Applying for a job used to involve mailing your resume to a potential employer or dropping it off in person. Many jobs are now advertised online and allow you to apply via e-mail. Although this is much faster than traditional mail, there are a few rules you should follow before you go ahead and press the ‘Send’ button. Chances are, many other people will also be applying for the same job via e-mail so you want to make sure that your e-mail message gets noticed and stands out from all the rest. So here are a few rules you should follow when applying for a job online.

1. Use a subject line. The subject line you use will depend upon the job you are applying for. If the job posting has a code or job title associated with it, place it in the subject line. Alternatively, if you are simply e-mailing a company to find out if they have any possible positions, state this in the subject line. This decreases the chances that you will end up with the junk e-mail or worse yet, in the deleted items.
2. Follow the instructions provided with the job posting. A lot of job postings give you specific directions for applying online. Someone did not put these instructions in there to kill some of their spare time. They are there for a reason so be sure to follow them. They more than likely did so to streamline the application process, so why not help them out and show that you are capable of following simple instructions?
3. Include a cover letter in the message. This is your chance to get the reader’s attention. Be sure to include a cover letter in your e-mail. Address it to the appropriate person. Introduce yourself and highlight how your skills are exactly what they are looking for. Make the reader want to look at your resume in its entirety.
4. Include your resume in the body of the e-mail instead of as an attachment. Some systems automatically reject attachments so it is generally a good idea to include your resume in the body of your e-mail. If you decide to follow this rule, take a look at the next point.
5. Format your resume appropriately. Take some time to make sure your resume is formatted correctly within the e-mail. A resume that is not formatted correctly or is unreadable will most likely be thrown in the trash without a second thought.