The International Schools Review Forum

I want to apply for a job and the school website states that applicants should submit cv, photograph, letter of application and application form. I have read that it is bad form to send attachments and some admin will not open an email with any. So, how would you apply? Send as attachments or put everything in the body of the email if possible? Thanks

First time I've heard about that. I've always attached my documents.

Would be interested to hear from others.

I think maybe what you've heard about "bad form" relates to attaching lots of individual documents. I would put everything into one pdf file and the body of the email can be a short blurb of introduction, explaining you have attached the materials.

The rule is always follow the instructions in the posting. It is not bad form to follow instructions, regardless of convention. I would not apply with anything more than your introduction/cover letter in the message body. Unless otherwise indicated/instructed, I would advise sending separate attachments, most mail service/clients have size limits on out of network message limits and size limits on individual file attachments, you could easily exceed those limits in one combined attachment. The issue of convention however is at most a preference, some recruiters prefer one attachment with everything, some prefer separate attachments, again follow the instructions in the posting.

You want to PDF your documents into a single file and send them as one attachment. Often schools state this in their ad.

Not sure why the OP would have been told no attachment at all. Of course, a single PDF containing cover letter and CV is the way to go.

Any admin opening an email about a job vacancy without a CV/resume attached would surely just hit the delete button.

Thank you for the advice everyone. Need to maximise my chances of getting the interview so have to get this one right. I got the advice from one of the agencies which I am signed up to. Think I'll go with the combined PDF. Fingers crossed as this exact job is the reason that I started out on the teaching path 10 years ago.

Good luck! Be sure to follow all instructions to the letter and proofread everything carefully before sending!

So, I am going to merge the asked for documents in to one pdf. I am probably over thinking everything but which order would you put things in your document? I am thinking application letter, application form and then cv complete with photo in that order. Ideas? Thanks

There's a form? Really? Cover letter, CV, supporting documents. CV no more than two pages double-sided A4 (most of the world works on A4 you know).

If there is a form, put it second. Others might disagree. I would do that so they would see you (hopefully amazing) cover letter first.

Just my two halalas,

shad

@Blazer

I would put the cover letter in the body of the email message. Resume first, application second, photo last. I would not include your photo in the actual resume. Its fine if you are at a fair, but resumes are typically printed in draft quality on mono laser printers, which makes your photo look like a big black blob.

I would concur with @SJ and strongly advise you format your resume for A4 sized paper, which is used by the rest of the world, though PDF documents can be printed to fit, it may become difficult to read, etc.