An electronic resume won’t be read by an employer until it has, first, been scanned by a computer. More and more, employers are opting for this method to find the best candidate for their position.

Even if your qualifications are especially good, and you are very confident that you are the best candidate for the position, unless your resume meets with the standards in formatting, your resume will *not* reach your potential employer’s desk. Those who are not aware of how to format an Electronic Resume, even with stellar qualifications, will never (or very rarely) be called in for an important interview.

Below are the elements necessary to meet the electronic resume standards:

Write using nouns, not verbs. Nouns should be the dominant words in a scanable resume. Try to use descriptive words such as bookkeeping, supervisor and Pratt & Lambert.

Use of Descriptors: Try to use keywords such as education, skill-set, experience, talents and abilities. These are the words your employers will look for when wanting to fill a position. Always use plenty of keywords. The more, the better!

Fancy is Out: Scan-able resumes should be very conservatively written. Don’t decorate and don’t use uncommon typefaces. Use only white or beige paper, don’t underline and don’t use italics.

Use Simple Design: The computer will usually read text and not graphics. Anything that is too complex, such as tables and leader dots, shouldn’t be included.

Avoid Abbreviations: With the exception of very common abbreviations, such as, BA (Bachelor of Arts,) always use full terms.

Take me to the next page: Write An Electronic Resume - part 2