Resume Tips

Submitting Your Resume Online

Many people still think the resume you put online is not the same document that you created to print out and mail to prospective employers or hand to interviewers.You do not need a different resume, you only need to alter the format of your resume to make it easy for you to post, copy and paste, or email it to employers.

You should keep duplicates of your resume in each of these versions or formats.

  1. A Print Version, designed with bulleted lists, italicized text, and other highlights, ready to print and mail or hand to potential contacts and interviewers.
  2. A Scannable Version, a less-designed version without the fancy design highlights. Bulleted lists are fine, but that's about the limit.
  3. A Plain Text Version, a plain text file ready to copy and paste into online forms or post in online resume databases. This might also be referred to as a Text-Only copy.
  4. An E-mail Version, another plain text copy, but this one is specifically formatted for the length-of-line restrictions in e-mail. This is also a Text-Only copy.
This is the same document presented in four ways, each formatted for a specific delivery purpose.

Why Plain Text?

  1. Spell-check: Preparing your resume in advance using your own word processing program allows you to spell-check your resume and revise it as needed until you are happy with it.
  2. Format: Most online forms and builders insist on a chronological resume, which focuses on work history. Career changers who would prefer a functional resume with its emphasis on skills will be at a disadvantage.
  3. Reusability: If you build it in their database using their form, you've done a lot of work for only one site, which means you will have to repeat your effort for every database you encounter. That's a lot of typing! Prepare it in advance on your own computer and you have it to use as much as you like.