ResumeEmail and cover letter for sending your resume
An attachment with no message is easy to ignore. Four clear lines above it can decide whether the resume is opened.
The email is the cover letter
Most applications in India go by email, a job portal or a messaging app, and the message you write is the modern cover letter. It should be short enough to read on a phone without scrolling: who you are, which post, why you fit, and what is attached.
Subject line
Name the post and yourself. If the advertisement gives a reference or a required subject, use it exactly.
- Application for Accounts Assistant: Neha Kulkarni, B.Com
- Sales Executive (Indore): Vikram Rathore, 3 years FMCG
- Application for TGT Science, Ref. 14/2026: Shalini Mishra
The message: four parts
- Greeting. "Dear Mr Sharma" or "Dear Ms Rao" if you know the name; otherwise "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Sir or Madam".
- Post and source. Which post and where you saw it.
- Two or three facts that match what they asked for.
- Close. What is attached, your phone number, thanks.
Sample: fresher
Dear Hiring Manager, I am applying for the post of Accounts Assistant advertised on your website. I completed my B.Com this year with 8.1 CGPA and worked for two months as an intern at a CA firm, where I entered vouchers in Tally and prepared GST return data for six clients. I am comfortable with Excel and can join immediately. My resume is attached. I can be reached on 98XXX XXX10 at any time. Thank you for your time. Neha Kulkarni
Sample: experienced
Dear Mr Sharma, I would like to apply for the Senior Sales Executive position in Indore that you posted last week. I have three years of field sales experience in FMCG distribution, covering 180 outlets. I met or beat my monthly target in 26 of the last 30 months and opened 45 new outlets. I know the Indore and Ujjain markets well. My resume is attached. I am available for a call on any weekday after 6 pm on 98XXX XXX10. Regards, Vikram Singh Rathore
Sample: through a referral
Dear Ms Rao, Mr Anil Desai of your accounts team suggested that I write to you about the Junior Developer opening. I am a final year B.Tech student with two deployed web projects in Java and React and a three month internship fixing front-end bugs for a start-up. The code is on my GitHub profile, linked in the resume. My resume is attached. Thank you for considering my application. Arjun Reddy 98XXX XXX10
The names and details in these samples are invented. Replace every fact with your own.
On a messaging app
When a recruiter asks you to send your resume on a messaging app, send the PDF with two lines, not a bare file: "Good morning. I am Ritika Sharma, applying for the customer support role. My resume is attached. Thank you." Use a sober profile picture and name on the account you apply from.
A formal cover letter
Some employers ask for a separate cover letter. Keep it to half a page and three paragraphs: the post and why this employer; your two or three most relevant facts, with one example told in a little more detail than the resume allows; your availability and thanks. Do not repeat the resume line by line. Address it to a person if you can find the name.
Before you press send
- Attach the file first, then write the message.
- File name: Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf.
- Send from an email address with your own name.
- One application per email. Never put many employers in the "To" line.
- Check the recipient's address and the spelling of the person's and company's names.
- Send during working hours where you can.
Following up
If you hear nothing in a week or ten days and you have a contact, one polite follow-up is fine: "I applied for the Accounts Assistant post on 3 June and remain interested. Please let me know if you need anything further from me." After that, leave it and keep applying elsewhere. Repeated calls and messages do not help.
For other letters and applications to copy, our neighbour site formats.shareyourgroup.com has ready formats.
Questions people ask
What should the subject line be when emailing a resume?
The post applied for, your name and one key fact, or exactly what the advertisement tells you to write.
How long should the email be?
About 60 to 100 words: the post, two or three matching facts, what is attached and how to reach you.
Is a separate cover letter needed in India?
Only when the employer asks for one. Otherwise a short, well-written email does the same job.
More guides
Sample resumes
General guidance. This page gives general suggestions on writing a resume, reviewed in November 2026. Employers differ: if an advertisement or application form asks for a particular format or detail, follow it. Every name, employer and college in our examples is invented. Nothing here promises an interview or a job.