Make Resume:
The Final Build
Before you are totally complete, you need to finish the Make Resume step, which is the final build of your resume before sending it out to employers, agencies and head-hunters.
There are various modifications and versions of your resume that you will probably need to prepare to be ready for most situations you are likely to encounter. The main ones are as follows:
Electronic Resume
This is normally taken to mean that it is sent to the employer or agency by electronic means such as email or an online form. The advantage is that it is efficient and may even get your resume considered quicker. However, it also means you lose a lot of the formatting and also the employer can delete, skip-over or reject it very quickly too!
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Searchable Resume
This means that the employer will search a data bank of resumes using keyword criteria to select resumes that best-fit the job vacancy. This is a very similar process to the one you also use in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, etc. It’s easy to see that if your resume does not contain the same keyword that the employer uses for selection criteria then you are effectively eliminated at this stage without even being viewed!
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ASCII Format
All word processors (such as MS Word, MS Works, etc) use special characters to provide the formatting. These characters often don’t get carried over to your email or other means of transmission, so your resume can end up rather a mess. So it’s wise to have a copy of your resume with a simplified formatting for just such occasions. This format is also very useful since it can be used for pasting into online job application sites such as Monster.com.
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Scannable Resume
This means that the printed resume is able to be photocopied, faxed or scanned and deciphered by an optical character reader (OCR). Since you want this to happen so your resume can be passed around quickly and easily, then it’s a good thing to strive for. Again, once the OCR has done its stuff, you need your resume to be searchable too with the appropriate keywords.
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Traditional Printed Resume
This is the hard-copy paper version that you might be expecting in your make resume step. It’s normally created with a standard word processor (such as MS Word, etc.) and it can look fantastic. However, before you send it off, it makes sense to be clear on who you are sending it to, and what kind of reception it will receive on arrival. It is very likely that somehow it will be copied or scanned and be input into a resume tracking system or resume bank.
The construction of this type of resume is fundamental to all other types although it is sometimes now only sent in addition to a scannable or electronic resume as a follow up. For all resume construction
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PDF Format
PDF stands for Portable Document Format and the readers for this format are commonplace on most people’s computers. Its advantage is that documents saved in this format are often more robust in retaining the look of your document and it's a useful step of the make resume process. However, when the employer receives such a document, it will probably need to be printed and scanned for inclusion in the employers or agencies resume bank and, of course, you need your resume to be searchable too with the appropriate keywords.
Web-Based Resume
Many people have the skills to create a simple, one-page web-site that can even be hosted for free. It will serve up your resume on a 24/7 availability basis for anyone to see. But some HTML experience can be a big advantage for the formatting.
It can be an advantage if the hosting site and your own page look professional, but may work against you if it doesn't meet your quality requirements. Also, it may lack the flexibility you need if you decide to tailor your resume for each job you apply for.
You can even host your resume on various social networking sites and get collect recommendations or references as an added bonus there too.
There are many web-based options to consider for this make resume step.
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