You're so keen on the job, you can't wait to make contact and, with one click of a button, your first impression is instantly made. Applying for a job via email is certainly more efficient, but it's not necessarily more effective than snail-mail. Its effectiveness depends entirely on you and how seriously and professionally you approach your application. We've pulled out the most common errors from the email applications and queries we've received. Mostly common sense, we hope they'll give you cause to consider?

The sender should be serious
If your email address is beerbrain@alwayswasted.com or tastytrollop@cix.com, it just might not receive the attention you think it deserves. Think of the impact your email address creates. If you don't have a more sober sender address, you can create one at no cost through any free email provider, such as hotmail.com. Keep the fun one for your friends. Senior candidates can also consider using email providers that lend to credibility - like FT.com for example.

The subject should be specific
What you write in the subject line must be relevant to the reader. So give the guesswork a miss. Prosaic as it may sound, writing 'application for sales manager position' in the subject line of the email is more efficient from the reader's point of view. The reader can tell the purpose of the email at a glance, and can deal with it accordingly. Writing a more cryptic comment such as 'a moment of your time...' may just cheese them off. Don't be clever; be clear.

The tone should be tempered
Email may be perceived as a more personal form of communication, but it's still a professional application for a job. It may feel familiar, but the fact is that the person receiving your application is unfamiliar to you. So eradicate the exclamation marks and spare them the smileys. What you have to offer must take precedence over what you feel.

The attachments should be accessible
Think universal here. You may have the latest gizmo or desktop package or want to wow your reader with your knowledge of Photoshop for Pros, but you'd be assuming that they are able to open or download your masterpiece CV. Stick to the universally accepted .txt or .doc formats. Every PC on the internet can read a .txt format, and most can read MS Word.

The content should read like a cover letter
Many email applications that have passed through workthing have sent a CV on its own and not included a cover letter. If you choose to go electronic, remember, your email text should serve as a piece of promotion to your CV, just as a cover letter does. A few short words along the lines of 'please find attached my CV' mean you miss the opportunity to highlight your top qualities for the job. Whatever you write in the body of your email text will encourage (or discourage) the reader to go straight to that CV.

Good luck! :-) Or should that be just plain old good luck?

If you liked Sue's advice on email applications, read what she has to say about CVs as well in Winning CVs with Workthing.

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