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More Resume Resources |
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How to Format Your Resume
for
Internet Job Searching
by Michelle Dumas
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Email resumes...Web resumes...HTML resumes...Scannable
resumes... Keyword resumes...Text resumes...ASCII resumes...PDF
resumes...Word resumes...Traditional resumes...
A resume is a resume, right? But then, what are all these different types of
resumes you keep hearing about? If you are confused and not quite sure what
is being referred to when you hear all these different names for resumes,
you are certainly not alone!
Over the past decade, the most common resume-related questions asked by job
hunters have progressively shifted. While still of major importance, the
majority of queries are no longer about functional versus chronological
resume styles, whether to keep or remove experience from twenty-five years
ago, or whether to include dates of education. With the advent and
subsequent explosive increase in the use of the Internet during the job
search, questions have turned overwhelmingly to issues of electronic resume
creation and transmission.
What are the different types of electronic resumes?
What are the differences between an e-mail resume, a scannable resume, and a
web resume?
How do I know which resume format to use?
How do I format my electronic resume to ensure that the recipient can read
it?
No wonder there is so much confusion! In just a few short years, there has
been a complete revolution in the tools and techniques of job hunting. As
applicant tracking technologies have come into common use among headhunter
firms, large corporations, and even mid-size and small businesses,
recommended resume formats and methods of transmission have rapidly evolved
with the advancing technologies. Further complicating things, have been the
increasing availability of personal web space for online resume portfolios
and biographies.
What does this mean for today's job hunter? While the Internet has opened
unprecedented doors of opportunity in the job search process, for those who
have not taken the time to learn and apply the rules it can mean disaster!
While few job hunters have time to spend months studying the most recent
technologies and recommendations for the creation of electronic resumes,
before venturing onto the Internet with your resume it is critical that you
take the time to learn and understand a few simple concepts. Knowing your
audience and the formats most acceptable by those audiences are essential
pieces of knowledge for the Internet job hunter.
The human reader - The traditional, printed, hard copy resume (yes, it does
still have a primary place in job hunting!) is created to attract the human
eye and attention. With the advantages of word processing applications,
sophisticated formatting is possible and should be applied strategically to
create eye-appeal and draw the readers' attention to key qualifications.
The computer reader - The electronic or computer-optimized resume is
designed, first and foremost, to be readable by the computer. There are
several types of electronic resumes, but the common element of all is the
ability to be searched by keyword. Of course, once your resume has been
tagged as matching a keyword search, it will be reviewed by a human. So
compelling, easy-to-read content is just as important in the electronic
resume as in the traditional resume.
Miss these points and the effects could be devastating...you might send out
hundreds of resumes only to sit at home and wonder why nobody, not even one
company or headhunter, has called you for an interview. There are
fundamental formatting differences between traditional and electronic
resumes. If you do not understand these differences, your resume will make
it into very few - if any - resume databases.
RESUME FORMATS
What are the differences between keyword, scannable, web, traditional, and
text resumes?
Traditional resumes are designed, as already noted, to compel the human
reader, through persuasive language and design, to take further action and
call you for an interview. Layout and page design are critical and should be
planned strategically to draw the eye to areas of emphasis. The most
effective traditional resumes are focused on achievements and written in
powerful, active language that captures and holds the attention of the
reader.
Scannable resumes -- also a printed, hardcopy format -- are designed
primarily for accurate scanning into a computer. Captured as an image,
scannable resumes are fed through OCR (optical character recognition)
software that reads and extracts the text. The extracted text is databased
for storage and later recalled by keyword from an applicant tracking system.
Scannable resumes are very rarely requested any more. If you are asked for a
scannable resume, the most efficient option is to email the requestor your
plain ASCII text resume (described next).
Text resumes (also referred to as ASCII resumes) are just what the name
implies, an ASCII-formatted version of either your traditional or scannable
resume. Text resumes are universally readable on all computer systems and
platforms and are the preferred format when you are emailing your resume. An
ASCII resume received in email can be entered directly into an applicant
tracking system without the added step of needing to scan it. Entry into the
system is fast, easy, and accurate and so many employers and recruiters
prefer this format.
