Designing a Scannable Resume
by
ResumeEdge.com
- The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service
What happens when you create a beautiful paper
resume and mail or fax it to a company that scans resumes into a
computerized database instead of forwarding it to a hiring manager
for review? It ends up in cyberspace instead of on someone's desk.
This automated process requires some special design considerations
in order to make your resume scanner friendly, which is what this
section addresses.
According to U.S. News & World Report, more than
1,000 unsolicited resumes arrive every week at most Fortune 500
companies, and before the days of applicant tracking systems and
resume scanning, 80 percent were thrown out after a quick review.
It was simply impossible to keep track of that much paper. As companies
downsize and human resource departments become smaller, it is even
more important to manage the job application and screening processes
in an efficient manner.
Today, nearly half of all mid-sized companies
and almost all large companies are scanning resumes and using computerized
applicant tracking systems (still just 30 percent of all job openings,
though). Some smaller companies turn to service bureaus to manage
their scanning or to recruiters who scan resumes because of the
volume of resumes they receive every day. If you are sending your
resume to one of these companies and your paper resume is not formatted
in such a way that a scanner can read it, the words won't be spelled
right. And, if the words aren't spelled right, a keyword search
will never turn up your resume.
This section is devoted to helping you avoid
the pitfalls that commonly cause a resume to scan poorly. This includes
choosing the right fonts, laying out the text of your resume in
such a way that it is scanner friendly, selecting the right paper
color, etc. With these guidelines, your resume will be ready for
a hiring manager's computerized keyword search.
If you would rather not worry about whether your
resume is scannable, then simply send your formatted resume (styled
any way you like) along with an unformatted (ASCII text) resume.
Your recipient will then have a choice whether to scan the "ugly"
one or to send the formatted one to the hiring manager for review.
You can never go wrong when you send both styles.
From Designing the Perfect Resume, by Pat Criscito.
Copyright 2000. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's
Educational Series, Inc.
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