There are many ways to distribute your
resume to prospective employers: in printed form by mail or by
fax; as embedded text or attached document in an email, or by
creating your resume online and posting to a resume database. You
can also create a scannable resume.
Mailing Your Resume
The traditional method of submitting a resume has been via
mail. A clean, neat, accurate print copy, along with a cover
letter, is mailed to the attention of the company's hiring
manager, or to the individual specified in a job posting.
Use high-quality, light-colored resume paper and a laser
printer, if possible. A crisply printed resume looks more
professional than one that is hand-typed and/or printed on normal
weight paper. Keeping your resume to one page is a good idea. If
you feel you should provide more information, an additional page
is often acceptable.
Always include a cover letter with your resume. Use a
professional envelope. Many employers keep the envelope as part of
your file. You may want to use an 8-1/2 x 11 inch envelope so you
do not have to fold your resume.
Make sure to track when the resumes are mailed and to which
employers.
Faxing Your Resume
Sending your resume via fax gets your information to an
employer quickly and easily. However, since print quality is often
poor, use the fax method only if requested or if a submission
deadline is due.
Follow these guidelines, as discussed in mailing your resume,
for creating a crisp, professional looking print version. Use a
high quality fax machine with a confirmation feature to ensure the
fax is transmitted correctly. Be sure to include a fax cover sheet
with your name and phone number, and a cover letter. Be sure to
track when the faxes are sent and to which employers.
Only fax a resume if it's requested in the job listing, even
when using a cover sheet. Otherwise it may be discarded and never
reach the person for whom it was intended.
E-mailing Your Resume
E-mailing resumes
can be complicated
due to the different options involved. You can include your resume
in the body of the e-mail or attach it as a separate document.
There are tradeoffs between the two.
"Some employers won't open attachments for security reasons.
However, attachments offer more formatting options."
Including your resume within the body of the e-mail limits your
formatting options. You can enter the text into the e-mail itself,
or create an ASCII resume in a text editor such as Notepad. ASCII
stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It
ensures that the information you input on your computer will
appear the same on other computers. Learn how to convert your
resume to ASCII format.
Attachments take longer to open and you only have a few seconds
to catch the employer's attention. Some employers won't open
attachments for security reasons. However, attachments offer more
formatting options. Employers who accept resumes via e-mail may
specify a document format to use (example: RTF - Rich Text
Format). When no method is specified, RTF or Microsoft Word may be
your best choice.
Make it easy on prospective employers. State the position you
are applying for and your name in your email subject line.
Whenever you send a resume by e-mail, you should include a brief
cover letter. E-mail cover letters are just like regular cover
letters but are only one or two paragraphs in length. Be succinct
and make sure you address any specific requirements of the job
listing.
Creating Your Resume Online
Many sites on the Internet provide a platform to create an
online resume.
Some websites are resume "banks" holding thousands of resumes for
employers to search and find qualified applicants.
Some businesses have their own online resume building tools.
Incoming resumes are formatted to include information of specific
interest to the company. These resumes can be routed automatically
to specific departments and/or to certain job openings. The
resumes are often put into a company's "resume database."
Employers may search the database for resumes containing certain
job skills, certifications, educational background, and work
experience.
