Overview of Electronic Resumes

An electronic resume is similar to a traditional resume, which includes information about education, work experience, activities, honors and any special skills.  Some companies scan job seekers’ resumes to their databases and use their computers to screen out desired candidates. Make sure to include keywords and nouns for your profession to make your resume noticeable when being screened by a computer. Avoid using fancy fonts, underline, italics, and large graphics the computer will not scan well. See our “Keyword” section below for more detailed guideline.

Transmitting Electronic Resumes:

You may electronically submit your resume to the employers through three ways: Save & Upload to a Website, Copy and Paste in an Email, Attached with an Email.

Save & Upload to a Website: Few popular online resume formats used widely today are PDF, Word Document, PlainText and HTML.

PDF: We suggest that you save and upload a PDF file to the website. PDF format is not browser dependent and will look the same regardless of the user’s browser. However, PDF cannot be edited by common word processing editors. Please also remember to save an additional file for editing purpose.  

Word Document: Be careful that employers might not have the same software program you used to open your file. For example, an employer will not be able to open a Word 2007 file if he/she still uses Word 97-2003 program. If you use Word 2007, you can still save your document as a Word 97-2003 file.

Plain Text: Plain Text format, is commonly used for sending your resume through an email or posting your resume to an online job search site and a company’s online database.

General Rules for Converting Resumes to Plain Text:

• Avoid centering information on the document
• Make sure that all information is left justified
• Eliminate all bullets and replace with an Plain Text Character ( * or - )
• Make sure that there are no extra tabs or character returns in the document
• Try not to group too much info. Put spaces between headings

Tip: It is always a good idea to copy your resume into a text editor or save as a text file and format the resume in a text editor. Avoid copying and pasting directly from your word processing software into an online text box.

HTML: A text in HTML format is written as a web document. Be careful that HTML online resumes may display differently, depending on the user’s browser settings.

General Rules for Online resumes in HTML format:

• Be careful, check your code and view the resume on various browsers
• Tables can be used effectively for formatting the content. 
• Stick to common fonts like Times New Roman or Arial.
• HTML Editors, Microsoft® FrontPage® can be helpful in developing HTML resumes.
• Check to see how your resume looks using various font sizes in the browser.

Copy & Paste in an E-mail: It is simple and most employers can access it. However, be cautious that you do not know what format and style will show up on employers’ screen. To select a format for your e-mail, use the formatting option on your e-mail program (Outlook, Eudora, etc.)

Some additional tips when sending your resume through an email:

• Read and follow the application instructions if responding to a job posting. Failing to follow application instructions can delay your application process. Employers might also label you as someone who is not detailed-oriented. Be sure to follow the instruction. For example, they might specify an email address and job code to use. They might also ask you to send your resume as a Word attachment.
• Use the right Subject. If you are responding to a job posting, use the job title or job code cited in the posting to help your e-mail be recognized and routed to the appropriate person.  If you are "cold calling" an employer, include few words stating your objective in the Subject line.
• Include a cover letter in your email and address it to the recipient. Note that it does not encourage anyone to look at you resume by stating “Here's my resume, please tell me if you have any jobs I might fill.” A cover letter will introduce you, specify how you meet the needs of the employer, and will encourage the recipient to read your full resume.
• Make sure your resume is properly formatted for e-mail. Make sure your resume will look as good as on all computers and in all e-mail systems as it does on your screen. Using shorter text lines, spacing between sections, and text-based highlights helps. An Unreadable resume will most likely be deleted. For example, Plain Text resumes that are not formatted for e-mails can be unreadable.

Attached with an E-mail: You can e-mail your resume as an attachment by saving it as a Word, PDF or HTML document. Attachment allows your resume look like you want it to as far as format and styling go. However, be cautious with the compatibility issue. Employers might not have the same software program to open your file. Employers might also not open the attachment for fear of viruses or because of company policy. Sending your resumes as a PDF attachment will be the most compatible option. In addition, note that some employers might not like to do extra work in order to get to know you.

Formatting Tips for Electronic Resumes:

Sending your resume through an e-mail: Other than saving a PDF file, these formatting tips will also help your resume appear in the way you want it.

Font Type:

• Use simple and common type font.
• Use standard serif fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier, and Palatino or sans serif fonts such as Arial, Futura, and Univers.
• Use a font size of 10 to 12 points.
• Avoid fancy font styles such as italics, underline, and shadows.
• Boldface and capital letters are acceptable as long as the letters do not touch each other.
• Avoid condensing the space between letters because they may touch.

Margins/columns: The line length of your text is suggested to be sixty-five characters or less with one-inch left and right margins. This format allows you to create a twelve-point mono spaced font. The Two Column format for resumes usually does not work well with this format because it is hard to make two attractive columns out of line that is only sixty-five characters long.

Length: Typically, college students are usually encouraged to have one full page of resume. Unless you've been asked for a detailed resume, don't expand it beyond two pages.

Uploading a resume to a job website or a company’s database: Be sure to include some keywords that help your resume be recognized by the computer screen system.

Keywords: Create a Keyword section or embed some unique words in your resume that highlights your skills or strengths that potential employers can search for in the résumé database. For example, you may embed keywords such as leadership skills, interpersonal skill and team player for a position in business filed. You may use keywords from software applications and programming languages, such as Java, Flash and XHTML for a computer programmer position. Research the industry or position you are interested in will help you become familiar with the keywords in that particular industry. Also try to incorporate the keywords that appear in the job description in describing your qualifications if it is possible.

Do &  Don’t Checklist:

Do

• Emphasize Nouns (Keyword)
• Use a straightforward and easy-to-read font
• Use appropriate white space
• Use language of industry to maximize “hits”
• Keep it 1 page, 2 pages maximum for new graduates
• Spell Check and proofread for grammatical errors
• Open your file once again after uploading or send to yourself to make sure it appears the right way
• Keep your online resume up- to- date if allowing employers to access it

Don't

• Use fancy font that can turn into squiggles when uploaded
• Use underlining, bold, italics and graphics
• Use abbreviation or language that is not commonly known
• Include personal information, such as marital status, ethnic background, religious affiliations, personal interests, past or present health problems