Resume Paper

Eric writes in:

When I go to an interview, should I print out my resume on nice resume paper or is regular copy paper okay? In the past, I used nice resume paper because I had a lot, but now I am out. I’m wondering if I should spend the money when they usually print out my resume already, or should I have backups ready, in case they don’t?

Like a professional email address, nice resume paper isn’t going to make or break you, but it does put your best foot forward. Personally, I think it’s worth the twelve bucks to keep a case on your shelf. I do.

But regardless of the type of paper, you should always, always, always bring your resume. It shows that you’re prepared, and that you think ahead. Even if your printer breaks down, or your cat chewed up the entire case of watermarked, 32lb ivory stock, make a Kinkos run. You don’t want to show up without a resume at that one in a thousand interview where they didn’t already print out a copy.

The same principle applies to bringing a notepad with you to every meeting. As a PA, you’ll rarely need to write anything down. The job is pretty simple, after all. But having it on hand shows everybody that you’re ready to listen.

Plus you can doodle silly pictures while you’re bored.