How to Send Your CV to a Company

The three ways to submit a CV

What to write in the email

Four or five lines. The subject line carries the role and your name so the message survives a filter and a forward; the body gives one concrete reason to open the attachment. Everything else belongs in the CV.

Subject: Application — Senior Data Analyst (ref 4821) — Priya Raman

Dear Ms Okafor,

I'm applying for the Senior Data Analyst role advertised on your careers page.
I've spent the last four years building reporting for a 200-person logistics
business, most recently cutting month-end close from nine days to two.

My CV is attached. I'd welcome the chance to talk about how that experience
maps onto what your team is working on.

Kind regards,
Priya Raman
+1 555 0134 | priya.raman@example.com

Attach a PDF named FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf. Never paste the CV into the body — it arrives as unformatted text and no ATS will parse it.

Mailing a printed CV

The one channel with almost no competition. These guides cover when posting is worth it, how to format and address the package, what to put in the accompanying cover letter, and what USPS delivery actually looks like from the sender's side.

• Should You Mail a Physical Resume in 2026? When Snail-Mail Beats Email (and When It Backfires)

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• How to Mail Your Resume to a Company: A Step-by-Step Guide

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• Physical CV vs Email Application: Which Gets Better Results?

  Compare the pros and cons of mailing a physical CV versus emailing your application. Learn which method works best depending on company and role.

• Writing a Cover Letter for Mailed Applications

  Learn how to write a cover letter specifically for mailed job applications, including formatting, tone, and key differences from emailed cover letters.

• USPS First Class Mail for Job Applications: What to Expect

  Understand USPS First Class Mail delivery times, costs, and tracking options for mailing your job application. Compare alternatives for faster delivery.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I send my CV to a company?

  Use the employer's application portal if the job posting names one — that is the only channel that reliably reaches the hiring team, because everything else gets forwarded into it. If the posting gives an email address, or you are approaching a company that has not advertised a role, send it by email to a named person with the CV attached as a PDF and a four-or-five-line message in the body. Posting a printed copy is a third option that works best as a follow-up to an application you have already submitted online, not as a replacement for it.

• What should I write in the email when sending my CV?

  Keep it to four or five lines. Put the exact role title and any reference number in the subject line along with your name, so the message survives filtering and forwarding. Open by naming the role and where you saw it, give one concrete, quantified reason you are a fit, say the CV is attached, and close. Do not paste your CV into the body — attach it as a PDF named FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf. There is a full template on this page you can copy.

• How do I address an envelope when mailing a CV?

  Address it to a named person and their exact title rather than to a department, and use a flat 9x12 inch envelope so the pages arrive unfolded. Put the recipient's name, title, company, street address, then city, state and ZIP on separate lines in the centre of the envelope, and your own return address in the top-left corner. Print the address rather than handwriting it, use a real stamp rather than metered postage where you can, and never fold a CV into a business envelope — a creased page reads as an afterthought.

• Is it better to email a CV or post it?

  Email for speed and reach, post for attention. Email is the default and is what almost every employer expects; a posted copy is read by fewer people but read more carefully, because so few candidates send one. The two are not really competing: the reliable pattern is to apply through the portal or by email first, then post a printed copy a few days later addressed to the hiring manager, so the paper copy arrives as a reminder rather than as your only application.

• What file format should I send my CV in?

  Send a PDF unless the employer explicitly asks for a Word document — some older applicant tracking systems still ask for DOCX, and a few portals reject anything else. PDF preserves your layout on whatever the recipient opens it with, which a DOCX does not. Name the file with your own name, not 'CV_final_v3.pdf': FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf is what a recruiter with forty attachments in a folder needs to see.

• Should I send the same CV to every company?

  No, and this is where most applications are lost before a human reads them. Screening software ranks your CV against the specific wording of the job description, so a general-purpose CV scores poorly against every role rather than well against one. Tailoring means reordering and rewording your real experience so the things that matter to this employer appear first and use their vocabulary — not inventing anything. WadeCV does this from your existing CV and a job link.