Cover Letters Design - Continued

Page 2 of 2    Back

In a scanable 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 resume that will never be scanned. Often companies will photocopy resume 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!