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Personal Advancement

Build an online resume that employers want

For many job seekers, the Internet has become a valued tool, opening the door to a world of opportunities and delivering resumes at the click of a button. But don't be fooled. You may have bid farewell to costly resume paper and postage stamps, but creating an online resume can create headaches all its own.

LINDA WHITE

[ 2006-03-29 ]

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If you've ever opened an e-mail message littered with confusing symbols or annoying line breaks, you'll understand one of the challenges created by technology. At the same time, scanners may now be reading your resume and determining if you land an interview.

These advances mean you've got to adapt if you're going to get the most out of your job search. Sharon Graham, president and principal consultant at Graham Management Group and executive director of Career Professionals of Canada, suggests you begin by considering the four main types of online resumes:

WORD DOCUMENT, WHICH IS E-MAILED AS AN ATTACHMENT

The recipient should be able to read it and scan it so that it can be transferred to an applicant tracking system (database).

PDF OR ADOBE ACROBAT

This is an increasingly popular format that can't be edited. "It's almost like taking a picture of your resume," Graham says. "The benefit is that it's usually very pleasing to look at ... But the recruiter must have Adobe Acrobat in order to read it. More and more recruiters are asking for this format."

TEXT OR ASCII

Pronounced "ask-ee," it stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, and is cut and pasted into a job board box. "This is the most widely used format for posting on job boards or sending by e-mail," Graham says. "It's ugly, it's boring and has absolutely no formatting, but recruiters like it because they can put those characters in their database ... Once saved, you can cut and paste it into job boards, so it's a very worthwhile process."

HTML

"You need to be conversant in web programming to create an HTML resume, which is very innovative and usually has colours and links," Graham says. Ensure your page generates hits by including "meta tags" (which include information for search engines) and keywords.

Aside from formatting, the biggest difference between online and traditional resumes is the use of keywords -- phrases specific to a particular job. Companies are even using computerized scanning systems to read, process and track traditional resumes. Candidates with the right combination of keywords are considered top contenders.

Keywords are more likely to be nouns than verbs and should clearly communicate a job function, responsibility or accomplishment, Graham explains. "Manager," "communication," "safety" and "analysis" are just a few examples. Be sure to include keywords that address the following categories:

- Job title, such as "administrative assistant" and other titles a recruiter might use to describe that position;

- Skills and competencies, including soft skills, such as "team building" and "negotiation," and hard skills such as "report writing" or specific computer applications;

- Education credentials and certifications;

- Locations. Live in Toronto but want to work in Montreal? Ensure your resume includes the word "Montreal."

"A good strategy is to make a list of keywords for each category and incorporate them into appropriate places on your resume," Graham says. Familiarize yourself with keywords specific to your industry by studying relevant job postings and use exact words a recruiter may use. "Never misspell words. Recruiters just won't find them," Graham warns.

But a well-formatted resume loaded with keywords is just one piece of the puzzle. Because an employer or recruiter can receive thousands of resumes in response to just one posting, cover letters are more important than ever.

"Many candidates are completely qualified, but technical skills are only one part of the picture. A candidate's personality, their view of the world, is the other part," says career transition coach Anne Brunelle of Making Changes.

"The cover letter shows who you are ... Employers are looking for someone who fits their culture," she says. "You want to write something gracious and friendly; something that tells something about who you are and your philosophy. Let an employer know why you want to work in the field or why you're applying to their company. Perhaps you read on their website that they value customer service. Give them a sense of enthusiasm and forward looking."

Not up the challenge? Consider the assistance of a professional. "I believe a professional resume writer is your No. 1 chance for success," Graham says. "They know the right keywords and can look after technical aspects like creating an ASCII file."

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ONLINE RESUME QUICK TIPS

Steps to converting your resume to ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) text -- the most widely-used format for applying to online job boards -- and submitting a resume by e-mail:

1. Open your resume in a word processing program.

2. Ensure your contact information appears at the top of the document (remove it from subsequent pages).

3. Make sure your resume is rich in key words and phrases.

4. Change the font to Courier 10 pt for the entire document.

5. Convert columns and/or tables to read across the page from left to right.

6. Change the document margins to one inch on the left and 2.5 inches on the right.

7. Save the new file as a text document. When prompted, select line breaks.

8. Open your new file in text editor (Notepad for PC or Simpletext for Mac).

9. Don't worry if your resume looks messy -- you'll clean it up.

10. Insert line breaks by pressing the "Enter" key.

11. Use a series of symbols (+, * or -) to separate sections and add a stylistic element.

12. Use spaces to line up your text (especially in bulleted areas).