Thursday, January 12, 2012

What's Your Job Application E-Mail's Subject Line?

The most frustrating thing for a job seeker is getting no response to a job application e-mail.  Most would prefer a rejection than being ignored.  At least then they know it was read.

With situations like this, it seems like there's almost nothing you can do to get your e-mails read.  Thankfully, that's far from the truth.  Even messages that have a lot of time and thought put into them can miss the main point that every great e-mail should get across: Why should the reader care?  If your e-mail takes a while to get to the point or, even worse, is written sloppily, you're not going to have much success with your job search.

The first thing a recipient sees when they get an e-mail is its subject line.  Unless the person already knows the sender, this is often the deciding factor on whether the message is read or not.  If an employer gets an e-mail with a subject line like "Responding to job posting," that isn't going to inspire much enthusiasm.  Something like "[Insert Name Here]--Hardworking Fundraising Professional," on the other hand, is much more memorable and will make the reader want to learn more.  Try using a subject such as that the next time you send a job application e-mail.

Have any other ideas for good subject lines?  Share them in the comments section.

1 comment:

  1. Amazing write up! thank you so much for this information!

    THANKS FOR SHARING VERY GOOD INFO.

    ReplyDelete