The phrase "keyword resume," as it was first used, referred most often to
either a scannable or text resume that incorporated a focus on nouns and
phrases that employers were likely to use when searching for an applicant.
Sometimes the keyword resume had a section at the beginning or end that
listed the keywords separated by commas or periods. Today, there is no need
to maintain both a keyword and a non-keyword resume. Keywords have become
such an essential element in resumes that you should ensure that every
version of your resume, whether meant for the human or the computer reader,
incorporates the keywords most important in your field or industry.
Still confused? My recommendation is to simply maintain two separate
versions of your resume:
Traditional resume - If you wish to send a hardcopy, paper version of your
resume you should send your traditional resume. Traditional resumes are most
often stored on your computer as a computer file and printed on an as-needed
basis. For example, you will want to print at least several copies of your
resume to carry with you and hand out at interviews. You may also be asked
to send your traditional resume via email to a recruiter or employer. In
these cases, you should have your traditional resume saved in the two most
commonly asked for file formats: MS Word and Adobe PDF. You can then attach
the requested file or files to an email message and send it to the requestor
to be printed on the receiving end.
By far, you'll find that the most requested format for your traditional
resume is MS Word. If you comply with the request, be aware that your
formatting may be incompatible with the recipient's system. While usually
still readable, fonts and bullet sizes and styles may be different from what
you intended. These problems can be minimized, although not always
eliminated, by embedding the fonts into the document. This is a simple
process, and the MS Word help files will guide you through it. You should
also take care, while writing and designing your resume, to use design
elements that are default and standard on most systems. For example, it is
not wise to use a fancy, custom font on your resume that you know will be
emailed. Default fonts such as Garamond, Helvetica, Book Antiqua, or Verdana
are better choices.
To eliminate issues with compatibility, if the recipient has the free Adobe
Reader installed, Adobe PDF is the best format in which to send your
traditional resume. The PDF version of your resume will appear on the
recipient's system precisely the way it appeared on your system. For this
reason, if given the choice of sending an MS Word file and Adobe PDF file,
always opt for Adobe PDF. However, many recruiters and employers still
prefer the MS Word file format, because this is the format they are most
familiar with.
ASCII text resume - If you conduct any portion of your job search on the
Internet, ASCII-formatted resumes are critically important tools. Always
have an up-to-date ASCII text version of your resume on your computer. This
is the fastest way to contact potential employers and to apply for jobs
advertised online. You must also have a text version of your resume if you
wish to post in online resume databanks.
As previously noted, employers rarely request scannable resumes anymore. If
they utilize an applicant tracking system, they will likely request that
your resume be e-mailed, either as ASCII text or as an attachment. E-mail
allows the recipient to enter your resume directly into the database,
eliminating the extra steps of scanning and OCR.
How do you use these file formats and transit them to recipients via email?
My recommendation is to actually attach the MS Word or Adobe PDF file to the
email in its native file format. Then, ALSO copy and paste the text of your
ASCII text resume into the body of your email (where you would normally type
a message), along with a letter of introduction or other note explaining why
you are sending the resume.
A final type of electronic resume is the web resume, also known as the
online resume. Created using HTML, your web resume may be uploaded to space
provided by a web-hosting provider. Eliminating the compatibility problems
associated with word-processed resumes sent as e-mail attachments, web
resumes offer the advantage of maintaining layout and design on the systems
of anyone with a web browser. Available for viewing around the clock,
conveying a technology-savvy image, and allowing the ability to add
supporting content to your resume (effectively creating an online portfolio
promoting your qualifications), web resumes are becoming a progressively
important tool in the job search. The creation of a web resume or resume
portfolio is far beyond the scope of this article, but if web resumes are an
electronic format that interest you, be aware that many service providers
have begun offering web resume design and hosting at affordable prices.
Preparing Internet Resumes
What do I need to know about writing keyword resumes?
Remember - it is absolutely essential that you create resume content that is
keyword rich regardless of the file format. It is not necessary that you
maintain a separate keyword version of your resume. ALL resumes must include
a heavy emphasis on keywords. Keywords are generally defined as nouns or
phrases that an employer will use when searching for an applicant with your
skill set. To maximize the recall of your resume in a search, you will want
to use as many keywords in your resume as possible.
