Posting CV and covering letter

[Dude~]

Any thoughts on whether to fold the CV and covering letter, or send them in an A4 evelope and risk it getting mauled by Postman Pat?

Small point I know, but just wondered!

[BigBoeing]

I always use an A4 evelope but go to Post Office and get one made half from cardboard, the back is thin card the front looks normal. They are usually for photos and things. Won't get bent and will stand out more in a mountain of CV's

[Pilot Pete]

How will the envelope stand out in a pile of CVs? The first thing that will happen is the envelope will be opened and discarded and the CV put into the internal mail system for distribution or put on the pile with the others....

It's CV content that makes your CV stand out, not the envelope.

PP

[papazulu]

Am I wrong if I say that most of you guys assume that a well written and smart organized CV can be spoiled if you post it via web online application pages or e-mailed to the right person (CP, HR mng...) when it come out from his/her printer? snail mail will cost me as a TR since I have to post from continental EU...!

Take care

PZ

[Pilot Pete]

via web online application pages

Not sure I understand exactly what you mean by this. If the airline have an online application form then fill in the required fields and don't send or email your CV.

What many Wannabes don't do is enough research. Find out what is the preferred (and sometimes ONLY ACCEPTABLE) method of application with each airline that you apply to is and then apply that way. If the 'right person' doesn't accept emailed CVs then yours will probably find it's way into their recycle bin if you email it.

I always found that phoning 'the right person' was the best way too ascertain the recruitment position and if they would accept my CV. This method got me my big break.

If applying for jobs is going to cost you too much money then unfortunately someone else will find the money for the stamps and get the job......but you are right, if your CV is not printable at the destination then unless you are particularly attractive to a potential employer (say type rated with hours), then they may not waste time on your CV if they have a pile of 400 others......

Good luck.

PP

[scroggs]

What Pete said, mostly (though, Pete, you should remember what the apostrophe in "it's" means... )

If the airline you are applying to has an online application form, it's generally accepted that this is the only way to apply. If the company isn't that sophisticated, then a (one page) CV, with a short covering letter, will do. You will, of course, be concerned whether you get an answer or not; well, I'm sorry, but precedent suggests that you won't. That doesn't mean that you won't get the job, but you may have to leap a couple more hurdles than you thought...

Scroggs

[Dude~]

Interesting replies. A4 seems the way to go. Will have a look for re-inforced envelopes tomorrow.
BigBoeing- are you refering to the brown envelopes with 'DO NOT BEND' written on them? A bit over the top, no?

One other point of etiquette that I can't find anywhere is if I am writing to 'Captain Smith', do I write:

Dear Captain Smith,

or

Dear Mr Smith,

(Captain Smith will of course be written above his company's address)

Oh, and while I'm here, hand write or print the address for the envelope?!

[hollywood285]

what about dayglow orange paper???? that will stand out!!!!

[bestkeptsecret]

Regarding forms of address, the Debrett's Correct Form guide states:

Airline Officers
The Captain is referred to as Captain Smith and addressed as Captain John (or J) Smith. Other officers vary according to the company, but in the main they are Senior First Officer, First Officer and Second Officer. They are addressed as John Jones, Esq, and referred to as Mr Jones.

Regarding the letters, one can consider 'topping and tailing' but this is not usually the done thing - interestingly, however, the Armed Forces do this a lot.

bks

[Pilot Pete]

Its is a possessive adjective. It means 'belonging to it': Put the parrot back in its cage.

It's is a shortened form of 'it is': It's raining again.

So I think it is CV content; or

It's CV content that makes your CV stand out

PP

[airpilot]

Dude,

I send my cv's off in a "please do not bend envelope" its just presentation and shows a little thought. I was given this advice by an ex raf pilot and BA guy. With my cover letters I use "Captain S Smith" then the airlines address underneath and then I write the salutation in fountain pen,again a little thought and presantation goes along way. However the cv content does count aswell. I use font 12,14 and 16 so it stands out and I bold certain items so the chief pilot can see these.

[papazulu]

quote:

What many Wannabes don't do is enough research. Find out what is the preferred (and sometimes ONLY ACCEPTABLE) method of application with each airline that you apply to is and then apply that way.


PP:

I do my research well or at least at my best. Never sent to sirs/madam (I am not that lazy...!) and I try to crosscheck names I have got (ex. on ppjn.com) with pprunes who already applied or in other ways.I also spend a lot of time on Covers & CV since I am not English mothertongue (hope my writing on this forum doesn't shows if off so much...) but, as I said , I don't know UK market to well so I have to count on what operator's websites say. "...e mail you CV to Chief pilot Cpt.J.Jones or Mr.A.Adam HR mgr..."and so on. Other airlines (ex. cityjet ) have online application form pages and I fill those with the items on my CV or Cover letters because I agree that other forms of job application are doomed to the trashcan. Regarding the right person I try to reach them whenever is possible but even in this case the bound between showing care for the job and bothering that guy is thin...Surely I will use snailmail in any case where there are not other indications: my cash flow is low but not that bad...!!!

Thanks for the tips!

Take care

PZ

[Dude~]

Am I right in thinking that in the absence of any specific application guidelines, one should write directly to the chief pilot?

[Pilot Pete]

Am I right in thinking that in the absence of any specific application guidelines, one should write directly to the chief pilot?

In larger airlines it is rarely the Chief Pilot who deals with pilot recruitment. In the smaller ones it may be. I recommend you phone the airline to find out who it is that deals with pilot recruitment. It does sometimes amaze me that guys will spend hours on pprune asking questions when all they have to do is make a 1 minute phone call to get the answer....

PP

[Dude~]

Point taken Pete. It is not easy working out how to get a job though, and what may seem obvious to people already in an airline may not be so obvious to others!

[EGCC4284]

network network network

what do you think PP

[GusHoneybun]

Sending the Chief Pilot a bottle of whisky with the CV rapped around seems to be a good way to get noticed.