I'm sending out several resumes to companies and I'm not sure if it's better to send them as PDF, Word, or attached with a cover letter. I also get confused about the email subject line and how to introduce myself briefly.
The most important tip is always to send in PDF, because Word can end up with weird formatting depending on how the person opens it, and PDF keeps everything the same. As for the email subject, be direct: "Application - [Your Name]" or "Candidate for [position] - [Your Name]" is enough. Nothing generic like "Hi" or overly explanatory. In the email body itself, you don't need a whole cover letter (like those giant texts), just write a short paragraph introducing yourself: your name, which position you're sending your resume for, why you're interested in it (something brief, like "I have experience in X and I think it's relevant for the position"). Then attach the resume and you're done.
About formatting, send the PDF with a descriptive name like "Resume_YourName.pdf" instead of leaving it as that generic "document1.pdf". Some companies have those portals where you fill everything in directly, so you don't even need to worry about email, but when it is through email, these tips work well. The thing is to be clear and professional, but without sounding like a robot. Like, you're delivering a product (yourself), so present it all nicely wrapped up haha. Good luck with your resumes!
have you already sent a resume to a beauty salon or a bigger company? because it really does make a difference.
in my case when i sent my resume to work at a well-known salon here in são paulo, i sent it as a PDF with a pretty simple cover letter right in the email body itself, no separate attachment. the subject line was straightforward: "Application - [My Name] - Hairdresser" and it worked, i got called for an interview.
PDF is really better because Word can mess up the formatting, especially if whoever's receiving it has an old version of the program, then it becomes a mess. the letter in the email body is more practical than an extra attachment, like two lines saying you're interested in the position, that you have experience with X, Y, Z - nothing too formal, just enough to show you know what you're doing.
When you send an email to a recruiter, they're getting dozens a day, so the subject line needs to be direct: "Application - [Your Name] - [Position]" works way better than something generic 🎯 PDF is really the way to go (people already mentioned this and they're right), but what actually makes the difference is the email body itself - don't just send a bare resume, write a quick 3-4 line intro explaining why you want that specific job, not something generic that works for any company. I tested both ways (some with an opening paragraph, others straight in the attachment) and the ones that got responses were exactly the ones where I mentioned something about the company or the position. A separate cover letter file is kind of unnecessary; just put everything in the email body itself, it looks cleaner 📧
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