Sharing information is a wonderful thing. That's one of the reasons I love blogging. My passion for the topic of career management and transition allows me to uncover or collect all sorts of great information.
One resource I have found to be useful is CareerXroads. Their website has information for recruiting, hiring, HR folks, which gives us the inside scoop on what they are thinking. There is even a blog. Occasionally, they provide information geared towards the employee or job seeker. I came across an article on creating resumes to be read via electronic methods. It does a good job explaining why you will need to have several electronic versions of your resume. Here are the key reminders from the article:
Here are some tips for creating a résumé that can be accurately scanned and stored in all systems:
1. Always print your résumé on white or very light-colored paper. Never use colored or patterned paper for your scannable résumé.
2. Use 8 1/2 X 11 paper. Never use formats that are printed in a folder style or on 11 X 17 paper.
3. Send your résumé flat in a large envelope. Do not fold or staple it.
4. Use a standard sans serif typeface such as Helvetica or Arial.
5. Use a font that is 10 to 14 points in size.
6. Your name should be the very first line. Do not have any other information on this line.
7. Each phone number and e-mail address should be placed on a separate line and your address should be typed in standard format.
8. Don't ever condense spacing between letters to try to save space. Each letter should be separate and not touch.
9. It is okay to use boldface and capitals to highlight certain sections of your résumé, however, make sure the letters do not touch.
10. Never use underlines.
11. Don't use vertical lines, boxes, or graphics. Horizontal lines are generally okay, but make certain that they do not touch the text.
12. Most OCR software can handle bullets, but use them sparingly.
13. Always send crisp originals of your résumé. Photocopies and faxes do not scan well.
14. If the employer gives specific instructions for formatting your résumé, FOLLOW THEM!
The other thing to remember when you are sending your resume electronically is to name the attached file with your name such as " doejim.doc".
Developing a system to maintain and track your resumes will make this much easier and save time when you go to find your documents as well as posting them.
Technology is both a blessing and a curse. Remember the good old days when you just had to type your resume on a single sheet of paper (well, rolls of correction tape or bottles of whiteout later)?
If you have recommendations on how you organize your electronic resumes, please, let us know.
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