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So when Submitting a resume by email, what do you think prospective employers expect format wise.
Should I:
a) Write The Cover Letter as the main text of the email & submit resume via pdf attachment
b) Write a general Email Introducing Myself & Intentions, Then Attach A PDF cover letter & resume
c) other methods?
I've always gone with A. Use the email as your cover letter, then attach the resume via word document- unless otherwise noted in their job posting.
a) imho... I'd also rather send any documents in PDF than Word or any other editable file.
a, except use word as smmokan said, if they care enough for b to work you probably needn't bother with a resume
I'd rather send documents as PDFs.... but we are dealing with HR here
I've generally used B... But make the actual email-text really short and to the point.
Then a longer & more precise cover-letter & full CV as PDF as attachments...
Though, I have often tried to avoid the HR peeps and go straight to the guys that are actually hiring (& would be the boss), if humanly possible.
I've used b). Reason being that if the HR person decides to print out your documents and pass them around, your cover letter will be in a proper format rather than on e-mail memo print-out form.
B.......
Use the email to introduce yourself and explain that you have attached the cover letter and resume.
I don't think it makes a difference and have used both, but as others have said try to avoid HR.
Where it is going, i am not worried about HR, just what is acceptable practice. I think I will go with B, short to the point Email with both attached via PDF.
Thanks,
INDY
With the volume of resumes/emails that most HR people get, I doubt they're going to take the time to open your cover letter to read it, if you already "introduced" yourself via email. These days, you have to keep your cover letter short and sweet- and somewhat original.
I think its overkill if you do both.
Don't use A. I did that once and got an email 2 weeks later asking where my cover letter was (can't believe they bothered). They had printed off the attachments and put them in a file and didn't bother to print the text of the email. If you put the cover letter in the text of the email, submit it as a PDF attachment in addition.
After reading everyone's reply, it looks like the final answer is.... it depends.
Send them an email asking for their FTP site, then upload your resume and cover letter as JPEGs. That'll help you stand out from the crowd.
This is what I always did. Sometimes it worked others not so much.Quote:
Originally Posted by ridinshockgun
I got my job by submitting my resume, in pdf form, using the procedures laid out in A)Quote:
Originally Posted by smmokan
That's because you, sir, are the greatest.
As someone who reviews resumes, b is the correct answer. I fucking hate reading cover letters in email format. They look like shit and are in a size 8 font, paragraphed weird, and only use half of the width of the page. Fuck that noise.Quote:
Originally Posted by scoober
Also, you are best off trying to cc the head of the department you want to work for, bypassing the hr shitshow and getting your resume in the hands of the people that matter.
I'll ask for a key to their house so I can leave a 5.5" floppy disc with my resume in MS paint in their underwear drawer. That should garner some attention.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Suit
This is a direct quote from my recruiter friend when I asked him how he handles submissions:
"Only read resumes, not cover letters."
I think you are one of the few people left on the planet who reads cover letters.Quote:
Originally Posted by DJSapp
In my experience, every time I submitted a resume in PDF I was always asked for a Word version. This bugged me since I had unique formatting on the Word doc that would make the resume look like shit when someone else opens it. So you might keep that in mind.
buy my company, and I will work for youQuote:
Originally Posted by INDY GS
CA_TWM, You already work for me. Now get back to the shop!
How do you save a Word doc as a pdf? Save as does not have in the drop down, help query does not say, and Adobe cannot open my Word docs...