Gone are the days when you printed your resume on good 24lb stationary and hoped for the best. Today, if the resume is complete and tightly written does it really matter whether it's sent through the mail or transmitted in some electronic form?
First, you'll find some significant differences between the electronic resume and the traditional paper resume. You might find success by just putting your traditional resume in electronic form and sending it in but your chances for success will be better if you pay attention to some possible small issues.
More and more employers are accepting electronic resumes so you have to be prepared to submit your resume in this format. And just like sending a resume and in the regular mail you want it to introduce you in the best manner possible.
Sending the electronic resume allows you to send the resume to the right person using email. You also are able to send the resume to numerous employers by using the information on a job or career web site. This method is growing in popularity and almost all larger employer use this method in one form or another.
This requires that you make some changes in how the resume is written and how it is presented. It doesn't matter if you send in the documents using simple text or a document image (such as PDF) but you must pay attention to the "keywords" used in the resume. The resume will be scanned and scored according to the use of particular keywords. The employer will use the keywords to find your resume when he uses an online search. Find the keywords in the job announcement, perhaps in the job description if available and other phrases commonly used in your field of work or in the particular industry. List the keywords and make sure they are appropriately used in your resume.
This method will assure when the employer searches databases and employment and job web sites for candidates, your resume will be flagged for an additional look. This gives you a competitive edge through the rewriting of your resume and including industry and job specific keywords.
Formatting and layout must also be treated differently when putting together an electronic resume. Do not italicize any words, use a neutral font (times new roman, arial) and no fancy bullet points. Some minor editing and careful proofreading will bring your resume up to a more than acceptable appearance. As a final check you might send the resume as an email attachment to a friend to be assured that the format comes through properly. Since you're sending the resume electronically don't neglect including your email address along with your other contact information.
With attention to detail and properly adding appropriate keywords, your electronic resume will scan well with the desired keywords and you'll be one step closer to a desirable job and career.
