Email for Job Application: 7 UK Templates and Examples

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-06

9 min read

An email for a job application is a short cover letter in the body of an email, with a subject line that names the job and your CV attached as a PDF. The constraint is space: the reader sees the subject line and two lines of preview before deciding whether to open the CV, so the job title, the reference number and your strongest fact go first. The National Careers Service says it plainly in its cover letter advice: "You can write it as an email if you're applying online or print a copy to go with a paper application." Seven complete emails follow, for graduates, career changers, experienced staff and speculative applications. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

Template 1: replying to an advertised job, experienced

This is the email most people need. It works because the subject line could be filed by a robot and the first sentence could be read by a tired manager.

Complete Advertised job, experienced warehouse supervisor (eight years) example, 142 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Advertised job, experienced warehouse supervisor (eight years) (142 words)

Subject: Warehouse Supervisor application, ref WS-2207, Daniel Okafor

Dear Ms Patel,

I am applying for the Warehouse Supervisor role (ref WS-2207) advertised on Indeed on 2 October.

I have run a 14-person night shift at a Leicester distribution centre for the last four years. In that time we cut picking errors from 1 in 400 lines to 1 in 1,100 by moving to zone picking and a ten-minute start-of-shift briefing. I hold a counterbalance and reach truck licence and I am first aid at work trained.

Your advert asks for experience of peak season planning. I planned the last three Christmas peaks, including agency staffing and overtime rotas, without missing a carrier cut-off.

My CV is attached as a PDF. I am available for interview any weekday after 2pm and can start with four weeks' notice.

Yours sincerely,

Daniel Okafor 07700 900418

Tailor my CV to this job

The parts of the email, in order

The National Careers Service describes a cover letter as "a short letter, usually 3 to 5 paragraphs long." An email version is the same letter with less ceremony. Keep these parts in this order:

Part	What goes in it
Subject line	Job title, reference number, your full name
Greeting	"Dear" plus the name, or "Dear Hiring Manager" if no name is given
Opening line	The job, where you saw it, in one sentence
Middle	Two short paragraphs: one proof that you can do the job, one that answers the advert
Close	CV attached, availability, thanks
Sign-off	"Yours sincerely" if you used a name, then your name and phone number

On the opening, the service advises: "Introduce yourself and explain how you found the advertised job. You can mention the job title, and reference number if there is one." On the sign-off it is exact: "If you know the name of the person you're writing to, you should end the letter with 'Yours sincerely'." and "If you've addressed the letter 'Dear Sir or Madam', you should end the letter with 'Yours faithfully'."

Template 2: graduate, first professional job

A graduate email has no long job history to lead with, so it leads with the closest thing to the job: a placement, a dissertation, a part-time role with responsibility.

Complete Graduate, marketing assistant (BA Marketing, one placement) example, 130 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Graduate, marketing assistant (BA Marketing, one placement) (130 words)

Subject: Marketing Assistant application, ref MA-114, Chloe Barnes

Dear Mr Hughes,

I am applying for the Marketing Assistant role (ref MA-114) on your careers page.

I graduated from Sheffield Hallam in July with a 2:1 in Marketing. During my placement year at a Sheffield housing association, I ran their Instagram account for nine months and grew it from 1,200 to 3,900 followers, mostly through tenant stories that I wrote and photographed myself.

The role mentions email campaigns. I built and sent the association's monthly newsletter in Mailchimp to 6,000 tenants and raised the open rate from 21% to 34% by moving the send to Tuesday morning and shortening the subject lines.

My CV is attached. I can interview at any time and start immediately.

Kind regards,

Chloe Barnes 07700 900233

Template 3: career changer

The career changer email has one job: to make the jump look short. Name the skill that crosses over, prove it with a number from the old job, and show one step you have already taken towards the new one.

Complete Career changer, retail manager to HR administrator example, 131 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Career changer, retail manager to HR administrator (131 words)

Subject: HR Administrator application, ref HR-0931, Priya Shah

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am applying for the HR Administrator role (ref HR-0931) advertised on your website.

For six years I managed a high street store with 22 staff. Most of that job was HR: I handled rotas, absence records, return-to-work meetings, right to work checks for every new starter, and the first stages of two disciplinary processes.

In March I completed the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice, studying in the evenings. I would now like to do this work full-time, with the policies and systems a dedicated HR team brings.

My CV is attached as a PDF. I am free for interview on Mondays and Tuesdays, and my notice period is one month.

Yours faithfully,

Priya Shah 07700 900571

Template 4: speculative email, no job advertised

A speculative email has no reference number, so the subject line names the kind of role instead. Keep it shorter than an advertised-job email: you are asking for a conversation, not answering a brief.

Complete Speculative email, qualified electrician to a local contractor example, 104 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Speculative email, qualified electrician to a local contractor (104 words)

Subject: Qualified electrician, available for work, Tom Reilly

Dear Mr Carter,

I am a qualified electrician (NVQ Level 3, 18th Edition) and I am writing to ask whether you have any work coming up for an experienced improver or electrician.

