Resumé Remedies

Let's assume you have read my book, Hired!, and you have followed the Four-Step process I describe there. That means

1. You have identified the skills or knowledge you have to offer a potential employer
2. You have identified the companies you want to contact, who will benefit from hiring you
3. You have made a first contact with one or more of these candidate companies

And now it is time to move to Step Four: Get to Know Each Other.

Getting to know each other means having a meaningful, planned interaction with a view of a possible job relationship. This interaction is normally a formal interview, but the interview is usually preceded by a presentation of your job qualifications in a written resumé. And the resumé is one of the major tollgates that can scuttle your job search in a digital heartbeat.  Here are some of the resumé factors I discuss in Hired! about making your resumé presentable and readable.

Fonts

One font is sufficient, and don't use more than two fonts in your resumé. Make sure these fonts are complementary. Serif fonts like Georgia or Palatino Linotype are easier to read and look better on a computer screen than a non-serif font like Arial or Verdana. I admonish you not to use Times New Roman. It may be the default font in Microsoft Word, but Times New Roman is not the best font for on-screen display. Keep your font size at 10 or 12 point. You may have great eyesight, but going smaller than 10 point will make your printed resumé difficult to read for a visually challenged reader. Going larger than 12 point will simply convey the impression that you are trying to be cute or fill empty space.

File Format

You may use Microsoft Word, but not everyone does. If you submit a resumé via an e-mail attachment the safest format is one that is available on all the major computer operating environments of Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. The best cross-platform file format is Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). You can buy a program to convert your resumé to PDF format. Your computer or word processor may already provide a way to output the PDF format. If not, you can search the Internet for free conversion programs compatible with your operating environment.

Plain Text Version

You may need to submit your resumé directly in an email rather than in an attached PDF file. Or you may need to paste your resumé into an input field on a company's Careers web page. The latter situation will probably strip out all your resumé formatting, and the former scenario may result in a plain-text delivery to the recipient e-mail address which also means your formatting will be removed. So, to assure that your resumé layout still looks good, prepare a plain-text version of your resumé. On Windows you can start by pasting your resumé into Notepad! You will lose bold text, and all words will be in the same font. Insert blank lines to offset headings, change the width of your Notepad window and make sure the word-wrap does not result in distortions of the layout. When you get it the way you want it, Save it so you will have it ready when needed.

Naming Your Resumé

HR people have told me that a common resumé submittal mistake is that the candidate submits a file titled "Resume.docx." How is an HR person, or a hiring manager, going to find your resume with a generic name like that?  Put your full name in the name of your resumé file: "Resume of Gary K. Evans.docx."

Your E-mail Address

The last major mistake people make is to submit their resumé by e-mail from a totally non-professional address. Get an innocuous e-mail address from which you will send your electronic resumés. An address of "tootiredtopayattention@hotmail.com" will be an instant turn-off, as will "UFGatorman@yahoo.com." Use an e-mail address with your real name, and don't make it cute. You are looking for a professional position, not rushing a fraternity or sorority.