Do you open every email you receive? Neither do hiring managers.
Your email address and email subject line are the first two things a recruiter or hiring manager sees when you send them your resume. Since hiring managers can receive hundreds of emails a day, you want – and need – your job application subject line to catch their eye and pique their interest. Otherwise, the email with your attached resume might get lost or, worse, ignored in the email shuffle. The delete key is, as you know, very conveniently located on each email someone receives.
The subject line of your job application email is critically important. It must give the recipient a reason to pause, open, and read.
It's important to be aware that hiring managers and recruiters aren't being paid to open emails. So, the idea that they're going to open yours just because you send it to them is ludicrous. Your resume may wow their socks off, but if they don't open the email to read it, then your efforts are wasted.
Think about how you go through your own inbox. Do you open every email you receive? Probably not. It's likely that you only open the messages that are from people you know or that have compelling subject lines. This is what the hiring managers are doing, too.
You may think the information here doesn't apply to you because you only ever apply to jobs online. However, at some point, you will inevitably email your resume to a human being. It could be that you're following up from a networking event, forwarding it to a new hiring manager for a second round of interviews, or sending it to your friend's manager because they recommended you for a job.
Expert tip: If you're not networking during your job search, you're leaving a lot of potential opportunities on the table. Approximately 80% of all new jobs are obtained based on who you know.
Okay, so it is important to have a great subject line for your job application email. How do you go about making sure yours is well-received? Follow these tips!
Your email subject lines for a job application should be brief and to the point. If you write too much text, then it can get cut off in the subject line, especially on smaller devices like smartphones. In fact, eMailmonday reports that up to 77 percent of emails are opened on mobile phones.
As a result, it is suggested that subject lines be less than 50 characters. The first few words should identify that you're applying for a job and catch the reader's attention.
If you were referred for a position, include the person's name in the subject line. Many organizations offer an employee referral program given that there is already credibility built into a referral. By including a referral name, you can get your foot in the door before anyone even looks at your resume. An example of a job referral subject line is:
“Referral From Jane Doe: Joe Smith, Resume for Junior Marketing Position”
If you have a job description to refer to, be sure to read it carefully and follow the submission instructions. If it says to include the position name, position location, position ID, and your name, then include only that. If you were referred to the job, it's OK to include the referral name as well. Here are a few subject line examples:
“Senior Marketing Manager, Houston, Job ID 21, Jane Doe”
“Referred by John Smith: Senior Marketing Manager, Houston, Job ID 21, Jane Doe”
Keep your email subject line professional; don't use informal words such as “hey” and “howdy.” Also, avoid using shorthand or abbreviations if they aren't part of the job title or submission instructions.
Avoid this: “Howdy Hiring Manager, Joe Smith for Acct, Houston”
And do this: “Job Application, Joe Smith Applying for Accountant Position, Houston”
Similar to any job marketing collateral, proofread your subject lines to ensure there are no typos or punctuation errors. You don't want your email to be overlooked or left unopened due to a bad first impression from an avoidable typo in your subject line.
Expert tip: Manger is one of the most misspelled words in job applications. Did you catch the misspelling here? Your brain interprets what is supposed to be there, not necessarily what is. Get a friend to proofread for you to make sure you don't miss something.
It's time to actually write your subject line for the job application email you need to send. Let's take a look at some suggestions of what to put in the subject line of an email when sending a resume.
If instructions on how to apply are not outlined in the job post and you don't have a referral, then the best email subject lines will include:
“Applying for Marketing Manager, Houston, Job ID 25, John Smith”
“Job application – Marketing Manager, Houston, Job ID 15 – John Smith”
Sometimes, you want to apply for a position at a company, but you're not sure if they're hiring. Almost everyone has a dream company they'd like to work for. So, if you find yourself in this position, it's absolutely fine to reach out to the hiring manager to let them know you're interested.
In this instance, you'd want to include the following:
“Job inquiry – John Smith, 10+ years of experience in IT”
“Inquiry – Jane Doe, PR Specialist Open to New Opportunities”
“HR Operations Manager Looking for Next Position”
“Job Inquiry – Referred by Jane Doe – Joe Smith, HR Specialist”
If you have certifications or qualifications that add value to your job application or are required for the job, include them in the subject line. Here are a few email subject line examples of how to do that.
“John Smith, Google Creative Certified, Inquiring about Marketing Role”
“John Smith, Microsoft Certified, Job application, IT Analyst”
“Jane Doe, CPA, Applying for Accountant Director”
Remember that one of the things that makes you open your own emails is that they're coming from someone you know? This is based on the email address. This means that not only is the subject line for your job application email critically important, but so is your email address.
In every single interaction you have with a prospective employer, you must put your best foot forward. This includes something as simple as your email address. The wrong type of email address could completely turn off a future employer.
Think of your email address as your email subject line's partner. Many recruiters and hiring managers frown upon unprofessional email addresses and don't open emails from job applicants who use them – even if they have a good subject line.
For example, don't use addresses like
Your email address should be professional and, ideally, identify who you are. Use your first name and last name, if it's available. If it's not, then use some combination of your name and profession or your name and a numerical value. For example:
Your email subject line is a crucial part of your job-marketing strategy. Work with the tips above to craft email subject lines that help you get one step closer to landing the job. You also want to ensure that you have a well-crafted resume that highlights why you're the right candidate for the job. Good luck!
This article was originally written by Ronda Suder. It's been updated by Marsha Hebert.
