How To Make Your CV or Resume Stand Out, Use The Right Envelope

How to make your CV or Resume stand out from the crowd is something that needs very careful consideration when applying for a job in these days when there is so much competition for every vacancy. Having to write your CV or Resume when you are applying for a new job is daunting enough, you want to make sure you get it exactly right and you put so much care and effort into making sure it is. But what good is all that if you mail it out and they don’t even open the envelope? You may think that by sending in your application, your carefully crafted CV will at least get read but sadly, this is not the case. With so many applications for every single job nowadays, sometimes the envelope does not even get opened - it just gets filed in the bin.

Here are some tips to ensure that your CV stands out from the rest so that your prospective employer is going to open your envelope and realise that you are the person they have been looking for!

The Envelope

· Always use a white or cream envelope NEVER use a Manilla (Brown) envelope – if you do, your CV may fall at the first hurdle and not even get opened.

· Always use an envelope made of stock (paper) that is at least as heavy and preferably slightly heavier than the paper you have used for the CV and covering letter you have enclosed and make sure it matches (don’t use a white envelope if you have cream paper inside).

· Always check the advertisement you are replying to very carefully and follow the instructions accurately regarding what you should send by way of application and to whom it should be addressed. If the advertisement asks you to quote a reference number on the envelope, make sure you copy it correctly and place it at the top left hand side of the envelope. Check for the closing date for applications and make sure you mail out your submission to arrive in good time.

· Always use an envelope the same size as the paper you are enclosing so that you do not need to fold it. The convention is to use A4 paper.

· Always post your letter first class, NEVER second class. If you really want to create an impression with your CV, send it special delivery. Although this option is obviously going to be too expensive if you are sending out lots of applications, it is worth considering. Recorded Delivery in the UK is another good option because with both Special and Recorded delivery, you can check online at Royal Mail’s website that your precious CV has, at least, been received safely. If at all possible, hand deliver your submission (in this instance, it is usual to write in the top left hand corner of your envelope the words, By Hand).

· Always write in Black Ink, if possible use a fountain pen not a biro.

· Always put your address on the reverse of the envelope as a return address.

· Address your envelope correctly, the convention for a business envelope in the UK is as follows:

Start writing your envelope so that the first line is about one third of the way across the envelope and start each line in the same place (do not indent). Make sure that your first line will not be obscured by any franking of the stamp by the postal service (and make sure that you stick the stamp on the right way up and straight)!

Line 1: Person’s name, Job Title – for example, Mr D. Holmes, Marketing Manager

Line 2: Company Name in full – for example, Any Business & Co. Ltd.

Line 3: Address Line 1 - Name of the building (if any) – for example, Workwell House

Line 4: Address Line 2 - for example, 24 Successful Road

Line 5: Postal Town (write this in capital letters) – for example, SHERBORNE

Line 6: County – for example, Dorset

Line 7: Postcode – for example, DT9 3QC

Tip, if the business is rural, it may be in a village near a postal town – in this case, write the name of the village at Line 5 (for example Yetminster) and then underneath and before the line where you insert County, write the postal town or Nr and then the postal town – either is acceptable (for example SHERBORNE or Nr SHERBORNE)

What you put inside the envelope

Always try and use really good quality paper 90 gsm or above. Laid or Bond paper always creates a really good impression and will make your submission stand out from the usual submissions on standard printer paper. As mentioned above, whichever paper you choose, make sure that you match the envelope to the paper and use the same paper for both the CV and the covering letter.

Always send a hand-written covering letter, use black ink as with the envelope – the reason is that your letter and CV may be photocopied several times and passed to different people in the company. Black ink photocopies much better than Blue ink.

All this is to be considered before you even start on what you are going to write but at least you are in with a fighting chance if it ensures your envelope gets opened!!

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