How to Create a Great Electronic Resume

After creating the perfect resume, you then need to distribute it. You'll likely be sending some professionally printed hard copies, especially to "A list" companies or organizations you've set your sights on. But just as likely, you'll be distributing other copies electronically.

Presuming you've written a great resume to begin with, here's what you really need to know about your electronic version:

1. It must be searchable.

2. It must be in ASCII format.

Searchable:

Someone searching the Internet resume banks for the perfect candidate (you) needs to be able to weed out all the unqualified candidates, which potentially number in the tens of thousands nowadays. Typically, they'll enter search terms intended to eliminate the vast majority of posted resumes and select the most promising. They do this much as one might perform an Internet search on Google or another search engine, by entering key word search terms

Their search might be limited to a certain geographical area, a certain skill set or qualification, or a certain job description, among obvious search categories.

The geographical part is easy - your contact information will help someone looking for a software designer in San Francisco Bay area or a pretzel maker in Milwaukee find you if you are qualified and live in the right part of the world.

However, if you have technical qualifications that can be searched in different ways - "Bachelor of Science" and "B.Sc." for example, your resume should use both variants so that a search engine finds you either way.

And if you possess job experience that's highly relevant to the job in question, be sure to describe it in the most common ways that it would likely be searched on.

Tip: Read through your completed resume and see if you can't describe qualifications, degrees, or job titles in multiple alternative ways throughout the resume. This will increase the chances you'll be found in an online search.

ASCII Format:

Your professionally laid out and formatted paper resume may end up looking like gibberish if simply transformed into an electronic copy. Programs like Word allow you to format nice looking documents with features such as tabs, bullets, centering, bold, italic and other word processing niceties.

Unfortunately, when converted to electronic form, many of these word processing features are lost. Worse, what's left over may bear no resemblance to the exquisite resume that you labored over to produce.

Fortunately, there is an easy solution. You can prepare a simple text version in a text editor like Notepad or any of the dozens of other text editors out there. In this case, you'll replace many of these text effects. For example, you'll replace bullets with asterisks, word wrap with a hard carriage return, and tabs and justification effects with simple spaces.

Another solution is to use a program specifically designed for writing resumes like WinWay Resume Express. (See the "Do It Yourself Resumes" page at www.Impressive-Resumes.com to learn more about this inexpensive handy program.) It features an easy way to transform your resume into a searchable electronic version with very little effort after you've created the word processing formatted version.

No matter which method you use, be sure you've taken these simple preparations for electronic distribution before you hit "send." This will greatly increase the chances that your resume will reach its intended audience.

Copyright 2005 by Vincent Czaplyski, all rights reserved.

You may republish this article in its entirety, as long as you include the complete signature file above without modification.

Copywriter and consultant Vincent Czaplyski is founder of http://www.impressive-resumes.com, your online source for professionally written "industrial strength" resumes and cover letters guaranteed to land you an interview.

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Thankk-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career

There is one little practice that is vital to generating... Read More

How I Joined the Outsourcing Revolution

Mention "outsourcing" to a programmer and you may as well... Read More

The Top Ten Strategies of A Great Interview

You've just received a call to interview with your dream... Read More

Unlimit Your Life!

Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes?Is everything... Read More

Getting Started: 5 Things You Need to Decide When You Get Started with a Job Search

There are few things more frustrating for a headhunter than... Read More

Become A Personal Trainer

Every human body is different and a personal trainer will... Read More

Relocation Issues...Who Will Pay?

In light of recent unemployment figures, and a continual downturn... Read More

Get Your Dream Job!

Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a... Read More

Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?

Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to... Read More

Seriously Impress at Your Interview With These 7 Hot Tips

So you've managed to secure a job interview for a... Read More

Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed

If your job search is dragging on and on, you... Read More

Make The Right Career Move

It is not realistic for HR Managers to believe that... Read More

So you want to work at home

There are several ways to work from home. Some of... Read More

Make Your Resume Keyword Rich and Scanner Friendly

If you haven't looked for a job recently, there are... Read More

Ive Got the Big Bad B Word on My Job!

That "B" word---B O R E D O M.How did... Read More

The Hidden Agenda of Interviews

It's Not What They Ask - The Hidden Agenda of... Read More

Prepare for Your Performance Review Before You Start the Job

When you start a new job, you probably realize the... Read More

Talented People

I was asked last week for an article about employment,... Read More

Seven Deadly Types of Job Recruiters

Collect them all!Over the course of six months in my... Read More

Job Interviews: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression

Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important... Read More

Spiritual Practices Offer Peace and Acceptance

Facing career transitions and daily life challenges can leave us... Read More

Counter-Offers: Do They Merit Consideration?

You are one of the fortunate few who have not... Read More

How To Deal With A Nightmare Boss

It can happen to anyone. there's a change in the... Read More

Tackling Your Unemployment Creatively

Are you unemployed or been laid off? You are not... Read More

Choose Your References Wisely!

So, you need to submit employment references. A simple task,... Read More

How To Write A Resume, Avoid These Resume Mistakes

HOW TO WRITE A RESUME-MISTAKE #1NEVER USE THE WRONG PAPER!... Read More

Power Resumes ? Writing Your Objectives

A powerful resume starts with a good statement of objective.... Read More

Finding Freelance Writing Jobs - Join Us On The Job Search

Finding freelance writing jobs require great skill, dedication and lots... Read More

Learn How To Network for HIDDEN Jobs

I'll quickly cover the following:A) Why Network With People? B)... Read More

Signs of a Healthy Work Environment

There's no denying that a healthy work environment is a... Read More

Your Resume is Just One of the Tools in Your Job Search

A resume is a tool. It allows employers to see... Read More

Six Factors That Can Cost You the Interview/Job

Most job seekers know that an unprofessional appearance will count... Read More

Update Your Resume Today

A friend was just promoted to a position of vice-president... Read More