Career Advice

Within the past few years there has been a complete re-organization of the rules for job hunting. It was less than ten years ago that applicant tracking technology came into common use. Today, it is estimated that well over 50% of large and medium organizations are using this technology. Even the smaller companies (those with less than 500 employees) are joining the game. Although very few actually have their own systems, more and more are using independent resume database services such as the Worldwide Resume/Talent Bank and Job Bank USA.

What does this mean for today's job hunter? For those who have not taken the time to learn and apply the rules it can mean disaster! For example, the old rules dictated that it was to the advantage of the job-hunter to submit multiple resumes to the same employer. Each of these resumes were written to accentuate a different skill set, effectively allowing an individual to apply for different positions within the same company. Because the resumes were kept in paper format and filed away in separate drawers, there was little chance that anyone would ever make the connection between John Doe the Financial Manager and John Doe the Marketing Specialist. Today, However, each of John Doe's resumes will be scanned and electronically stored in the company's applicant tracking system. These duplicate resumes will be easily spotted and John Doe will be labelled as a person without a clear objective or even worse as a sneaky, desperate, or deceitful person. At interview time he will be skipped over for an applicant with a more defined objective.

Another important difference is the focus of your resume. The traditional resume (yes, it does still have a place in the job-hunting game) is designed to attract the human eye and attention while the byte-able resume is designed to attract the computers attention. Miss this point and the effects could be severe...you might send out hundreds of resumes only to sit at home and wonder why nobody, not even one company, has called you for an interview. There are important differences between a traditional and a byte-able resume and if you don't understand these differences you will make it into very few - if any - resume databases.

Clearly, as a job hunter today it is absolutely essential that you understand and apply the new rules of the game. Hopefully, this article will help you do just that, by answering some of the most common questions asked about byte-able resumes.

RESUME FORMATS

What is the difference between a keyword, scannable, traditional, and a text resume?

A traditional resume is designed, as we already said, to attract and hold the attention of the reader.  The layout and design are very important as is a focus on power verbs such as recruited, coordinated, implemented, etc.  A scannable resume, on the other hand, is designed to be accurately scanned into a computer as an image and then to be fed through OCR software which reads and extracts the text of your resume.  This text is then stored in the applicant tracking system.  A text resume is just what the name implies, an ASCII text version of either your traditional or scannable resume.  This text version of your resume can be uploaded to online resume databanks such as the
Worldwide Resume/Talent Bank or it can be emailed directly to employers.  A keyword resume refers most often to either a scannable or a text resume that focuses mainly on nouns and phrases that employers are likely to use when searching for an applicant with your skills.  Often the keyword resume has a section at the top called a keyword summary that lists the keywords separated by either commas or periods.  Still confused? Our recommendation is to simply maintain three separate versions of your resume:

1.  A traditional resume - If you are absolutely certain that an employer doesn't utilize an applicant tracking system you should send your traditional resume.  It is worth a call to the human resources department to learn how they handle resumes but if you still can't find out, you have two choices:
a)  Send both a traditional resume and a scannable resume (cover all bases).
b)  Send the scannable resume and bring a copy of your traditional resume when you are called for an interview.

2.  A scannable resume - As described above, when you know or suspect that an employer makes use of applicant tracking you should always send a scannable resume. You may also decide to send a traditional resume as a supplement.  Whatever you decide, ALWAYS write your scannable resume in keyword format to maximize its searchability. 

3.  An ASCII text resume - Always have an up-to-date text version of your resume on disk.  This is the fastest way to contact potential employers and to apply for jobs advertised online.  You must also have a text version of your resume if you wish to post in online resume databanks.  Because these text versions of your resume will almost always end up in a searchable database, you should ALWAYS use a keyword format.

PREPARING BYTE-ABLE RESUMES

What do I need to know about writing keyword resume?

Keywords are generally nouns or phrases that an employer will use when searching for an applicant with your skills.  To maximize the chances of your resume receiving a hit during a search, you will want to use as many keywords in your resume as you can. 

1. Keywords should focus on  technical and professional areas of expertise, industry-related jargon, and your work history.  Also include the names of associations and organizations you belong to. 


2. Whenever possible, use synonyms of keywords in different parts of your resume and if you use initials for a term in one section, spell the term out in another.  This is where the keyword summary becomes useful.  If you use the initials B.A. in the education section of your resume, spell it out, Bachelor of Arts, in the keyword summary. 


3. Always be specific.  For example, while it may be fine to include the phrase  "computer literate", you will also want to list the specific software that you are proficient with. 

Unfortunately, it is impossible to give any specific list of the best keywords to use in your resume as this depends largely on your career objective.  What is certain however, is that a well prepared keyword resume is so important to your success in resume Tracking systems that if you have any doubts at all you should consult with a professional resume writer.

How do I maximize the scannability of my resume?

Again, keep in mind the reason that your resume will be scanned (to store it in an applicant tracking system) and how it will be searched (by keywords), and then write your resume in keyword format.  Here are some other tips for creating a resume that can be accurately scanned:

1. Always print your resume on white or very light-colored paper.  Never use colored or patterned paper if your resume might be scanned.


2. Use 8 1/2 X 11 paper.  Never use the trendier formats that are printed in a folder style or on 11 X 17 paper.


3. Send your resume flat in a large envelope.  Do not fold or staple it.


4. Use a standard typeface such as Helvetica, Times, or Arial.


5. Use a font that is 10 to 14 points in size.


6. Your name should be the very first line on your resume.  Do not have any other information on this line.


7. Each phone number 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 O.K. to use boldface and capitals to highlight certain sections of your resume, however, make sure the letters do not touch.


10. Never use italics or underlines.


11. Don't use vertical or horizontal lines, boxes, or graphics.


12. Most OCR software can handle bullets but use them sparingly if at all.


13. If you fax your resume, always use fine mode.  Whenever possible, mail your resume rather than faxing.


14. Always send crisp originals of your resume.  Photocopies do not scan well (You should never send photocopies anyhow).


15. Make your resume as long (within reason) as it needs to be.  Your ultimate goal is to maximize the searchability of your resume after it is entered into the applicant tracking system.  Be concise, but include all the information that needs to be included.

How do I prepare an ASCII text version of my resume?

Preparing a text version of your resume is not difficult, but again, in almost all cases, this resume should be in keyword format.  To prepare it properly, follow these simple steps:

1. Using your word processing program, create your resume and save it as a "text" document. If it is already created, use the Save As function to save a copy as a "text" document.


2. Align all text flush to the left-hand margin.


3. Remove all "centering," "right hand margin," and "justification" alignments.


4. Remove all graphics and artwork.


5. Remove all special character formatting, such as bolding, underlining, and italicizing of text.


6. Remove all tab characters.


7. Remove all columns.


8. Carefully check the spelling and the accuracy of your data.


9. Make your lines no longer than 70 characters long.