Electronic Resume Formats

 

Though the content of your resume remains the same, whether you send it by e-mail, by fax, over the Web or by snail mail, you will need to put your resume into several distinct formats:

1. A fully-formatted text resume (created in word-processing software, such as Microsoft Word). Most people start by creating a fully-formatted resume and then convert that resume to the other two electronic formats.
2. A plain-text resume, (also know as an ASCII resume) when applying for jobs by e-mail or submitting your resume via a form on the Web.
3. A scannable resume, printed on paper, in a format that can be easily scanned into a computer database. (NOTE: scannable resumes are rarely needed these days. See below.)

Plain-text resume

Also known as an "ASCII" resume (pronounced "ASK-ee"), this is the plainly formatted, unadorned resume you send over the Internet.

Use a plain-text resume for the following situations:

1. When you are applying for a job through an e-mail link (or when an employer has asked you to e-mail them a resume). You place your plain-text resume in the body of the e-mail message, preceded by your cover letter. Never send a resume as an attachment to your e-mail, unless an employer specifically instructs you to do so.
2. When entering a resume onto most resume databases on the Web. (A few job sites, such as Net-Temps and JobOptions.com, allow you to upload your Microsoft Word resume to their database.)

Click here for instructions on converting your Microsoft Word resume to e-mail format.

Scannable resume

This is a paper resume that an employer can physically scan into a resume database, to be retrieved later by computer. Scannable resumes contain no extra formatting - no bullets, no italics, no bold, no underlining, no fancy fonts and no tabbed columns.

Few employers go to the trouble and expense of scanning paper resumes into a computer database. When an employer requests that you send a resume through the postal system, ask if they would prefer a fully-formatted resume or a scannable resume. If you do not know the answer, you may want to send both types, and add the words "Scannable Resume" at the bottom of that resume.

 

A scannable resume is a paper resume that will be scanned onto a computer database using Optical Character Recognition software. In order for the employer's computer to recognize your text, it must be simple and unadorned.

Keywords

Resumes are retrieved from databases using keyword searches, so your scannable resume should contain a keyword section just below your objective. For more information on keywords, click here.

Fonts and characters

1. Avoid boldface, italicizing, script, shading, graphics, borders, and underlining.
2. Don't use any special characters, such as bullets (use asterisks or hyphens, if you wish, but make sure they are separated from any words by a space).
3. Use 10-14 point common sans serif fonts such as Helvetica, or use clean popular serif fonts like Times Roman or Palatino as a second choice.
4. Avoid slashes ("design/develop").
5. Avoid compressing spaces between letters.
6. Don't put parentheses around an area code, as some scanners have trouble reading them correctly. (NOTE - when creating an e-mail resume, you should use parentheses around area codes.)

Spacing, lines, and section headings

1. Your name should be the first line of your resume. Category headings ("EDUCATION," "EXPERIENCE," etc.) should also occupy their own line.
2. If your scannable resume is longer than one page, put your name at the top of the second page on a separate line.
3. Each line of your address should occupy a separate line.
4. If you are listing two addresses (such as "College Address" and "Permanent Address"), list one below the other, rather than one address on the left and one on the right (text is read by a computer across the page). If you need to conserve space on your scannable resume, you can list one entire address on one line, though some scanning systems may have trouble with this.
5. You may use capitals to set off a section, such as EDUCATION.
6. Always put a line or two of space after the end of each job description.
7. Do not use horizontal or vertical lines. Computers will try to read lines and may blur them into characters. Vertical lines may be confused with the letter "I."
8. Avoid complex layouts, tables or columns.
9. If you are unsure whether an employer prefers a scannable resume or a fully-formatted text resume, send both and add the words "Scannable resume" at the bottom of that resume.

Printing and paper

1. Print your resume on a laser printer (avoid dot-matrix printers--this applies to any resume).
2. White, ivory or off-white paper is acceptable.
3. Don't fold a scannable resume - send it flat and without staples (use a paper clip to hold it together).
4. If you fax your resume, turn on the fine print feature on your fax machine.