Applying by email and portal: formats, names, pitfalls

The channel determines the form. In Switzerland this order applies:

• Applicant portal: if the advert names one, it is binding. The documents are uploaded there and often pre-sorted by a system.
• Email: if an address is given or the company has no platform. This is the normal case in SMEs.
• Post: only if expressly requested – for instance at certain public offices or craft businesses.

Sending both in parallel is a mistake: it leads to duplicate records and looks uncoordinated.

The technical side is quickly explained but often done wrong:

• PDF is the standard – as PDF/A if you want to be sure the display is identical everywhere. Word files are accepted only when required.
• File size: under 5 MB, 8 MB at most. Large photos are the most common reason for undeliverable emails.
• File names: «Surname_Firstname_CV.pdf», «Surname_Firstname_References.pdf». No umlauts, no spaces, no strings of numbers.
• Number of attachments: two to three. Packing everything into one PDF is a problem with portals that have individual fields.

Check the files on your phone before sending: display, legibility, font size, missing pages.

The email is the first impression – and often the only text that is read before the attachments are opened.

• Subject: «Application as Finance Administrator (Ref. 2026-114)». Without a reference to the position the open rate drops noticeably.
• Text: five to eight lines. Occasion, two sentences on fit, reference to the attachments, contact details, closing formula.
• No emojis, no capitals, no multiple exclamation marks.
• Sender: a serious address with first and last name, not «sweety92@…».

Many larger employers filter via an Applicant Tracking System. The system reads structured fields, not the layout of your PDF.

• Fill in all mandatory fields – even if the details are in the CV.
• Use the job titles from the advert if they apply; the system often does not recognise synonyms.
• Consistency: dates in the form and in the CV must match. Deviations generate queries.
• A reach test: if you do not know whether an ATS is in use, keep the CV technically readable: no text boxes, no graphics containing text, clear headings.

Good news: in Switzerland most SMEs work without an ATS. A clear, well-structured PDF CV works better there than any optimisation for algorithms.

With digitalisation three points have become more important:

• No sending to private addresses of superiors without a professional context, no WhatsApp application, no links to cloud drives with open access.
• No unnecessary data: marital status, religion, health and social insurance number do not belong in a first application.
• Evidence: keep the version you sent and the date. In disputes the version that actually arrived is decisive.

For applications from a current employment: private email account, no company signature, no company hardware.

Anyone running ten applications in parallel loses the overview without a system. A simple table is enough: company, position, date, channel, contact person, status, next step.

• Follow up after 7 to 10 days, once, by email – politely and concretely.
• After a rejection: a short thank-you message, ask for feedback. Many companies give it if the application was clean.
• After an offer: ask for written confirmation and check whether salary, workload and start date match the interview.

An archive of your own documents with version dates saves much work later – especially when the same position is advertised again after months.