Why? Because it always looks more professional to have printed resumes without creases. How to keep them unfolded? By mailing in a 9" x 12" envelope? Even betterkeep them unfolded by not mailing them at all. The best use of the resume is when it is passed hand to hand. Resumes have a place in the process, but it is not in the form of the cross my fingers and sending it out and hope I get a response method that many people use. Sending out a resume gives a false sense of security that we are actually doing something. In reality, very few people are hired through this passive approach. You are much more productive making direct contact (by phone or in person) with the employer.
A resume is just a piece of paper with words. It is what you do with that piece of paper that will make the difference.
However, if you must mail out a resume, the 9" x 12" envelope is a sure eye-catcher. For even greater impact, consider the Priority Mail envelope from the post office. You get a free cardboard envelope (with its bold red, white, and blue colors), which will arrive in two or three days and will scream out its in-basket importance until it is opened.
Then always make sure you follow up by phone. You will greatly increase your odds by this simple act. Woefully, more than 95 percent of sent resumes are from the cross-my-fingers-and-hope-something-happens crowd. Be sure to take this simple step toward making your resume stand out from the crowd.
Refer to later chapters in this book for how to make active use of your resume in generating interviews.
