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Electronic Resumes

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Teresa Brashear
Electronic Resumes

There are a few tips to keep in mind when you are writing a resume that is to be delivered electronically.

Via Email
Some resume experts claim that you should never send a resume as an email attachment. I disagree with this. If you send your resume in the text of an email, it will lose all of the formatting that makes it a visually appealing document.
When sending an email to the company, put your name and the word “Resume” or “Application” in the subject heading so that the contents of the email are evident at a glance. If possible, also add the title or reference number of the position you are applying for. You can turn to executive resume writing service, if you have problems with resume writing.
Send your cover letter as the text of the email and your resume as an attachment. Use a Rich Text extension (.rtf) so that your file will be able to be opened on most computers. Check your file on various computers to make sure that your formatting stays the same. Try emailing your resume to yourself and using a library computer, or asking friends.
Most importantly, use whatever format your prospective employer requests. If the job description says, “No attachments” or “Please attach a resume,” then follow the directions. Your prospective employer will want to know that you are a good reader or listener who is attentive to details. Getting the details right sends a great impression.
Although fancy formatting might look good on a printed resume, you should minimize the amount of formatting on an electronic resume (such as bulletpoints and font changes) so that your resume will retain a consistent look even if it is opened on a less compatible computer.

Scannable Resumes
Many companies scan your resume. This means that they use a computer to convert your print resume into a computer file. However, in this process, your resume loses all of its formatting. You can ask your prospective employer if your resume will be scanned. If your resume will be scanned, here are some things that you can do to ensure that your presentation is as professional and error-free as possible.

Remove all formatting. This means taking out all of the bold, italics, and other fancy aspects. You can do this by highlighting your resume and clicking “Clear Formatting” in the format bar of MSWord.
Take out bullets. You can replace bullets with asterisks (*) or dashes (-).
Remove any lines. If you have lines between the sections of your resume, or to divide your contact information from your resume, you need to take them out.
Use a basic font. Courier New is a simple, computer-friendly font.
Left-align everything. Make sure that nothing is centered.
Re-space your document. Place a blank line between each section.
Print and proofread again. You will need to proofread your final resume separately to make sure that it meets these criteria and is organized.
Your scannable resume is not going to be as visually appealing as your hard copy resume. This is because it is going to be read by computers and not people. Be sure that you have included many keywords in your field because this is what people will search for once they have scanned your resume. Keywords are often nouns (such as “administrative assistant” or “AutoCAD”), so be sure to keep your resume full of pertinent job descriptions (even if not your official job title) and tools that you are able to use. It is a good idea to use keywords even if your resume is not going to be scanned.
If you know your resume is going to be scanned and you have the option of emailing it or handing in a hard copy, choose to email it. Email is already more computer friendly, and will help to prevent character recognition errors in scanning.

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