Yes, Cover-letter Letterhead Should Match Resume

This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:

Kristen writes:

I had written a cover letter and wasn’t sure where to put my name and contact information. I had originally put it on the top of the page, in the middle so that it would match the heading on my resume. However, my mom told me that she has never heard of putting that information in the top middle of the page. She said that it had to be right or left aligned or that it could be at the bottom after I sign my name. I looked in the cover-letter resources on the website but I am still not sure. Could you let me know if all of those are acceptable?

The Career Doctor responds:

You know, I don’t really have anything against well-meaning parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., but unless they work in the career-management field, they are probably not the best people to ask about these things — and I get these kinds of comments all the time.

So, I am glad you have asked me. In the ideal situation, all of your job correspondence should look exactly the same — a matched set. The “header” of your resume - where you have your name and contact information — should be the same on your cover letter, as well as on your references page, salary history page, and any other supplemental pages.

It doesn’t matter if the type is centered, left-justified, or right-justified. What matters is that you are consistent and use a readable font.

And just a reminder about what should go in the header: name, address, phone number (home and/or mobile), email address. Provide as much contact information as possible, but if you use an email address, be sure it’s a professional one, not like one I received recently from “sexyprincess84.”