Email Cover Letters - get it right!
With the whole job search scenario moving online almost completely, job applications are predominantly emailed than otherwise. However, most people fail to realise the fact that the email that you send-out with your resume is in fact your cover letter - the prospect-changing note that gives an employer a brief outline of your capabilities. So unless you make sure it says the right things, chances are that you might get rejected even before your resume is read. The resume is the second step, as the employer should first think it necessary to open it. Thus making it obvious that you will have to keep the following points in mind the next time you draft an email to your prospective employer.

Don't attach the cover letter
A lot of jobseekers tend to commit this mistake but if you put yourself in an employer's position you'll realise that anyone will just skip the cover letter and move to the resume instead. Now why would anybody want to read the attached cover letter, after all it is one less document to read! If you have a great cover letter handy and think it should be read then just make that the body of the email, instead of attaching it. It is a fact that people read the email before downloading any attachment, so by making your cover letter the email itself, you can more than make sure it is read every time you send out your resume to prospective employers.

Keep it short and simple
People don't like to spend hours reading an email. So keep this in mind when you draft your cover letter. Make sure it is concise, to the point and crisply provides all the essential details of your career.

Relevancy Matters
Only provide relevant information and make sure it is focused so that it will induce the reader to want to know more about your capabilities. There is no use providing details of everything that you've done in terms of your career. When you apply for a particular position, list-out only the most appropriate and significant of details and ensure it pertains to the job applied for. If you think adding all your experience will boost your chances of being hired then you're completely wrong. Employers have no time to know your life's history and it would pay to bear that in mind at all times.

Skipping requested information
To save time most employers nowadays request certain information that they expect you to provide. It could be anything from your current Cost To Company, notice period, tentative date of joining to other relevant information that helps give a fair idea of your career progression. However, what most employers find irksome is the fact that 8 out of 10 jobseekers forget to fill this up when they send out a reply stating their interest. If you hope to make the right impression start by making it easier for an employer to get it touch with you; provide every specific detail asked for, without fail.

Not including a cover letter
Yes your email will have to be short but that does not mean a one liner. Sending out an email that only states "Find attached my resume for your perusal" will just not do! An employer deserves more information than that and make sure you provide the same. Always ensure that your cover letter gives a gist of your relevant experience or if it's a new career choice that you're making then give a reason why you're interested and how you think you'd fit in and add value to the organisation.

State why you're the perfect hire
A good cover letter would effectively address the requirements of an employer. So even if you don't have all the expertise you can still let an employer know where you would fit in, thereby making it simpler to move to the next level. No one will ever apply for a position that is completely different from what they've been doing all along. Although very little, you still might have some kind of experience that would have induced you to want to apply for the position in the first place. So spell it out, albeit concisely, how you think you'd fit in and why you think you're perfect for the job, to make sure that the recipient's interest in your profile is piqued.

Don't sound needy
The minute you come across as being even remotely desperate chances are you will be skipped. No employer wants to hire a person who doesn't trust their capabilities enough to know that they will find a job eventually. Even if you're out of job, don't let that make your email sound needy. Keep it brief, upbeat and focused on why you'd make the best hire. Remember, your cover letter is your sales pitch so making sure it sells you right is the only way you have to make a winning impression. And when pay attention to the nitty-gritties mentioned here you can be sure that it wouldn't be long before you get called for interviews.