How to Send Your CV Directly to a Company (UK Guide)

Sending your CV straight to a company, rather than only through a job board, puts your application in front of a person. In the UK it's common practice, whether you're responding to an advertised role or making a speculative approach.

This guide covers how to prepare your CV, who to send it to, what to write in the email, and how to follow up, the UK way.

Step 1: Get your CV ready for the UK

UK employers expect a few conventions:

• Length: usually two pages for experienced candidates; one page is fine early in your career.
• No photo, date of birth or marital status. These aren't expected in the UK and can invite unconscious bias.
• Personal statement: a short paragraph at the top saying who you are and what you're looking for.
• Reverse chronological order: most recent role first.
• UK spelling: "organised", "colour", "programme".
• References: you don't need to list them. "References available on request" is optional and often left out.

Most importantly, tailor it to the role. Mirror the language of the job advert where it truthfully describes your experience. Here's a step-by-step guide to tailoring your CV.

Step 2: Decide who to send it to

In order of usefulness:

1. The hiring manager for the team, the person the role reports to.
2. A recruiter or talent acquisition partner for that area.
3. A team member, if you're asking for a referral.

Avoid sending only to a generic inbox if you can find a real person. Here's how to find the right person's email.

Step 3: Write a short email

Your email does one job: make the reader want to open your CV.

Subject: Senior Frontend Engineer role – CV attached

Hi James,

I saw the Senior Frontend Engineer role on your team and wanted to send my CV directly: https://company.co.uk/careers/senior-frontend-engineer

I've spent six years building React and TypeScript products, most recently leading a design-system rebuild used across four product teams in Manchester.

I'd welcome the chance to discuss the role. My CV is attached.

Kind regards, Tom Hughes

If there's no advertised vacancy, see our guide to the speculative application email.

Step 4: Attach it properly

• Save as a PDF, unless they ask for Word.
• Name the file clearly: Tom-Hughes-CV-Frontend-Engineer.pdf, not CV_final_v3.pdf.
• One attachment. Add a portfolio link in the email if relevant, rather than several files.

Step 5: Should you include a cover letter?

For a direct email, the email itself does the cover letter's job. Keep it short. If the advert asks for a cover letter, write a tailored one and attach it as a second PDF.

Step 6: Follow up once

If you hear nothing after about a week, reply in the same thread with a short, polite note. One follow-up is enough. Here are follow-up examples.

Applying through the portal too

If there's an advertised role, it's usually worth applying through the official route as well, so your application is in the employer's system. Then email the hiring manager to say you've applied. You get the formal record and a personal introduction.

Things to avoid

• Mass emailing the same CV to every company you can find.
• Overly long emails. If it doesn't fit on a phone screen, it's too long.
• Writing to several people at the same company at once.
• A generic CV. The person reading it should see the match within seconds.

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