14 Better Ways To Say “Please Find Attached My Resume”

“Please find attached my resume” is a classic phrase you might find on a professional email template. While certainly still useful, many believe that the exact wording of “Please find attached my resume” is a little stuffy or outdated.

If you’re applying for a job and need to submit your resume via email or online application, keep reading: We’ll explain how to say, “Please find attached your resume” in the best way possible, as well as why this phrase is useful.

Key Takeaways

• Saying, “Please find attached my resume” is technically correct, but it sounds old-fashioned and odd.

• Use a phrase like, “I’ve included my resume for your reference,” or, “Please refer to my attached resume for more information about __.”

• You can email your resume as an attachment before an informational interview, when a job application calls for it, or when responding to an invitation request.

Why you shouldn’t use the phrase, “Please find attached my resume”

You shouldn’t use the phrase, “Please find attached my resume,” because it sounds dated and stuffy.

If you read aloud “Please find attached my resume,” you may bumble over the words. Why?

Because no one in the 21st century speaks English like that. The phrase seems archaic, and many may wonder if it is even proper grammar. Saying, “Please find attached my resume,” sounds like you have written it in the 1800s; while it does sound proper, it may be too proper.

If you use the phrase, “Please find attached my resume,” it probably won’t match the writing style of the rest of the application or email. Saying that your resume is attached to the application or email doesn’t have to be something extremely formal, but it does need to be said.

How to say, “Please find attached my resume”

To say, “Please find attached my resume,” in a natural yet professional way, use phrases like, “I have attached my resume,” or “My resume is attached.”

For a hint on the best way of saying “Please look at this resume I’ve attached,” think of how you would it verbally to your current employer, professors, or other professionals in your world.

If it sounds polite and well-worded when said out loud, then it probably would make an excellent sentence in an email to a stranger.

Here are some examples:

Why tell hiring managers you’ve attached your resume

Hiring managers, like most other professionals, get a lot of emails every day. Because of this, it’s easy for them to miss things like attachments, especially on mobile devices.

Most of the time, they will see that you included an attachment, but you still have to mention that the attachment is there anyway — it is part of proper job etiquette.

Mentioning that you have attached a resume should be left until the end of the email. It is a good segue into ending the email, and if written correctly, will help the email flow well.

When to attach your resume to an email

There are a number of points in the application process where you might send an email with your resume attached, including applying for a job and when responding to an interview invitation.

Depending on your situation, your usage and choice of phrase pointing the reader to your attached resume might differ.

Some of the scenarios where you’ll use a variation of “please find attached my resume” include:

1. Applying for a job online or through email. Depending on how the employer asks you to submit your job application, you might use a phrase indicating you’ve attached your resume to the email or on the company’s online job application.

   Sending an email after submitting an application allows you to present extra information about yourself.

   This email should be short; briefly introduce yourself, state why you’re writing, the position you’re applying for, and indicate that you’ve attached related documents.

   Hiring managers and recruiters have a lot of emails to sort through, so making it easy for them to find the relevant information they need works in your favor.

2. Emailing your cover letter directly. Depending on the company, placing your cover letter directly in the body of your email can be a great way to stand out and grab the hiring manager’s attention. Of course, you can’t also include the resume in your email’s body.

   In these cases, you can include an indication that a resume is also attached to the email, near the close of your cover letter.

   Starting off with a winning cover letter and then moving into the resume can be a powerful way of doing things if you’re applying for a job where written communication skills and writing effective emails are big parts of the job.

3. When responding to an interview request email. Depending on how long it’s been between you initially sending your application and receiving an invitation to interview, you may want to attach your resume in your response.

   They’ve clearly chosen you to move on to the next round of the hiring process, so your resume and cover letter worked.

   Refresh their memory and maybe mention that you’ve included an “up-to-date resume” for the interviewer’s benefit. You’ll come across as extra thoughtful and it may help make the hiring manager or recruiter’s life easier, which is always a good thing.

4. Before an informational interview. Informational interviews are great for learning more about an industry and/or role that you’re interested in moving into. They can be equally handy for recent college graduates and possible career-changers. If you’re cold-emailing someone to pick their brain, it’s useful to attach your resume.

   That way, they can read up on your background and provide more practical and applicable information for you. It’s also a sly way to get your foot in the door for any potential job openings without committing to an application for just one. This conversation can help grow your network and possibly lead to a job offer.

Bad alternatives for “Please find attached my resume”

There are alternatives to “Please find attached my resume” that are just as bad, if not worse. Make sure you avoid these phrases as well.

1. Please find my resume attached. While this phrase sounds better grammatically than, “Please find attached my resume,” it still has a hint of being overly proper. People do not often use “please find” in English other than as a command (e.g., “Please find your shoes so we can leave.”)