I have spent five years on domestic rewires and new-build first and second fix, most recently on a 40-house development in Swindon. I have my own tools and van and hold a full UK driving licence.

I have attached my CV. I would be glad to come in for a chat or a trial day whenever suits you.

Kind regards,

Tom Reilly 07700 900864

Template 5: part-time or student job

Short and practical. The manager wants to know when you can work and whether you will turn up.

Complete Student, part-time café assistant (sixth form) example, 96 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Student, part-time café assistant (sixth form) (96 words)

Subject: Part-time Café Assistant, Saturday and Sunday availability, Amira Hassan

Dear Sir or Madam,

I saw your sign in the window asking for a part-time café assistant, and I would like to apply.

I am in Year 13 at Kingsway Sixth Form and I can work every Saturday and Sunday, plus weekday evenings after 4pm. For the last year I have volunteered at our school's breakfast club every Wednesday, serving about 60 children before lessons start.

My CV is attached. I can come in for a trial shift this weekend.

Yours faithfully,

Amira Hassan 07700 900129

Template 6: internal application

When you apply inside your own organisation, the reader often knows you. Skip the introduction and lead with what you have done that the new role needs.

Complete Internal application, team leader to operations manager example, 104 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Internal application, team leader to operations manager (104 words)

Subject: Operations Manager application, ref OPS-77, Mark Ellison (Customer Services)

Dear Joanne,

I would like to apply for the Operations Manager vacancy (ref OPS-77).

As Customer Services Team Leader for the last three years, I have run the Leeds team of 11 and covered the operations manager role during two periods of leave, eight weeks in total. During the second period I led the move to the new ticketing system, which brought average first response time down from 26 hours to 9.

I have attached my updated CV and would welcome the chance to discuss the role.

Best regards,

Mark Ellison Ext. 4127

Template 7: before and after, the email that gets skipped

Most weak emails have the same problem: the subject line is empty or generic, and the body repeats the CV in different words.

Before and after, any level (114 words)

Before

Subject: Job application

Hi,

Please find attached my CV for the job. I am a hard-working and motivated person who works well in a team and on my own. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Sam

After

Subject: Administrative Assistant application, ref AA-560, Sam Turner

Dear Mrs Lewis,

I am applying for the Administrative Assistant role (ref AA-560) advertised on Reed.

For two years I have been the only administrator at a three-partner accountancy practice in Reading, handling the diary, 40 to 60 client emails a day and the year-end paperwork for 300 clients.

My CV is attached. I can interview any day next week.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Turner 07700 900672

Tailor my CV to this job

Subject lines that get opened

The subject line is the first sentence of the application. Use one of these patterns:

Advertised job: "[Job title] application, ref [number], [Full name]"
No reference number: "[Job title] application, [Full name]"
Speculative: "[Your role], available for work, [Full name]"
Referred by someone: "[Job title], referred by [Name], [Full name]"

Leave out words like "urgent" and avoid all capitals. A recruiter with 200 replies finds yours by searching for the reference number, so put it in.

Attachments and file names

Attach your CV as a PDF so the layout stays the same on any screen. Name it with your name and the job, for example "Daniel-Okafor-CV-Warehouse-Supervisor.pdf", not "CV final v3.pdf". If the advert asks for a separate cover letter, attach it too, and still write a short email body: an empty email with two attachments looks careless.

Check the email address you send from. The National Careers Service, in its CV advice, lists the contact details your CV should carry, and the same applies here: an address made of your name looks professional, a nickname does not.

After you send it

Note the date and the reference number in a simple tracker. If you have not heard back within the time the advert gives, or about two weeks if it gives none, a one-paragraph follow-up email is fine. When you are invited to interview, the National Careers Service's interview advice suggests you "know how to contact the interviewer in case you're running late or having technical issues". If you need to change the date, use the emails in how to cancel an interview.

For a longer letter to go with the email, use the cover letter format guide or the short cover letter examples. After the interview, send one of the notes in thank you letter examples.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write an email for a job application?

Write a subject line with the job title, reference number and your name. Open with the job and where you saw it, give two short paragraphs of proof that match the advert, say your CV is attached, give your availability, and sign off with your full name and phone number. Keep it under 200 words.

What should the subject line be for a job application email?

Use the job title, the reference number if there is one, and your full name, for example "Marketing Assistant application, ref MA-114, Chloe Barnes". This lets the recruiter find your email by searching for the reference or your name.

Should I write a cover letter in the email or attach it?

If the advert asks for a cover letter, attach it as a PDF and write a short email body as well. If it does not, the email itself can be your cover letter. Never send an email with attachments and no text.

Is "Kind regards" OK in a job application email?

Yes. "Kind regards" and "Best regards" are common in UK work email. In a formal application, "Yours sincerely" after a named greeting and "Yours faithfully" after "Dear Sir or Madam" are the traditional choices and are never wrong.

How long should a job application email be?

Between 100 and 200 words for an advertised job, and shorter for a speculative email or a part-time job. The reader should be able to read it on a phone screen without scrolling more than once.

Looking for a worked example for your job title? Browse the resume examples by job title.

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