Handwritten covering letter

lizzielondon

you can make your own guidelines by going over the lines on a piece of lined paper with a pen and ruler!

flea72

i dont think employers expect handwritten letters. even if the job ad states apply in writing, they dont mean they want you to handwrite it, they just want a covering letter, so they know what job you are applying for

even if you have nice, neat handwriting, it still doesnt look as presentable as typed format

Also handwriting, leads people to make judgements on what sort of person you are, and that may mean you get rejected early in the application process. i always laugh at bubble style handwriting, as you just just know its a female, and given half a chance, she would have doodled lovehearts all around the corners of the page (usually in her late 30s/early 40s, and stuck with the handwriting style of her teens). Spidery, looping style, nearing retirement age (male), and block printed letters, just makes you think, my 5yr old writes better than that!

But worst of all, is people who write on lined paper, and if they really want to irk me, they leave the tabs on the top of the sheet, where they have ripped it off a spiral bound notebook (for gods sake, if its the only paper you have in the house, at least find a pair of scissors and neaten it up)

F

Savvy_Sue

Horace wrote: »

I always handwrite my letters - I have always used Basildon Bond notepaper and to help you get your lines straight they have a handy guide that you put behind the paper that you're writing on.

I've been known to print a sheet of paper with bold lines all across it an appropriate distance apart, and use that as a guide sheet.

Lollypop75 wrote: »

Ooh, and I thought of some other things. Do you format this as a normal letter, so with your address at the top, and then theirs? Should I avoid joined-up writing at all costs? Is it ok to write in blue?

Yes, you format it as a normal letter (whether hand written or typed) - you are demonstrating that you know how to set out a letter, apart from anything else. And while I might block print parts of an application form if I had to fill THAT in by hand, I would NEVER do that for a letter, even though my handwriting is pants.

If you avoid joined up handwriting, you will appear to be an imbecile, an illiterate, or a child. Take your pick, and apologies if that sounds harsh.

And personally I would use black, because if it's going to be photocopied, that will copy better. But blue is 2nd best to black, spare us pink or purple or other pretty colours (and I LOVE pink, just not when shortlisting! :rotfl:)

And if in doubt about whether it means hand-written when it says hand-written, check. If hand-writing is important in the job, they may very well intend that you write the letter, by hand, and those who type it will end up in the round filing cabinet on the floor.

(I was wondering why people kept submitting typed application forms to us using all capital letters on the first page, even when they were typed. Then I realised that's what the form said to do, so I stopped being so irritated by it. And changed the form ... to reflect the fact that we send the blank forms out by email these days.)

Lollypop75

The advert did specify a handwritten covering letter. I would never normally do it - it just takes so long!!

I've already sent it off now; I think I formatted it ok, and all that. Before I posted this I had done a google search and one website said don't use joined up writing (it is weird - I have been writing joined up since I was about 9, although some people I went to secondary school with never did), so I wanted to check that.

Thanks everyone for your help!

jdx

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

You could put the plain paper over a sheet on lined so that you can see the lines through it to write on?

HTH

x

That's what I'd do. Also I would send a typed version just in case.

angel.cake_2

Lollypop75 wrote: »

The advert did specify a handwritten covering letter.

Just to let you know, it is actually illegal (in employment law) to request a handwritten letter as they are discriminating against potential employees that may be dyslexic (therefore disability discrimination).

As someone else has said, I would be concerned about the type of employer who specifically requested this - unless it is clear that handwritting is a part of the role being applied for.

wontfallforit

angel.cake wrote: »

Just to let you know, it is actually illegal (in employment law) to request a handwritten letter as they are discriminating against potential employees that may be dyslexic (therefore disability discrimination).

As someone else has said, I would be concerned about the type of employer who specifically requested this - unless it is clear that handwritting is a part of the role being applied for.

This is going to sound really silly, and will probably demonstrate the fact that I don't know much about dyslexia!

However, would it not be possible for a dyslexic to type out a letter, and then simply copy it in handwritten form, thus avoiding the usual difficulties they face in writing?

I have awful handwriting. To the point where I was offered extra time in my college exams (to write more neatly), or the chance to type my exam answers :eek:

However, despite my lack of actual dyslexia, I have serious problems when I put pen to paper. I know exactly what I want to write, and in which order the words should be written, but my hand doesn't co-operate, and it comes out illegible, even to myself (and I didn't start using a PC until I was 18, so I'm definitely not a mere product of the typing/information age).

Therefore, when I write handwritten letters, I usually print a copy first. That helps, but I can still take 20 minutes to write a side of A4, if I want to stand any chance of it being understood :rotfl:

Savvy_Sue

If I was dyslexic or had some other reason for NOT handwriting (as opposed to having pants handwriting) I'd phone and explain what I was intending to do and ask them to note why I was typing not writing.

angel.cake_2

wontfallforit wrote: »

However, would it not be possible for a dyslexic to type out a letter, and then simply copy it in handwritten form, thus avoiding the usual difficulties they face in writing?

Yes, of course this would be possible but, as with most laws, Employment Law is not always logical but it is usually on your side!

paulwf

inmypocketnottheirs wrote: »

Use a sheet of A4 paper with a ruled behind for guidance.

Presuming it is just a cover letter and not something that is essay length I would suggest using a proper Basildon Bond writing pad (A5ish size?) rather than A4. This is because A4 is much wider so much harder to keep a straight line and generally make it look neat.

Although I always print letters most correspondence is only a couple of paragraphs and looks daft on A4...although I never use it these days most letters do look better on writing paper size.