1. Keywords should focus on technical and professional areas of expertise,
industry-related jargon, and your work history. Also, include the names of
associations and organizations of which you are a member.
2. Whenever possible, use synonyms of keywords in different parts of your
resume and if you use initials for a term in one section, spell the term out
in another.
3. Always be specific. For example, while it may be fine to include the
phrase "computer literate," you will also want to list the specific software
that you are proficient in using.
This is one of the most common areas of confusion, so I'll state it once
again...the content of a keyword resume does not need to differ from the
content of your traditional resume. With careful attention to rhythm and
flow, it is possible to prepare a resume that is keyword optimized, but that
also includes the powerful, compelling, active language of a traditional
resume. Not only will this simplify your resume preparation, but it will
ensure that the content of all versions of your resume will be optimized for
both the computer and the human reader. Furthermore, if you incorporate a
professional summary and bulleted list of qualifications in the text of your
resume, there is little if any need to prepare a separate keyword summary.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to recommend a specific list of the best
keywords to use in your resume, as the "best" keywords are different for
every individual and depend mainly on your unique career objective and
background. What is certain, however, is that a well-prepared keyword resume
is so critical to your success in a job market that largely relies on
electronic applicant tracking systems, if you have any doubts at all you
should consult with a professional resume writer.
How do I prepare an ASCII text version of my resume?
Preparing the all-important ASCII text version of your resume is not
difficult, but it does require a learning curve. Once converted to ASCII
format, you will be able to email your resume in response to an ad or paste
it directly into web-based forms and submit it to Internet resume databanks.
The specific directions will vary depending on the software you have
installed on your computer. But, in general, to prepare your ASCII resumes
properly, follow these simple steps:
1. Using your word processing program, open your word-processed resume and
use the "Save As" function to save a copy as a "Text Only" or "ASCII (DOS)"
document. Title your document with an easily distinguishable name; perhaps "resume_internet.txt"
2. Close your word processing program and re-open the ASCII file. You will
not be able to see your changes until you have done this. Note that it has
been stripped of virtually all original formatting.
3. Go through your new ASCII document line-by-line. Align all text flush to
the left-hand margin.
4. Remove all "centering," "right hand margin," and "justification"
alignments.
5. Although you should no longer see them, if visible, remove all graphics,
artwork, and special character formatting.
6. Remove all tab characters.
7. Remove all columns.
8. Replace bullets with a simple ASCII asterisk (*).
9. Carefully check the spelling and the accuracy of your data.
10. If you wish, use ASCII characters to enhance the appearance of your
resume. Asterisks, plus signs, or other keyboard characters can be used to
create visual lines that separate sections of your resume and make it easier
to read.
The above steps convert your resume to ASCII without line breaks. When
pasted into a web-based form or email message, your resume will
automatically wrap to the size of the window.
Your new ASCII resume will be universally readable, no matter what computer
system the recipient uses. It will also be easy to manipulate for entry into
applicant tracking databases, eliminating the inherent difficulties of
scanning and converting your paper resume with OCR systems.
There is no denying that the Internet has caused what was once a
straightforward process to become complex and confusing to many job hunters.
Yet, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Like never before, as a job
seeker you have immediate access to announcements and advertisements of
openings around the globe. You have the ability to conduct detailed research
on companies of interest. And you have unprecedented opportunity to cost
effectively promote your qualifications to hundreds or even thousands of
hiring authorities of just a tiny fraction of the cost of doing so through
traditional methods. While the new skills you must learn may seem daunting
at first, by understanding the concepts and creating your electronic
resumes, you are well on your way to an efficient, effective Internet job
search.
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Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and
personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is the founder and executive
director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
Distinctive Web and her Executive VIP Services delivered through
http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of
executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with
all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search.
Michelle is also the author of the popular e-book 101 Before-and-After Resume
Examples found at http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com and Secrets of a
Successful Job Search found at http://www.distinctiveweb.com/jobsearchsecrets.html
To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career
marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources, visit her
websites.
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dumas http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Format-Your-Resume-For-Internet-Job-Searching&id=721952 |
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