachments, contact. You need it for the follow-up and again at the interview.
- If two weeks pass with no answer, send email 2 once, as Prospects suggests.
- CitedCV writes the CV only from facts you give it and names each export after you in plain letters, for example leyla-demir-cv.pdf, with the cover letter as leyla-demir-cover-letter.pdf. Cover letters need a credit pack, from $9 for 30 credits, paid once.
Questions people ask
What should I write in the subject line when sending my CV?
The job title exactly as the advert writes it, the reference number if there is one, and your full name. Saarland University's career centre and NEIU both describe this; the advert's own format overrides it.
What do I write in the body of an email when sending a CV?
Three to five short sentences: the role and where you saw it, one reason you fit, what is attached, and thanks. NEIU calls it a brief introduction, not a full cover letter.
Should I paste my cover letter into the email or attach it?
Either can be right, depending on the employer. Prospects says to paste it into the body to avoid spam filters; Saarland and the Bundesagentur keep it in the attached PDF. Any instruction in the advert decides.
How should I name my CV file?
With your name and the document type, for example Leyla-Demir-CV.pdf. NEIU and TMU ask for your name in the file name, and Saarland suggests adding the job title.
Should I email my CV as a PDF or a Word file?
As a PDF, unless the advert asks for Word. Prospects, NEIU and TMU all recommend PDF so the file opens the same on any machine.
How long should I wait before following up on an emailed application?
About two weeks. Prospects suggests a brief email to the hiring manager after two weeks without a response, only to check that the application arrived.
Can I send my CV from my university email address?
Yes, for internships, placements and student jobs, according to the Saarland University career centre. For a first graduate job it recommends a new address built from your full name.
Who do I address the email to if the advert gives no name?
Search the advert and the company site for one first; TMU advises against 'To Whom It May Concern'. Without a name, 'Dear Hiring Team' is neutral, and it is the greeting CitedCV's English letters use.
Sources
- Northeastern Illinois University, Office of Career Development: How to email your resume and cover letter to employerswww.neiu.edu/sites/default/files/inline_files/How%20To%20Email%20Your%20Resume%20and%20Cover%20Letter%20to%20Employers.pdf
- Saarland University Career Center: Applying by emailwww.uni-saarland.de/fileadmin/upload/einrichtung/career-center/Material/Dokumente/Doks_EN/6_Applying_by_email.pdf
- Prospects: How to write a cover letter (May 2025)www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/cover-letters
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Checkliste E-Mail-Bewerbungwww.arbeitsagentur.de/bildung/datei/checkliste-email-bewerbung_ba021528.pdf
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Creative Industries: Emailing your applicationtorontomu.ca/creativeindustries/internships/creative-industries-internship-and-career-resources/emailing-your-application
- Kariyer.net Kariyer Rehberi: İK uzmanına e-posta atarken nelere dikkat etmelisin?www.kariyer.net/kariyer-rehberi/ik-uzmanina-e-posta-atarken-nelere-dikkat-etmelisin/