There are two main ways to send a resume to an employer: by uploading it to the employer's website or to a resume bank, or by sending it to the employer via e-mail. Faxing or mailing your resume is almost a thing of the past because employers rely heavily on software programmes that scan resumes for key words that match the jobs they have open. But for interviews, you need a printed resume. So, as professionals, we pretty much need two versions of our resumes. Even though there are a lot of resources for writing a resume in a more traditional format, many professionals don't know how to make an electronic resume that will stand out. Here are some dos and don'ts to help you out.
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# DO turn your resume into a plain text file. Even though you want some parts of your resume to stand out, you should still have a plain text (.txt) file of it. Most employers want a plain text file because they can run it through software that looks for key words related to the jobs they are offering. When making a text file, make sure to format the resume. Check the spacing and fix any lines of text that don't look right.
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# DO what your potential employer tells you to do. Do not send an attachment if the employer asks you to send your resume in the body of the email. Copy and paste the plain text resume you have created into the body of the email; take the time to check for potential formatting changes. Don't try to change the way the text looks by making some parts of your resume bold or by changing the size or type of the font. Even though you may have an email editor that lets you do this, your potential employer may only be able to read plain text. Stick to the basics if you want your resume to get through.
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#DON'T save your resume in PDF format. This file type is usually bigger than most electronic resumes and isn't used very often, so your potential employer may just throw away your email.
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# DO send your electronic resume to a few friends via email to test it out. They can tell you how your resume looks to them because they may use a different email service or have different software than you. This will help you find any formatting problems and fix them so that your resume is in great shape when it gets to potential employers.
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#DON'T assume that putting your resume in the body of an email is the only thing you need to say to a potential employer. Even if your resume is copied into the email, you should still send a cover letter to tell the employer more about yourself. But since your address will be at the top of the email, you can start your resume with a career objective instead of putting your name and address in the heading.
