Of course it's not usual that applicants have a personal letterhead. But that's precisely the point. It's unusual. And it stands out.

I first got the idea from a friend who works in the Human Resources Department of a prominent multi-national company. She says it's tiring to go over the cover letters of applicants almost every day, with each letter almost containing the same phrases and the same plea for employment. I don't think it's an arrogant comment. It's just merely being human. When you are flooded with letters every working day, you'd surely want to see something that would give your eyes some kind of a feast.

And so I thought, what would make my cover letter stand out? I have no choice but to place more or less the same content as the other applicants. But what would allow me some space to show off some of my character? Personality is the key, my friend would always say. Your letter would show some degree of your character. And what better way to do that than to place some color and style in my cover letter. Hence, I worked on a personal letterhead.

My template does not contain much really. Just the usual – names, contact details, address, a personal URL to my website slash blog. But I did some minor design work on the letter. A semi-transparent box with the details inside it, and some color (that actually matches the company's colors, of course). I made it a point not to make it appear too excessive, so the Human Resources Department won't think of me that way. I made it formal and stylish. And then I wrote my cover letter as followed by my resume.

When I finished writing the letter, I printed out a sample so I could have a gauge of my magnum opus. Of course it's not much. I just wanted to be someone different. I suppose, everybody wants to meet someone who dares to be different, who has enough courage to stand out without being intimidating. I understood that companies invest a lot on employees who show potential, who exemplifies a certain dynamism that would bring the company forward as times go by. I want to be that person for the company where I was applying for. I did not want a job. I wanted a career.

As so it happened. I submitted my application (in the letterhead, of course) to the company. I waited for a response for a week, then two weeks, then three. I was nearly out of desperation, and I was planning of moving on to the next phase of my job hunting, but at that point, the good news arrived. I got a call from the company asking me to report to their office for an interview. The rest, so they say, is history.

I am now very contented of that small out-of-the-box effort I did in order to stand out in the application process. Looking back, the letterhead did some sort of magic for me, and it upped my confidence a bit as I faced the people in the interview. And true enough, it's a worthy story to tell. Stand out. Be creative. Be the person they want.