Create and Send an Email Resume

Create and Send an Email Resume

written by John Gilles on Thursday, April 05, 2001

Make your resume easy for potential employers to read.

If you want to get a job, email your resume first. Obvious advice, perhaps, but recent experience has shown me that even Internet professionals don't know how to make a good first impression by giving their potential employer an easy-to-read resume.

Often, an emailed resume isn't even read by an employer, which of course greatly reduces the sender's chances of getting the job. The most common problem is a simple one: incompatible file formats. Though most people use Microsoft Word, some don't. Then there are hardware differences, like the differences between Macs and PCs. Other obstacles include corporate firewalls and enterprise-wide proprietary email programs. Email attachments are iffy at best when sending from your computer to someone at a company. Don't stake your job prospects on the capability of someone's email client to decipher a MIME file.

Therefore, always email your resume in ASCII text only in the body of the email message. Here are some more pointers:

• Compose or copy your resume into a word processor like MS Word or WordPerfect and spell check it.
• Set margins so there's one inch on each side.
• Select all the text and put it in 12-point Courier font.
• Remove special characters like bullets and graphics.
• Save your resume as a "text only" file with line breaks.
• Cut-and-paste this ASCII resume into a text editor, such as SimpleText or Notepad, and review it. Special characters will appear as other, unwanted characters. Remove or replace them.
• Cut-and-paste the resume into your email program. You may want to send it to yourself at another email address or to a friend who can proofread it for spelling and grammar errors.
• If your resume looks good at this stage, cut-and-paste it into the body of the message you send to the prospective employer.
  

Here are some bonus tips on sending your resume electronically:

• Write a thoughtful cover letter. It's as important as the resume. Use it to market yourself without duplicating the resume. Format it as ASCII text, and cut-and-paste it into the email message above the resume. (As always, spell check it first.)
  
• Follow up with a hard copy in the mail to reinforce your original submission. Make it scanner-friendly by using a widely available font and by forgoing fancy graphics. (Many high tech companies scan resumes into a database.)
  
• Make a follow-up call to see whether both your emailed resume and its hard-copy version were received. This gives you another chance to ask for an interview and make a good impression.
  
• Use keywords relevant to the job you're seeking in both your cover letter and resume. This is particularly important for scanned resumes since database searches will hit on those keywords, but it's also important to show prospective employers your area of expertise.
  
• For Web-related jobs, send a URL for an online resume. Keep it simple (just one page), and provide contact information at the top.

John A. Gilles
650 Laporte Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94107

Employment history

Assistant Undersecretary for Pencil Sharpening, U.S. Government
Washington, D.C.
1997
Formulated federal policy on graphite-enabled writing implement. Mandated technical specifications including lead thickness, paint, and eraser durability. Specialist in No. 2 variety.

Driftwood Sculptor, self-employed
Carmel, California
1996-1997
Constructed free-hanging mobiles of found arboreal artifacts. Managed marketing and promotions, trade fairs, and flea markets. Innovated strategic implementation of new manufacturing best practices.

Itinerant Entertainer, Jim Rose Circus
Various locales
1989 to 1996
Entertained audiences by consuming large quantities of food in very short periods of time. World-record holder for consumption of hard-boiled eggs.

Consultant, several Fortune 500 companies
Akron, Ohio
1982-1988
Designed and executed enterprise-wide computing solutions for several major corporations. Integrated front-office and back-office functions through judicious application of large database solutions.

Cowherder
Healdsburg, California
1978-1981
Effected fulfillment of nutritional requirements of bovine individuals through carefully designed regimen of feeding cycles by rotating pasture locations.

References available upon request.