You sent your application. Your CV was solid. But you heard nothing back. It happens all the time — and in many cases, the email that carried the CV is the culprit, not the CV itself.
The job application email is the first thing a recruiter reads. Before they open your CV, before they look at your qualifications, they read your email. An email full of small but significant mistakes can create a poor impression that no CV can fully recover from.
Most of these mistakes are not obvious to the people making them — they feel natural and polite in everyday Sri Lankan communication. But professional recruitment has its own expectations, and understanding those expectations gives you a real edge.
If you have not yet read our full guide on how to write a job application email in Sri Lanka, start there first. This article focuses specifically on the errors — what goes wrong, why it matters, and how to fix it.
This is the most common job application email mistake in Sri Lanka — and it is remarkably widespread. The entire body of the email is one sentence: "Please find my CV attached. Kindly consider my application." Sometimes there is not even that — just a CV attachment with no email body at all.
From the recruiter's perspective, this email tells them nothing. Who are you? What role are you applying for? What makes you worth calling? If they have 80 applications, all of which say exactly this, there is no reason to open yours before anyone else's — and no reason to remember it afterwards.
Your email body is a free opportunity to make a first impression before the CV is even opened. One-line emails waste that opportunity completely.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please find my CV attached. Kindly consider my application.
Thank you.
Kasun
Dear Ms. Fernando,
I am writing to apply for the Marketing Executive role advertised on TopJobs.lk. With 3 years of experience in digital marketing for FMCG brands, I am confident I can contribute meaningfully to your team. My CV is attached for your review.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further.
Kind regards, Kasun Perera
Write a proper 3-paragraph email: opening (what you are applying for and where you saw it), middle (your most relevant credential or achievement), closing (invite for interview + mention attachment). It takes 5 minutes and makes an immediate difference. See our full email guide for two complete sample emails.
Subject lines like "Job Application," "CV," "Application," or a blank subject are alarmingly common. In a recruiter's inbox handling dozens of applications per day, emails like these all look identical — there is no way to distinguish them or find them later.
A recruiter who wants to forward your application to a hiring manager, reference it during a meeting, or search for it a week later will struggle to find "Job Application" in an inbox full of emails called "Job Application."
Your subject line should be the most efficient version of your application. It should answer: what is this? who sent it? and which vacancy is it for?
Use this format every time: "Application for [Exact Job Title] — [Your Full Name] (Ref: [Number if given])". Read our dedicated article on job application email subject lines in Sri Lanka — it covers every scenario with ready-to-use examples.
Certain phrases are extremely common in Sri Lankan professional emails but are not standard business English — and they can signal to international employers or larger corporates that you are unfamiliar with formal professional communication.
The biggest offender is "Kindly revert" — meaning "please reply." It is widely used in Sri Lanka but is a regional usage not found in standard business English. Similarly, phrases like "do the needful," "same has been noted," and "please revert at the earliest" all fall into this category.
"Kindly revert at your earliest convenience."
"Please do the needful and revert."
"Same has been sent for your perusal."
"Awaiting your valuable response."
"I look forward to your response."
"Please let me know if you need anything else."
"I have attached my CV for your review."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Read your email out loud after writing it. If any phrase sounds overly formal in an old-fashioned way, rewrite it in simpler, modern English. Standard professional English is clear, direct, and warm — not stiff or bureaucratic.
This one often gets overlooked because people forget that their email address is the first thing a recruiter sees when your email arrives in their inbox — even before the subject line. An email from coolkasun99@gmail.com or lionking2003@hotmail.com creates an immediate impression, and it is not a professional one.
Your email address is part of your personal brand as a professional. It signals whether you think about the impression you make on others — which is exactly the quality every employer wants to hire.
This mistake is especially common among recent graduates who have been using the same email since school and have never thought to create a professional one for job applications.
Create a Gmail account using your name: kasun.perera@gmail.com or k.perera.lk@gmail.com. It takes 5 minutes and costs nothing. Use this address for all job applications, LinkedIn, and professional communications going forward. This same mistake shows up on CVs too — read our article on CV mistakes Sri Lankan job seekers make for the full picture.
There are two related problems here. The first is not mentioning the attachment at all — the email says nothing about a CV, and the recruiter only notices it if they happen to look at the attachment icon. The second, and more embarrassing, is writing "please find my CV attached" and then actually forgetting to attach it.
Both happen more often than you would think. Forgetting the attachment means the recruiter either has to email you back to request it (extra friction) or simply moves on to the next candidate. Either way, it creates an unnecessary obstacle in your application.
Add the attachment first — before you write the email body. This way, you cannot forget it. Then mention it clearly in the closing paragraph: "My CV is attached for your review." Also name the file professionally: Kasun_Perera_CV.pdf — not "cv final FINAL v3.pdf." The file name reflects your professionalism just like the email itself does.
Your Pre-Send Email Checklist
Before you click send on your next application, run through this list:
- Subject line includes job title, your name, and reference number
- Greeting uses recipient's name (or "Dear Hiring Manager" if unknown)
- Email body has at least 3 short paragraphs — not just one line
- You mention what role you are applying for and where you saw it
- You mention your most relevant qualification or experience
- No regional non-standard phrases ("kindly revert," "do the needful")
- Sent from a professional email address (firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
- CV is actually attached and named professionally
- No spelling or grammar errors — proofread at least twice
- Closing is professional ("Kind regards" or "Yours sincerely")
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None of these five mistakes require special skills or expensive tools to fix. They require awareness, a few extra minutes, and a professional email address. Once you know what to look for, you can review every application email in under 5 minutes and confidently send something that represents you well.
A strong application is a strong email plus a strong CV. If you have addressed the email, make sure your CV is equally solid. Read our guide on how to write a CV in Sri Lanka and our checklist of CV mistakes to avoid to complete your application package.
📖 Last in this series: How to Follow Up on a Job Application in Sri Lanka — what to say, when to send it, and how to stay professional without being pushy.