   So having it in an email probably doesn’t mesh well with your writing style.

2. Please find attached my resume for your review and consideration. Again, the word “attached” is in an awkward spot. Since there are other far more natural-sounding and professional ways to say this, it’s best to avoid this one.

3. Attached herewith is my resume. If, “Please find attached my resume,” sounds outdated, this phrase sounds archaic. It also sounds more like a joke than a professional statement — not the impression you want to give when submitting your resume.

4. Attached is my resume for your reference. While there isn’t necessarily anything inherently wrong with this phrase, it’s awkward and abrupt. Saying, “I’ve attached my resume for your reference,” is just as easy and sounds much more polite.

5. Please see attached resume. Again, there isn’t anything actually incorrect about this option, but it’s unnecessarily direct and brusque. It sounds more like something you’d say when telling workers to read the employee handbook than how you’d ask a hiring manager to look at your resume.

Tips for attaching your resume

In addition to picking the best phrase for directing hiring managers to your attached resume, it’s important to make sure you mention the attachment at the end of your email, follow all directions, and name the file appropriately.

1. Wait until the end of your email to mention that you have attached your resume. Even if the only reason you’re sending the email is to submit your resume, it’s polite to give some kind of context.

   his could be a note about how you applied for the job and your excitement about the prospect of working for the company. It could also be how you’re looking forward to meeting with them for an informational interview and you wanted to make sure they had your resume for reference in case it would be helpful.

2. Be sure to follow any directions listed on the job posting. If the job posting says to not attach a resume to the email, but rather upload it to the application portal, follow those instructions and don’t email it. If the posting asks for a PDF versus a Microsoft Word document, make sure you convert it beforehand.

3. If they ask for a CV, make sure you are attaching a CV and not a resume. There are differences between the two formats, and you don’t want to disqualify yourself by sending the wrong one.

4. Make sure that the attachment has an appropriate file name. Include your full name and the word “resume” in the file name so that it’s easy for the employer to locate it later. Make sure you delete any notes like “new new resume” that you made for yourself as well.

5. Do not forget to attach the document. Once you have figured out how to best say that your resume is attached, make sure your resume is actually attached. You do not want to have to send a follow-up email explaining that you forgot to attach it. (Although if this does happen, don’t panic — it isn’t the end of the world.)

Resume attached FAQ

1. How do you politely send a resume via email?

   Politely send a resume via email by introducing yourself, mentioning your reason for sending your resume, and closing with a thank you and your contact information. This note gives the recipient some context for why they’re receiving your resume.

2. Is, “Please find attached my resume” grammatically correct?

   Yes, please find attached my resume is grammatically correct. However, it sounds old-fashioned, stilted, and stuffy, which is not what you want to be associated with your resume. Instead, use a phrase like, “I have attached my resume for your review.”

3. How do you send your resume to someone you just met?

   Send your resume to someone you just met by mentioning something positive and specific about your interaction and the reason why you’re sending your resume.

   This may be something like, “I enjoyed meeting you today at the OSU career fair. Waterford Tech sounds like a great company to work for, and I’m sending my resume as you requested.”

   Or,

   “It was so nice getting to talk to you the other day — I hope you enjoyed the rest of the conference. You mentioned that Welsh Finance was hiring entry-level accountants, and I’d love to apply. I’ve attached my resume for your consideration.”

4. How do I send a professional email with an attachment?

   You send a professional email with an attachment by mentioning the attachment in the body of your message. You can’t expect anyone to notice an attachment unless you draw their attention to it, and it’s polite to explain what it is and why you’ve included it.

5. What do you write in an email attached to a resume?

   Write the context behind why you’re sending your resume in an email attached to a resume. For example, you could say, “Dear Jim, I’m applying for the Assistant Writer position at Howard Publishing, and I’ve attached my resume for your review. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you, Amy Marquez.”

Final thoughts

So you have finally gotten to the stage in the job application process where you have the recruiter’s email.

You excitedly write an email to them about how you would love to be considered for the position and attach your polished resume to the email.

Attaching a resume is such a small part of the process, you don’t have to do anything special for it, right?

Wrong.

When writing emails and applications to future employers, you want to make sure you are giving them the best impression possible.

For each step of the process, the details matter, and letting the recruiters know that your resume or CV is attached is just one of many details you have to perfect when applying for jobs.

You may have thought that “please find attached my resume” is a job application classic, but be warned — Writing “please find attached my resume” may just come across as “please find my application and delete it.”

With a better way of saying the standard job-search phrases, you’re one step closer to standing out in the minds of recruiters and hiring managers.

References

1. Enhancv – Here’s When You Should Send a Resume in PDF or Word (And Why)

2. Harvard University – Resumes and Cover Letters

3. Stanford Career Education – Resumes/Cover Letters

Author

Heidi Cope

Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.