How to Create a Resume for Electronic Screening
People have always come up with ways to make their resumes stand out for the brief time--perhaps less than a minute--that a hiring manager or human resources representative spends reviewing it. These days, you can't assume that your resume will ever get in front of human eyes. Employers are increasingly using electronic screening to distinguish resumes that might be a good fit for an open position from those that are not "in the ballpark". To avoid the electronic "dust bin", your resume must be a skillfully crafted digital document.
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Instructions
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How to Create a Resume for Electronic Screening
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Identify keywords related to the job you are seeking. Employers screen resumes for particular words or phrases that they believe the perfect candidate's resume is sure to have. Most often, the words are nouns that are related to the experience and skills the employer seeks, according to Katharine Hansen, associate publisher of the advice, Web site Quintessential Careers. Areas to think about when selecting keywords are industry-specific technical terms, names of hardware and software you know how to use, job titles, types of degrees, and certifications. You can also scour ads for vacancies of the type you are seeking and pay attention to which terms come up repeatedly. You should aim for 25 to 35 keywords.
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Space your keywords appropriately on your resume. In the early days of digital resumes, career counselors frequently advised creating a heading called "keyword summary" and listing the terms in a block, devoid of context. A more graceful method is to distribute the keywords throughout the resume, particularly in an early section called "summary of qualifications." This approach keeps the keywords in context, usually within bullet points that will make sense to a human reader as well as to a computer.
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Use variations of the same keywords when possible. For example, include both "project management" and "project manager," in case the employer looks for one term but not the other. If some of your keywords have common synonyms, include them. If you are seeking work as a reporter, for instance, consider including "reporter," "journalist," "correspondent" and "writer." Include common acronyms, too--if you want to be a human resources manager, use that term as well as "HR manager."
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Remember the basics. Although creating a digital version of your document involves special considerations, the crux of the task is resume writing, as usual. Proofread to make sure your spelling and grammar are perfect. Create an attractive layout with plenty of white space. Emphasize achievement, rather than duties, in your previous jobs. Write a resume that is concise yet complete, avoiding information overload.
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Customize your keywords for specific jobs. As convenient as it would be to create one resume and be done with it, different jobs call for different versions. Tailor your document to the particular job opening by including terms you see in the vacancy notice. Check the potential employer's Web site to see what concepts are emphasized there; include them on your resume as keywords.
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Tips & Warnings
Some employers not only electronically screen resumes but also cover letters; include keywords there, too.
In addition to a word processor version of your resume that you attach in an email, create a text-only version that can be pasted directly into an e-mail without yielding strange characters or formatting issues. Some employers will not open attachments.
