Letter Design
by ResumeEdge.com - The
Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service
Letterheads
It is so easy to create a letterhead all your own and to make it match your resume. Just copy into a
new document the name and address you have already created for your resume. It couldn't be simpler! It
makes a very sharp impression when your cover letter and resume match in every respect from paper color
to font to letterhead.
Paper Colors
Color, like music, creates an atmosphere. Everyone knows that different colors evoke different
feelings. Red can make a person feel warm, whereas blue does just the opposite.
Of course, you wouldn't want to use red in a
resume! . . . although an artist could get away with just about any color. As a general rule, resume
papers should be neutral or light in color. After 20 years in the resume business, I have discovered
that brilliant white linen paper is still the most popular, followed closely by a slightly off-white
and then by shades of light gray.
Just make sure that the color of the paper you
choose is representative of your personality and industry and that it doesn't detract from your
message. For instance, a dark paper color makes your resume hard to read.
In a scannable resume, never use papers with a
background (pictures, marble shades, or speckles). A scanner tries to interpret the patterns and dots
as letters. This is a good rule to follow even for paper resumes that will never be scanned. Often
companies will photocopy resumes for hiring managers, and dark colors or patterns will simply turn into
dark masses that make your resume difficult to read. If a company has multiple locations, the original
resume may even get faxed from one site to another and the same thing happens.
The type of paper (bond, linen, laid, cover
stock, or coated) isn't as important, although it also projects an image. Uncoated paper (bond, linen,
laid) makes a classic statement. It feels rich and makes people think of corporate stationery and
important documents. Coated stock recalls memories of magazines, brochures, and annual reports. Heavy
cover stock and laid paper can't be successfully folded and don't hold the ink from a laser printer or
copier very well, so they must be handled gently. All of these factors play a part in your paper
choice.
Regardless of the paper you choose, mail your
resume flat instead of folded. It costs a few extra cents in postage and a little more for the 9 × 12
envelope, but the impression it makes is well worth the extra cost. It also helps with the scannability
of your resume. Thank you letters and other follow-up letters can be folded in standard No. 10 business
envelopes.
Click here for ResumeEdge.com, Give Your Resume
an Edge!
From Designing the
Perfect Resume, by Pat Criscito.
Copyright 2000. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
<<< Back |
| 
