The ABCs of ASCII (plain text) Resumes

The ABCs of ASCII/Plain Text Resumes

Create a text resume for email Create a text resume for pasting into eforms How to email a text resume

Confused by all the different formats and vernacular when it comes to emailing or posting resumes online? First and foremost, you'll need to know about ASCII, which stands for American Standard Code of Information Interchange. The acronym is pronounced ask-ee (as opposed to ask-two or ask-eye). ASCII uses a character set that can be interpreted by virtually every operating system and guarantees file compatibility.

The term most often associated with ASCII is "text." When employers ask for your "text resume," they want an ASCII resume. Synonyms for a text resume include plain text, simple text, text only, and text with line breaks. The primary feature of a text resume is its "plain-ness," or lack of formatting enhancements. In other words, no bold, italic, fancy bullets, special fonts, indented text, and the like. Conversely, when employers ask for a "formatted resume," they want a word-processed document, typically in MS Word format.

Different job-search circumstances will require different file formats. If you are pasting the resume into the body of an email message, the "Text Only with Line Breaks" format is best. If you are pasting the resume into e-forms or online "resume builders" commonly found at career Web sites, a "Text Only" file format (without line breaks) will provide better results.

How to Create a
Text Resume to Send in E-Mail

To create an ASCII resume with line breaks for pasting into an email message, follow these directions:

1. Open your MS Word formatted resume (the traditional version). Make any changes, such as adding a category devoted to keywords.
   
   
2. Change the margins for the entire document to 1 inch on the left and 2.5 inches on the right. (This will shorten the line length and enable most email programs to view the document without scrolling repeatedly to the right and left.)
   
   
3. Change the font to Courier 10 pt for the entire document.
   
   
4. Save the file, using a DIFFERENT file name, such as resume4email. Click File, Save As. Choose Text Only with Line Breaks, then click Save.
   
   
5. Open the Windows text editor program, Notepad, to clean up the new file. Make sure that bullets converted properly, add space between paragraphs to improve readability, and eliminate gaps within lines caused by tabs or indents.
   
   
6. Save the changes in Notepad by clicking File, Save.
   

Before emailing the resume, it's a good idea to check and see how it holds up. Open Notepad, then copy and paste the file into an email message. To get an idea of how the resume will look once delivered, send the file to both yourself and a friend who uses a different email program.

How to Create a Text
Resume to Paste into an E-Form

To copy and paste your resume into online e-forms at job-search sites or company Web sites, it's best to use a Text Only resume (without line breaks). To create this format, follow the instructions below:

1. Open your MS Word formatted resume (the traditional version). Make any changes, such as adding a category devoted to keywords.
   
   
2. Save the file, using a DIFFERENT file name, such as resume4eforms. Click File, Save As. Choose Text Only, then click Save.
   
   
3. Open Windows' text editor program, Notepad, to clean up the new file. Make sure that bullets converted properly, add space between paragraphs to improve readability, and eliminate gaps within lines caused by tabs or indents.
   
   
4. Save the changes in Notepad by clicking File, Save.

How to Send a Text Resume by E-Mail

There are several methods to accomplish this task. Here's one way:

1. Launch Notepad and open the file (resume4email.txt).
   
   
2. Click Edit, Select All.
   
   
3. Right-click and select Copy.
   
   
4. Launch your email program and start a new email.
   
   
5. With the cursor blinking in the body of the email message, right-click and select Paste (or click Ctrl V to paste).
   
   
6. Address the email and fill in the subject line. Click Send.
   

At first, you may feel that there is a lot to remember. Take heart! After practicing a few times, you'll be able to zip a resume off to an employer in less than 30 seconds.

ASCII Resume Sample

PAMELA JONES

301 S.W. Oak #342
Walla Walla, Washington 97988
(206) 555-5555
careerfolio@aol.com
www.careerfolio.com/pamjones

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
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APPLICATIONS / BUSINESS ANALYST with solid skills in systems development, user support, technical troubleshooting, quality assurance, problem solving, and documentation. Ten years' previous business experience provided first-hand knowledge of diverse business operations and management information requirements.

* Skilled in determining system requirements and specifications for complex application development projects.

* Able to communicate effectively with multifunctional teams, programmers and technical staff at all levels.

* Strong customer service orientation. Experienced in consulting with users, resolving problems and meeting
specific technical and business needs.

* Effective project manager with ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.

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TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE
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Microsoft Windows 3.x, 9x, and NT, DOS, Microsoft Office, Corel Office Suite, Microsoft Project, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, Flow Chart, IBM Client Access, LAN / WAN, Rumba, Visual Basic, IBM AS/400

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EXPERIENCE
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WASHINGTON JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
Walla Walla, Washington

Systems Analyst (1996-Present)

* Assess users' needs to determine functional and business requirements for new software applications.

* Developed system requirements for new division of the Washington Tax Court. Completed extensive research and analyzed statutes for required fields.

* Conduct and document QA testing on all newly developed applications.

* Work closely with onsite managers to coordinate multiple software installations.

* Create training manuals for new applications and develop help files to meet needs of specific users.

* Provide training and technical support to users throughout the state of Washington.

* Promoted from ...

Business Analyst (1994-1996)

* Hired specifically to resolve onsite operational issues during major conversion project (affecting county / state computers and numerous data fields). Proposed innovative solutions that resolved workflow problems.

* Maintained ongoing communication with the Information Systems (IS) Department.

* Created new procedure manuals to ensure consistent
workflow.

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PREVIOUS BUSINESS EXPERIENCE - Ten years
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Founded, managed, and operated various successful small businesses. Developed and administered company policies. Created business and marketing plans. Conferred with attorneys, accountants, and marketing staff to ensure that company goals were met.

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EDUCATION
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Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
B.S. Degree, Computer Science (1994)

* Graduated Magna Cum Laude
* Golden Key National Honor Society

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AFFILIATIONS
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Project Management Institute