Depending on weather you sending it to larger organisation a small to medium one...the larger organisations have admin staff who open all the CV's and put them in nice neat pile so i don't think it would increase your chances of getting an interview. With the smaller organisations that might be a bit more effective and open up doors for you and lead to interviews.

I think the key thing in my experience is your actual CV i would make that most impact if you are applying for a job they will look at your CV. that needs to highlight the key elements they are looking for and you need to highlight them in a manner which they will be able to see just by sifting through the CV's.

when i am looking at CV's i look for the key elements that link the CV to the job but we don't look at them in detail this id done in a very brief and quick manner. Once they have got passed the stage the detail of the CV is looked at more closely and skills and qualities matched to the requirements.

I have seen a lot of CV which are written in essay style which does not help when you flick through CV's as they are not read bullet point and highlight key points and remember its the benefits of the skills that you have the employers are looking for.

What i would would do is try a few different angles and see what serves you best....good luck

This is a very interesting question because, while it might seem that a typed envelope looks more business like, in the world of direct marketing (where getting people to open the envelope is a key element (just as with your CV) there is an increasing market in using hand addressed envelopes. I suppose that your style of handwriting may be important - do you have a good bold adult style or are you less comfortable with handwriting?

Why not carry out a small trial of your own and address some in a typed envelope and some handwritten (but not to the same potential employer) - you could even include a short note with the CV to explain what you are doing. That in itself would bring your CV out of the crowd and increase your chances of getting it read.

Good luck either way - it isn't easy, but it is worth it!

David

If your penmanship is legible and easy to read, then it would be a good idea write the address on the envelope. It shows to perspective employers that you can take notes and when someone else reads your handwriting they will be impressed. However when it comes to your coverletter, it is best that it is typed out

I occasionally do a first sift of applications for office/admin jobs in a large organisation and theyre all removed from the envelope and put in plastic wallets by one of the admin staff before they get to me, so if its a large employer the relevant person may never see it.

But if its a CV with a typed cover letter it may be the only opportunity to show off your neat handwriting so Id still recommend handwriting it just in case.