Job Application Email: What to Write in the Body

"I have my CV and my cover letter ready, but what do I put in the email itself?" This is the moment where a lot of candidates freeze. You spent hours on the documents, and now you are staring at an empty email window, unsure whether to paste the cover letter in, summarise it, or just write "Hello, please find attached."

The answer is simpler than it seems, but it has its rules, especially on the Swiss side where restraint is a code in itself. In this article, we look at exactly what to write in the body of a job application email, how to get the subject line right, what to attach and how to sign off.

What should the email body contain?

The body of the email is not a second cover letter. It is a short accompanying message that introduces your application and invites the recruiter to open the attachments. In French-speaking Switzerland, the norm is clear: the email stays concise, professional and personalised.

In practice, aim for three to four sentences, structured like this:

1. The greeting. Named if possible: "Dear Ms Meyer", "Dear Mr Rossi". If you do not know the name of the hiring manager, a quick phone call to ask for it is often worth it. Failing that, "Dear Sir or Madam" remains acceptable.
2. The role you are applying for. One sentence stating which position you are applying for and, if there is one, the posting's reference number.
3. One or two key elements of your profile. Not your whole career: a standout achievement or a skill directly tied to what the posting needs. This is what makes the reader want to see the rest.
4. Availability and sign-off. A sentence saying you remain available, followed by a plain closing.

The most common mistake is to paste the cover letter into the email. The reader is faced with a wall of text, feels overwhelmed, and the message loses its effect. The email body creates the desire; the cover letter, attached, develops it.

What subject line should you use for the email?

The subject line often decides whether the email gets opened or filed away. A recruiter receiving dozens of applications needs to understand at a glance what it is about. The rule is to state the exact job title and, if it exists, the posting's reference number.

Stay precise and useful. A vague subject like "Application" or "Job search" does not help the recruiter file you and gives the impression of a mass-sent message.

A clear subject also helps you: if you follow up later, the recruiter finds your email instantly. We have a dedicated guide on this: following up on an application by email.

CV and cover letter: in the email or attached?

Attached, almost always. Unless the posting says otherwise, the CV and cover letter are sent as PDFs. This format guarantees clean rendering on every device and prevents a layout from breaking when opened.

A few pointers that make the difference:

• PDF, not Word. A .docx file can display differently depending on the recruiter's software. PDF locks the layout in place.
• A readable file name. Name your documents `firstname_lastname_cv.pdf` and `firstname_lastname_letter.pdf`, not `cv_final_v3.pdf`. Avoid accents and special characters in the file name: they can cause trouble when opening or during automatic sorting.
• A reasonable file size. A CV that runs well over a megabyte is slow to open and clogs the recruiter's inbox. A light, sharp PDF is enough.
• Check the attachments before sending. The classic "oops, I forgot the file" is fixed by ten seconds of proofreading.

In Switzerland, a common practice is to group your documents into one or two PDFs: a first one with the cover letter and CV, a second with your work certificates and diplomas. The recruiter opens fewer files, and you come across as organised.

How do you close and sign the email?

The end of the email plays out in two steps: a line about your availability, then a plain sign-off. On the Swiss side, keep it measured: no superlatives, no over-the-top enthusiasm.

For availability, a sentence like "I remain available for any further information and would be glad to meet with you" does the job. For the closing, "Kind regards" or "Best regards" work perfectly.

The signature should contain at minimum your first name, last name and phone number, ideally also your email and city. The idea is that the recruiter can reply or call you without having to hunt for your contact details elsewhere.

Here is a full template, to adapt to your posting:

This template fits in four useful sentences. It names the role, highlights two concrete elements tied to the posting, points to the attachments and closes cleanly. Nothing more is needed.

In short

The body of a job application email is not a second cover letter: it is a short, plain and personalised message that makes the reader want to open the attachments. Three to four sentences are enough: a named greeting, the role you are applying for, one or two concrete elements of your profile, then availability and a sign-off. The subject line states the exact job title and the posting's reference number. The CV and cover letter go out as PDFs, well named and light. The signature carries your first name, last name and phone number. In Switzerland, the key comes down to one word: restraint. A clear, error-free email beats a long one that repeats the letter.

To go further on the attached document, read our guide on the structure of a Swiss cover letter. And if you want to save time on your whole application, candidat.app generates a CV and cover letter tailored to each posting, aligned with Swiss conventions, from your real background.