Quick answer
An email for a job application has a subject line with the post and your name, a greeting, three or four sentences — the post you are applying for, your strongest qualification for it, and what you have attached — and a sign-off with your phone number. Attach your CV as a PDF named with your own name.
Most vacancies in Nepal now end with an email address. The email is the first thing the employer sees — before the CV is even opened — and a blank message with “pls find attached” as the whole text is the fastest way to be skipped. A good one takes five minutes.
On this page
01The subject line
Follow the vacancy’s instruction exactly if it gives one — some employers filter by it, and an application with the wrong subject is never seen. If it gives none, use the post and your name:
- Application for Accountant — Sita Sharma
- Application for the post of Sales Officer (Ref: SO-12) — Ram Thapa
- Front Desk Officer vacancy — application from Anita Gurung
02Email for job application — sample
03A short version, for when the CV says the rest
04For a fresher
The same email, with your degree and one project or internship where the experience would go: “I have recently completed my BBA at [college], including a three-month internship in [department] at [organisation].” Then say you are available to start. Start your CV from the fresher CV example.
05Attaching your CV
- 1Send a PDF unless the vacancy asks for Word. A PDF looks the same on every phone and computer. The CV maker exports both.
- 2Name the file with your name: “Sita-Sharma-CV.pdf”. A folder of forty files called “CV.pdf” is what HR opens every morning.
- 3Attach only what was asked for: CV, cover letter, and certificates if the notice lists them. Keep the total small — a phone photo of a certificate can be several megabytes; shrink it with the photo resizer or put the scans into one PDF with JPG to PDF.
- 4Check the attachment is there before you press send. Then send from an address made of your name, not a nickname.
06Follow-up email after a job application
Wait a week after the closing date, then send one follow-up. One — a second is a nuisance.
07The mistakes that get an application email ignored
- An empty body. An attachment with no message looks like spam and is treated like it.
- The wrong post or company name — left over from the last email you sent. Read it once before sending.
- No subject, or “CV”. The subject is how the email is found again in a full inbox.
- Sending to ten employers at once. One email, one employer, one post.
- Chat language. No “hi”, no “pls”, no emoji. It is a letter that happens to travel by email.
Common questions
How do I write an email for a job application?
Use a subject line with the post and your name. In the body, say which post you are applying for and where you saw it, give your strongest qualification for it in one or two sentences, and list what you have attached. Sign off with your full name and phone number, and attach your CV as a PDF.
What should the subject of a job application email be?
The subject the vacancy asks for, exactly. If it does not specify, write “Application for the post of [post] — [your name]”, adding the reference number if the vacancy has one.
Should I paste my cover letter in the email or attach it?
If the vacancy asks for a cover letter, attach it as a PDF and keep the email to a few lines. If it does not, the email itself is your cover letter — write three or four good sentences.
Should my CV be a PDF or a Word file?
PDF, unless the employer asks for Word. Some government offices, INGOs and job portals in Nepal do ask for .doc or .docx, so read the notice.
When should I send a follow-up email?
About a week after the application deadline, once. Keep it to three sentences: when you applied, that you are still interested, and that you can send anything further.