E-mailing your resume and cover letter

Hereís the question Iíve been asked more often than any other since 1996: How do I e-mail my resume and cover letter to employers?

In response, here are three things I tell my clients and readers of this column, to ensure that you get the best results possible.

1. First, attach your resume TO the e-mail

When sending your resume as an attached file, remember this -- most of the English-speaking world uses Microsoft Word, running on Windows, as their word processing software.

So, if at all possible, attach your resume and cover letter as a Word file. Most recipients SHOULD be able to read it.

But computers are ornery. Thus, the importance of Plan B ...

2. Send your resume IN the e-mail, too

Attachments can and do get scrambled during transmission, making them impossible to open.

So, to make sure that anyone can read your resume, you should also copy and paste the text of it into the body of your e-mail.

In your word processor, simply highlight the text of your resume and copy it into the clipboard (hit the CTRL and C keys to copy). Then, switch over to your e-mail program and paste the text into your message (hit CTRL and V to paste).

If youíre including a cover letter, put it first in the email, separated from the resume by a line that you type in.

3. Test, test, test

BEFORE e-mailing your resume to employers, send it to at least three friends. Then ask them to print your resume and show it to you. Do this until youíre comfortable with the process and your readers consistently get a professional-looking document that puts you in the best light.

Thatís it! When you e-mail your cover letters and resumes as both an attachment and pasted into the email message itself, you can be certain that one way or another, your information will get read.

Best of luck to you!

By Kevin Donlin