Resumes Part I

 

In recent years, the methods used to process resumes and job applications have changed dramatically. Computer-based applicant management systems are becoming the norm, and most corporations now use the Internet as an important tool in their search for qualified job candidates.

When creating a resume, it is important to know how resumes are processed. ¹ The quality, style and content of your resume, combined with how your resume is processed, will affect the odds of a recruiter or employer contacting you.

Computers, optical character recognition (OCR) scanners, the Internet, email, and applicant-tracking software now process resumes and job applications that in the past were collected, retrieved and read only by human beings. The chances of a human being reading your resume or job application as the first step in the application process decrease every year.

For employers and recruiters, using computers instead of people to filter through resumes and applications is cost and time effective—and far more efficient. The larger the number of applicants, the greater the need to process and scan hundreds—even thousands—of resumes to find a few qualified people to interview.

There are several ways resumes are processed:

When a paper copy of a resume is received by a company, a person will quickly review the resume looking for key points—this might take 5-10 seconds. A decision will be made to do one of the following—

• Send the resume through an OCR scanner to read, convert and transmit the text to a computer with applicant-tracking software. A search of the database for specific keywords will identify resumes that warrant further review by a person.
• Read the resume in depth to decide if you fit the company’s needs.
• Store the paper copy in a filing system. You might be considered for other positions that match your background with the company’s needs.
• To throw the resume in the trash due to its sloppy appearance, bad grammar, misspelled words, typos or outrageous claims—all common resume blunders. ²

When a resume is sent by email, it is important to know—

• Just because you sent your resume by email does not mean anyone received it. Some companies, to avoid receiving viruses and other potential threats to their computer systems, block email with attachments or strip the contents from inside attachments.
• To avoid most problems, do not attach a resume file to email unless given instructions to do so. If instructed to send your resume in a specific format (such as Microsoft Word), this implies it can be as an attachment. Do not copy and paste your formatted resume into the body of email or in online forms. 
• Instead, convert the resume to ASCII text format (also called plain text) and spend time cleaning it up,³ including removing any tabs and rearranging text so different topics start on separate lines. Then, select, copy and paste the plain text version into the body of the email following a brief cover letter. ^{4, 5}
• Always type a message in the body of professional email. Do not leave it blank.
• Do not send the same email to more than one company at a time. Mass emails from applicants are rude, unprofessional, and could trigger spam filters.⁶

When you post your resume at a job board or online application—

• No one will find your resume by reading it, although someone might read it after a search of the applicant database.
• Computer software scans the database using a string of keywords⁷ that describe the background, education, skills, experience and personal attributes needed for the position and in an ideal candidate.
• The computer will compile a list of the applicants with the greatest number of “hits.”
• If your resume does not contain the right keywords or is not presented is a format that will work well in databases,⁸ it cannot be located in this type of search.
• A resume pasted into email and online forms must be in a plain text format.
• Your name should always be the first line of your resume, followed on separate lines by your contact information.

You have two versions of the same resume—

• A formatted resume that uses features such as boldfaced characters and bullets to focus a reader’s attention and provide a quick read. A formatted resume is created using a font and style that can be read well by OCR scanners.
• An ASCII plain text version that is stripped of all formatting—it looks as if it had been typed on a typewriter in courier elite (remember the days of pica and elite characters?).

A resume offering a brief overview of your work history and typed using creative fonts and graphics is no longer the most effective resume for today’s electronic applicant-tracking systems. While a person reading a resume can “read between the lines,” computers are exact and can do only what they are programmed to do.

Writing a winning resume is important, but knowing how resumes are processed is critical. Creating a resume in text format for today’s electronic world is not difficult; it is just a matter of knowing how important it is that you have one.
 

  

¹  Scannable Resume Technology

jobsearchtech.about.com/library/weekly/aa032403.htm

²  Common Resume Blunders

   content.monster.com/resume/resources/resumeblunders

³ Converting a Word Document to ASCII Text - the Long Way

   job-hunt.org/resumeASCII.shtml

⁴ Should I Include a Cover Letter With My Resume?

   jobsearchtech.about.com/careers/jobsearchtech/library/weekly/aa092997.htm

⁵  Tips for a Dynamic Email Cover Letter

   quintcareers.com/email_cover_letters.html

⁶ Don’t Let Spam Filters Snatch Your Resume

   careerjournal.com/jobhunting/resumes/20040413-maher.html

⁷  Scannable Resume Keywords

   jobsearchtech.about.com/library/weekly/aa032403-3.htm

⁸ Scannable Resume Format

   jobsearchtech.about.com/library/weekly/aa032403-2.htm