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[Asking again]

I know that this has been asked and answered somewhere on the list, but I cannot find it. What I remember from the topic (and perhaps faultily) is that for community colleges, there is more of an expectation that you will apply using a personal letterhead, and that four-year colleges tend to expect you will apply using the letterhead of your current institution -- if you have one.  

Is that a fair assessment? If you apply to four-year colleges, do you use your personal letterhead or is it more recommended to use your campus letterhead?

Thanks.

[Jimster]

I believe a job application should always be on "personal" letterhead.

[Wondering the same]

I was on the job market for the first time last year, and I used department letterhead. I was applying to four-year institutions. I got far more convention interviews back then than I did this year when I moved away from campus and out of state to be with family. I had to use personal letterhead this year because I wanted all of my correspondence to have my home address, and I didn't want to deal with the time lag in having my graduate institutions forward my mail to me.

But perhaps the fact that I got far fewer convention interviews this time around has to do with other factors -- e.g., the market slump and other unpredictable things.

What do others think out there? Department letterhead vs. personal letterhead ... does it matter?

[Ph.D. Candidate]

I was the person who initially asked about this. The response I received was to go ahead and use your department letterhead, as long as you are still associated with them. It will make your application stand out. I don't believe it would be ethical to use department stationary if you have already left your institution, but I assume you already know that.

You can also use plain letterhead if it is available -- by that I mean stationery that has your university logo, but without department name and address, if that seems more appropriate for what you need to accomplish.

Good luck!

[Search committee member]

Having been on one and, thus far, only one search committee at a small regional university, I find the question about letterhead to be misplaced. I don't recall the letterhead of any of the candidates we invited to campus. But even a year later, I can tell you a lot about what they wrote in the cover letters and their vitas.  

By the time you're worrying about which letterhead to use I think you would be useless at any university I would want to teach at. I can just see your approach to the dean on any issue involving a letter.  

"Dean, on our alumni campaign letters, should we use the department letterhead, the university letterhead or create a special letterhead for the campaign?" "Dean, which letterhead should I use in corresponding with students -- the department memo, the department letterhead," etc. etc.  The poor dean and other administrators would be overwhelmed by form regardless of substance. Invariably, that emphasis on form diminishes what most in academe value -- substance.  If you have substance you don't need to be finicky about form. With people focusing on such concerns it's no wonder that administration on campus is bloated and draining money from instruction.

This does not mean that you should send a vita on a napkin or use other attention-getting tricks. It means focus on substance and you will be far better off than if you spend weeks or even days deciding which letterhead to use.

When you get a letter, do you really pay attention to the letterhead other than for the information it provides? If so, then perhaps you're prejudicial in how you treat students as well.

[Jon Margerum-Leys]

Probably this would be viewed differently depending on whether you're a graduate student or a current faculty member. If you're a graduate student, the expectation is that you're going to be job hunting and everyone will be pleased to help you find a position. If you're a faculty member, it doesn't seem fair to use your current institution's resources to find a job at a competing institution.

[Ex-candidate]

My understanding of this issue is that when one is employed -- even as an adjunct -- one should use his or her institution's letterhead. However, I can tell you that when I applied for the job I currently hold, I did it without letterhead. I was holding a Fulbright at an institution abroad and had just left a two-year visiting position. Thus, I was technically "between" institutional affilations, and didn't feel it was appropriate to use the letterhead of the institution at which I was teaching abroad. Search committee member is correct: Having been on four search committees now, we remember a lot more about what the person has to say than whether or not she has used letterhead.

Good luck!

[Lecturer looking for more]

I found the letter from the committee member a bit harsh. It seems that you have forgotten how much time and effort go into the application process -- and how nerve-wracking it is. I do not believe that applicants are prejudiced towards their students because they worry about the first impression a letter of application might make in such an incredibly tight job market -- I keep getting the image of thousands of sharks gathering around one small piece of bloody meat! And it is my understanding that to be out of a teaching position for a while makes a candidate look potentially less attractive. (I would welcome comments on this, as I am planning on moving with my husband to an area where I might not have a job right away).

So, showing an affliliation with an institution might be seen by the applicant as a plus. I am currently teaching as a lecturer at a large research institution and teaching one class per semester at a community college. I am applying for community-college jobs but feel that using the letterhead of the community college might be disingenuous as I am only teaching one course a semester there.  

I also put a great deal of time into the letter of application itself, including creating countless drafts, re-writing each new application, peer editing, and researching each institution. People who worry about letterhead are probably like me -- they are conscientious about all aspects of the application process.

I would appreciate any thoughts on my application situation.  I have used personal stationery lately, but would welcome any thoughts.