Free The Resume.Com Guide to Writing Unbeatable Resumes by Warren Simons, Rose Curtis Page A

loses in attractiveness, it makes up for in practicality. Whether an employer is using a Mac or a personal computer (PC), your resume will be read. You can create your own ASCII conversion by following a few simple steps.

     
    Then, choose Text Only with Line Breaks and save.

     
    Next close the document and then open up the text version. Your new document will have lost most of its formatting and will look something like this:

    The first step in correctly formatting the ASCII version is to change all the bullets, which probably will have turned into question marks (?), into asterisks (*). You can do this by going to Edit and selecting the Find option. Then select Replace in this window. Then enter the question mark (?) to be replaced by the asterisk (the asterisk is shift-8) and choose Replace All.

USE 65 CHARACTERS PER LINE
     

     

    Make sure that all dashes are still dashes and that the dates are aligned. Now copy and paste the formatted ASCII resume into the e-mail you send to hirers. This formatted document should be cut and pasted directly below your cover letter.

    We recommend e-mailing the resume to yourself first to verify that the formatting is clear. This highly readable version, you’ll notice, won’t be as attractive as a nicely formatted resume, but sometimes it’s a matter of form following function.
Optical Character Recognition and the ASCII Resume
     
    Another benefit of the ASCII resume is its ability to be scanned easily by optical character recognition (OCR) software. As we indicated in the discussion of the keywords section in Chapter 7, job applicants often send resumes that can’t be read by OCR software. To ensure that the content of your resume, which is the key to any interview, is reviewed, heed the words of communications theorist Marshall McLuhan: “The medium is the message.” Make sure you’re adhering to the rules of the medium, and the results will follow.
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OCR software cannot read certain types of fonts or symbols commonly used in many resumes, and so it’s best to have two versions of your resume: one for applying online and another for handing out at job fairs or giving directly to a potential employer.
     
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    Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time sending out resumes that are not being read. And that’s before the competition even starts.
    The three most common methods of applying for an advertised position are by fax, e-mail, and the U.S. Postal Service. Although there’s the story of the candidate who sealed his resume between two panels of glass and airmailed it to an overseas architecture firm—and received an interview—most companies are looking for a fast, easy, and safe way to review resumes. Paste your resume into the body of the e-mail; if an employer likes it, he or she may print it out or request a revised, Word-formatted version. To be on the safe side, many candidates send two e-mails: one with the resume cut and pasted into the body of the e-mail and a second with a non-ASCII attachment.
Proper Font and Style for Scannable Resumes
     
    When resumes are faxed or mailed to a hirer, they can be scanned and stored into a database automatically for later review using OCR software, as we discussed in Chapter 7. Sending in a resume that contains graphics, is photocopied or printed on dark paper, or uses certain fonts or characters (such as lines or bold) can result in a document that can’t be scanned and will be passed over. Make sure to save your resume in a serif-free font, remove any visual interference, and align the document to the left margin.
Internet Cover Letters
     
    Every resume needs a strong cover letter, and whether you’re applying for a job online or offline, this is a rule that should never be broken. Compared with a standard cover letter, an Internet cover letter can be a bit shorter. As with all cover letters, you should target the position by researching the company you are applying to and discussing the qualifications that you