Job application in English: email, resume, and templates ready to copy

In short

• Candidature = application; candidature spontanée = speculative application (United Kingdom) or unsolicited application; lettre de motivation = cover letter.
• An Anglo-Saxon resume is not translated word for word: you remove the photo and personal information, and you put results first.
• A good application email in English runs 120 to 180 words, with a precise subject line and a sign-off suited to the recipient.
• False friends (postulate, formation, actually) quickly give away a French speaker: proofread with the list below.

Job application vocabulary in English

Differences between a French CV and an Anglo-Saxon resume

Translating your resume line by line is not enough. British and American recruiters expect different conventions.

Translating your degrees and job titles

French abbreviations mean nothing to a recruiter in London or New York. Keep the original name and add a short explanation:

• Master's degree in Finance, ESSEC Business School (Grande École, top-ranked French business school)
• BTS Management Commercial Opérationnel (2-year vocational degree in sales management)
• Baccalauréat (French high school diploma)

Do the same for job titles: "chargé d'affaires" has no single translation. Choose the English title used in job postings in your field (account manager, business developer) rather than a literal translation.

Section headings in English

Professional summary, Work experience (or Professional experience), Education, Skills, Languages, Certifications. These standard headings are also the ones recruitment software recognizes. Large companies, in France and abroad, often sort applications with an ATS: the rules in our ATS resume guide also apply in English (one column, selectable text, keywords from the posting).

For the base of the document, our free resume generator produces a resume in plain, well-structured text. Then replace the section headings with their English equivalents above.

On the photo, the rule is simple for Anglo-Saxon markets: do not include one. Our guide on which photo to use on a resume details the practice country by country.

Application email in English: structure and 3 examples

The 6-block structure

1. Subject line: the role, the job reference if there is one, your name. Example: Application for Marketing Analyst (Ref. MA-2026) – Julie Moreau.
2. Greeting: Dear Ms Taylor, if you know the name; otherwise Dear Hiring Manager,.
3. Hook: the role you are targeting and where you saw it, in one sentence.
4. Proof: one or two quantified achievements linked to the posting.
5. Call to action: suggest a conversation, and mention the attachments.
6. Closing formula and signature: Kind regards, then name, phone in international format (+33 6 …), and LinkedIn link.

Example 1: replying to a job posting

Subject: Application for Customer Success Manager – Thomas Petit

Dear Ms Reynolds,

I am writing to apply for the Customer Success Manager position advertised on your careers page.

Over the past four years at a French SaaS company, I have managed a portfolio of 60 B2B accounts
and reduced churn from 9% to 5% by setting up quarterly business reviews. Your focus on
expanding into the French market is exactly where I can help from day one.

Please find my CV attached. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I could contribute
to your team.

Kind regards,
Thomas Petit
+33 6 00 00 00 00 | linkedin.com/in/thomaspetit

Example 2: applying for an internship

Subject: Internship application – Data Analyst (6 months, from January 2027) – Inès Garnier

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am a final-year Master's student in Data Science at Université Paris-Saclay, and I am applying
for your six-month Data Analyst internship starting in January 2027.

During a recent university project, I built a Python dashboard that cut the reporting time
of a local retailer from two days to two hours. I am keen to apply these skills to your
product analytics team.

My CV is attached. I am available for an interview at your convenience.

Best regards,
Inès Garnier
+33 6 00 00 00 00 | linkedin.com/in/inesgarnier

Remember to state the length, the start date, and, if your school requires it, the internship agreement (internship agreement).

Example 3: an application referred by a contact

Subject: Referred by Mark Evans – Application for Frontend Developer

Dear Ms Chen,

Mark Evans, who works in your platform team, suggested I contact you about the Frontend
Developer opening.

I have three years of experience with React and TypeScript, and I recently led the migration
of a checkout flow that increased mobile conversions by 12%. I would be glad to bring the
same focus on performance to your product.

I have attached my CV and would be happy to talk whenever suits you.

Best regards,
Hugo Lambert
+33 6 00 00 00 00 | github.com/hugolambert

Putting the name of the person who referred you in the subject line gives the recipient an immediate reason to open the email.

Speculative application in English: the template

A speculative application in English follows the same logic as in French: you write to a company that has not published a job for your profile. The full method (targeting, finding the right contact, following up) is in our speculative application guide. Here is the template to adapt in English:

Subject: Speculative application – Supply Chain Analyst – Camille Roux

Dear Mr Patel,

I have followed [Company]'s expansion in Europe with great interest, particularly the opening
of your new distribution centre in Lyon. I am writing to ask whether you have, or expect to have,
an opening for a Supply Chain Analyst.

In my current role at [Current company], I redesigned our inventory planning process, which
reduced stock-outs by 18% in one year. I am fluent in French and English (C1) and comfortable
working with SAP and Power BI.

I have attached my CV and would appreciate the chance to discuss how I could support your
operations team. I will follow up next week in case this email gets lost in a busy inbox.

Yours sincerely,
Camille Roux
+33 6 00 00 00 00 | linkedin.com/in/camilleroux

Three things make the difference: a precise reason for writing to this company (first sentence), a quantified achievement, and the announcement of a follow-up. Aim for a real recipient's name: Dear Hiring Manager works for a posted job, and works less well for a speculative application.

If you attach a cover letter in English, our free cover letter generator gives you a first draft personalized from the role, the company, and one concrete fact, to adapt into English afterward.

Opening and closing formulas in English

How to open

Useful opening lines:

• I am writing to apply for the [position] role advertised on [site].
• I was excited to see your opening for a [position], as…
• [Name] suggested I get in touch regarding…

How to close

Useful closing lines:

• I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my application.
• Thank you for considering my application.
• Please find my CV attached.

False friends and phrases to avoid

• I postulate for… → I am applying for…
• My formation → My education or my training
• Actually (= in fact) does not mean "currently" (actuellement) → currently
• I have realised a project → I have completed / delivered a project
• I am motivated and dynamic → replace it with a quantified achievement
• I permit myself to… (a calque of "je me permets") → delete it and get to the point

Applying internationally with Jobshift

Writing one email per job, adapting the resume to the keywords of each ad, filling in forms in English: at the scale of an international search, that adds up to hours. Jobshift includes remote jobs from European and American companies that hire through Greenhouse or Lever, two recruitment tools common at startups and scale-ups.

How it works is simple: you import your resume once, you swipe the matching jobs, and for each swipe right Jobshift generates a tailored resume and a personalized cover letter, then submits the application directly into the recruiter's ATS. You can review, edit, or cancel each application before it is sent. The details are on the how Jobshift works page, and tech profiles will find the specifics on Jobshift for developers.

Apply to jobs in French and in English in one swipe. Import your resume, swipe the jobs that match you, and let Jobshift prepare and send each application. Try Jobshift for free

FAQ

Sources

• Council of Europe: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), level descriptors

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