Letter
Design
by
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Letterheads
It is so easy to create a letterhead all your own and to make
it match your résumé. Just copy into a new document the name
and address you have already created for your résumé. It
couldn't be simpler! It makes a very sharp impression when
your cover letter and résumé 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 résumé! . . .
although an artist could get away with just about any color.
As a general rule, résumé papers should be neutral or light
in color. After 20 years in the résumé 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 résumé hard to read.
In a
scannable résumé, 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 résumés that will never be
scanned. Often companies will photocopy résumés for hiring
managers, and dark colors or patterns will simply turn into
dark masses that make your résumé difficult to read. If a
company has multiple locations, the original résumé 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 résumé 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 résumé. Thank you letters and other follow-up
letters can be folded in standard No. 10 business envelopes.
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