The Paper Chase
Once you get the green light, you'll need to pick out paper and envelopes. This could easily be an all day affair, as paper and envelopes come in a mind boggling array of colors, shades, textures, and weights. The best thing to do when shopping for paper stock is to bring along a friend who has both a good eye and some common sense.
Unless you're applying for a position in which your aesthetic judgment is being carefully evaluated, it doesn't make a great deal of difference what kind of paper you choose for your resume. Odds are that you're not going to be hired for your taste in paper.
You can't go wrong with a box of standard twenty four pound, hundred percent cotton fiber paper. Just make sure it's 8 1/2 x 11 inches in size, and that it's laser friendly. Textured papers are fine as well, as long as the texture isn't so pronounced that it overpowers your text. Patterned papers, on the other hand, such as parchment, tend to be quite distracting to the reader and are not recommended.
In terms of color, stay on the neutral side. White, off white, ivory, light beige, and pale gray are all perfectly acceptable. The advantage of white is that it reproduces well when faxed or photocopied, whereas colored paper tends to come out muddled looking. Pure white, though, is highly reflective and tends to be quite harsh on the reader's eyes.
Printing
For the best resolution and quality, laser printing is the only way to go. If it's too costly for you to have all of your resumes laser printed, you could instead make photocopies, as you need them, from a laser printed original. If you choose this path, just be sure to tell the folks at the copy shop that your life depends on the quality of the print job, and that you would appreciate it if they give the glass on the machine a good cleaning before printing your resumes. Also have them show you the first copy in the run before they print the rest of the job. This will allow you to make sure that your resume is properly aligned and free of spots, streaks, and any other imperfections. Never print more resumes than you are ready to send out at one time.
Printing ten to fifteen copies is a reasonable start (unless you are attending a large career fair or submitting resumes to your career planning office, in which case you must print as many as necessary). If you had any notion of doing a mass mailing, drop it. Mass mailings have been proven to be highly ineffective. Dump a hundred or so identical resumes and cover letters into the mail box and you might as well throw them in the trash. You will obtain much better results by individually tailoring your resumes to the needs of each prospective employer. Finally, printing your resume in small batches allows you to incorporate the suggestions of employers, counselors, and contacts for future versions.
Envelopes
To make your package look really professional, use envelopes that match your resume paper. The jury is still out on whether it makes a difference if you use standard business envelopes or the larger 9 x 12 inch envelopes. The advantage of the latter size is that when the recruiter opens your package, your resume and letter will be nice and flat. This benefit may be outweighed, however, by the fact that the larger envelopes are more costly and may require additional postage.
Whichever type of envelope you use, it is important that you print the recipient's address legibly and correctly, or your resume may never reach its destination. The address can be typed, laser printed or hand written (provided you have good penmanship).
Sometimes handwriting provides a welcome personal touch and ensures that the contents do not fall into the junk mail category. Use whichever printing method is most convenient for you. Also, don't forget to include your return address on the envelope.
What about Salary Requirements?
Some ads ask for salary requirements and/or salary history in addition to a cover letter. The conventional wisdom has been to avoid providing this information at such a premature stage. The rationale was that nothing good could come of complying with a request designed to screen out applicants who are either too expensive or too cheap, it was recommended that you express confidence that you would receive a wage that is both commensurate with your qualifications and the demands of the position. It was assumed that if the employer was enticed by your credentials, he would contact you even if you didn't list salary requirements.
James Loree, an Assistant Vice President at Moody's Investor Services, looks at this issue from the employer's perspective. "Now that I'm on the other side of the fence, I've changed my mind about this. Listing salary requirements can be helpful to both the job hunter and the employer because it helps to establish whether there is a good match. Listing salary history is especially beneficial for the job hunter who has demonstrated consistent salary growth over the years. It shows the employer that this person is on a fast track.
The important thing is to do your homework on your target industry, and make sure that the range you list is within reason for the position you've applied for."
The Sales Pitch
The body of your letter must show the employer through concrete examples why you're qualified for the position in which you're interested. Vague references to generic skills won't cut it. You need to demonstrate point by point that you have the qualifications required. Try not to reiterate what's on your resume. Instead, focus on just a few specific accomplishments that are most relevant to the employer's needs. Emphasize, for example, the fact that you already have practical experience in the field, or that you recently earned a degree in a closely related subject area. Also, try to make it clear that you know something about the organization and why you'd like to work for them. Let your enthusiasm and team orientation shine through. Remember, you're trying to make a positive impression. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, "ask not what the company can do for you, ask what you can do for the company."
There's no need to be cute, humorous, or overly creative, unless the position you're seeking requires these qualities. If that's the case, then you might want to try a more innovative approach to your cover letter. Try writing it as you would a press release, direct mail piece, playbill, baseball card, or "wanted" poster. Use your imagination.
It is easier to write a strong sales pitch when responding to an advertised opening, since the ad usually clearly states the key requirements for the job. However, if you're writing to an organization that doesn't necessarily have a current opening, you'll need to do some serious research first. Try to gather as much information as possible about the organization to gain a sense of what their needs are and where you might fit. Attempt to set up as many informational interviews as possible with professionals in your target field, and ask them what would be the most effective way to approach your prospective employer. Be patient and don't write your letter until you have a clear idea of how you want to position yourself.
