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PREPARE & DEVELOP JOB SEARCH

Build Your Resume

Resume Style | PRINT VS. ELECTRONIC | Write | Format & Review

Many employers require job candidates to apply online before an interview is scheduled.  Whether you respond to a job posted on a major job search site or a specific company’s employment website, you'll need some form of electronic resume such as a plain text version in addition to the traditional paper resume.

There are many different ways to send your resume and these days it is best to be prepared to use all of these options since different employers will have different preferences.  Make it your priority to know which method the employer prefers.

Print Resumes

Mail the traditional method of delivery is a hard copy document that is either laser printed or typeset.

Fax gets your printed resume to an employer quickly and easily. However, quality is often poor, so use this method only if requested or to meet a submission deadline.

Electronic Resumes

Email include your resume in the body of the email or attach it as a separate document. This method is helpful if you are meeting a deadline, but there are tradeoffs.

Including your resume within the body of the email limits your formatting options. You can enter the text into the email itself, or create a plain text resume using American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) in a text editor such as Notepad.

Attachments take longer to open and you only have a few seconds to catch the employer's attention. Some employers won't open attachments for security reasons. However, attachments offer more formatting options. Employers who accept resumes via e-mail may specify a document format to use such as Rich Text Format (.RTF) or Microsoft Word.

Online Many sites on the Internet provide a platform to create an online resume. You will want to have a plain text resume using ASCII for loading into online databases. This is the simplest format and can be read by anyone.

For tips on building electronic resumes, check out these sites:
www.careerinfonet.org
www.distinctiveweb.com
www.job-hunt.org
www.jobhuntersbible.com

www.brightsideresumes.com

Scannable Resumes pay special attention to any information regarding scannable resumes, a plain text version of your printed resume.  Employers commonly scan resumes to screen large numbers of job applicants for likely candidates. Once your resume is in electronic format, a computer program can search your scanned resume for certain terms and keywords. Content, not artistic value, matters the most.

Importance of Keywords you'll want to use keywords in the body of your resume. Keywords might include industry-specific skills, areas of expertise, skills, and anything else that matches an employer's needs and makes you stand out from the crowd.

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