Format
by
ResumeEdge.com
- The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service
Rely on white space to define sections. Scanners like white space.
They use it to determine when one section has ended and the next
has begun. Horizontal lines can also be used to define sections
since they are usually ignored by more sophisticated scanning software,
provided they do not touch any of the letters on the page. However,
avoid the use of short, vertical lines since scanners try to interpret
these as letters.
Don't use columns (like a newspaper) on your
resume. Scanners read from left to right and often have difficulty
determining how to relate text to headings when the columns are
the same width or when there are more than two columns. Although
the keywords will be intact, your resume may end up looking like
garbage in the ASCII text version created during the OCR process.
Using a narrow column of headings on the left followed by the text
on the right doesn't seem to cause the same problem, however.
Dot leaders (like this . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) can cause major headaches for the
scanner, so avoid them.
One nice thing about electronic resumes is that
they don't have to be limited to one page. The more keywords and
synonyms you are able to use, the better your chances of being selected
in a keyword search. Therefore, it is better to have a two-page
resume with all of your skills and qualifications listed than to
have a one-page resume with information missing because you tried
to conserve space. The general rule for an electronic resume today
is:
- New graduates--one page
- Most people--one or two pages
- Senior executives--two or three pages
One caution, however. The reader may decide to
stop reading after the first page if something doesn't entice him
or her to read on. Therefore, you should make certain that the meat
of your resume is on the first half of the first page.
Remember to keep your sentences powerful and
interesting to read. Cyberspace doesn't negate the need for good
writing. You still want a human being to read your resume sooner
or later!
From Designing the Perfect Resume, by Pat Criscito.
Copyright 2000. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's
Educational Series, Inc.
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