resume question?

[Barbie_K]

i'm going to drop-off my resume into a particular shop. the company wants to just pass / drop-off resumes to their different shop branches. i want to put my resume using manila envelope and i want to put a cover letter also. should i fold the cover letter and put it to a letter size envelope or just leave it unfold along with my resume?

[Dave]

A "Cover letter" means just that. You use it to COVER the resume. You do this for a number of reasons.

One is that it can be used to direct where the resume is to go. Instead of a "generic" resume, you can direct it to the one specific person you want to have it. Without a cover letter, the resume can just float around. Think of it as the first page in a fax.

Two is that you do not want people reading your resume who are not suppose to be reading it. With a cover letter, you got the first page of the resume covered and no one can see it as all they will see if it is left sitting out is the cover letter.

Third is the ability to come back and SUE if they do not keep the information confidential. If you keep a copy of the cover letter, you have documentation that it was sent to one specific person. If you find out the janitor had it and read it, you got grounds for a confidentiality case.

Remember, you want your resume to go to the people who have a need to see it and no one else. The cover letter is important to ensure that is what happens.